Albert system clarinet
The Albert system clarinet is a type of clarinet that is mainly used in Eastern European folk music, in klezmer and in jazz (mainly Dixieland ). In the British-speaking area it is called the Simple System Clarinet . This design is known from its player Woody Allen .
In a sense, it is an older form of the German clarinet commonly used in German-speaking countries, based on the fingering system by Iwan Müller. At the beginning of the 19th century, Müller improved the flap mechanism by equipping the flaps with airtight cushions. The Belgian instrument maker Eugène Albert developed the Albert system clarinet around 1850. The Albert system was created around the same time as the Baermann clarinet. The fingering technique is identical to the German system; However, the face and mouthpiece are based on the Böhm system.
The Albert system clarinet has limited options compared to the more modern designs and has largely been replaced by the Böhm clarinet . Their advantage for jazz and folk music, however, are the tone holes , which are not covered by keys and make it possible to play glissandi or blue notes by partially closing the holes with the finger . That is why it has numerous followers and is still produced by the Selmer Company or Buffet Crampon . Johnny Dodds or Sidney Bechet played the Albert clarinet.
Web links
- usuarios.multimania.es ( Memento of August 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive )