Leitner & Kraus

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Leitner & Kraus is a German clarinets - manufacturer based in Neustadt an der Aisch , Bavaria .

Leitner & Kraus GmbH

logo
legal form Limited Liability Company (Germany) GmbH
founding 1993
Seat Neustadt an der Aisch , GermanyGermanyGermany 
management Josef Leitner and Wolfgang Kraus, managing directors
Number of employees 15th
Branch Woodwind instrument maker
Website https://www.leitner-kraus.de/
Commons : Leitner & Kraus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Leitner + Kraus clarinetto di bassetto.jpg
Basset clarinet in A German system, is also made in Bb and as Reform Boehm
Leitner + Kraus 420o.jpg
Bb clarinet, Reform Boehm system with 20 keys and 7 rings
Leitner + Kraus 410.jpg
Bb clarinet, French system with 17 keys and 6 rings


history

After many years of professional activity in the manual production of clarinets, the woodwind instrument maker Josef Leitner and the woodwind instrument maker Wolfgang Kraus set up their own business in 1993 and founded a joint company in Neustadt an der Aisch for the production of high-quality handcrafted clarinets. In 2001 they moved into new, larger premises. At the moment (October 2019), in addition to the two owners, 15 employees work in the company, including the owner's two sons, both masters in woodwind instrument making.

Products

Clarinets of different tuning with the German and the French fingering system as well as those with the Reform Boehm system are manufactured . With the German system ( Oehler ) 10 models in B and A are offered, including a Viennese model with an additional bore, three models in C, and four in D and high-Es. The lower area is covered by three basset horns in F and three long bass clarinets in B to low-C. With the French system (Böhm), ​​the manufactory produces four models in Bb and A, with the Reform-Böhm system six models in Bb and A, a basset clarinet in Bb and A and three models each in C, D and Eb, as well as a basset horn in F. The instruments are only made to order and made of grenadilla wood, on special request also from boxwood or cocobolo .

For the German models, the company developed a new, patented a'-b 'mechanism. For the B flat clarinet with the German system, model 250, she received the German Musical Instrument Award in 2016.

While some clarinet makers do not manufacture mouthpieces in-house, Leitner & Kraus pays special attention to this important part and offers a configurator on its website to help you choose the right mouthpiece. There are mouthpieces for German and French clarinets, with different face lengths and openings, made of Zelltec, a cellulose-based composite, and of "cast wood" (linea verde), a material that the company developed itself and which is protected by a utility model is.

Leitner & Kraus instruments are mainly sold in Germany. 20 to 25% of the production is spread over some European countries, the USA and China.

References and comments

  1. ↑ Musical life in Germany, p. 236
  2. ↑ a b c d website
  3. ↑ Eric Hoeprich, The Clarinet, Yale University Press, 2008, pp. 211, 212
  4. ↑ Rebecca Trescher, Clarino (online magazine) of May 17, 2017, clarinets by Leitner & Kraus
  5. ↑ The other models in B and A can also be made with Wiener Bohr on request.
  6. ↑ Publication and description
  7. ↑ Wolfgang Schicker: Award for Middle Franconian workshop, April 8, 2016
  8. ↑ Blasmusik (online magazine) June 20, 2009, New mouthpieces by Leitner and Kraus

Web links

Commons : Leitner & Kraus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files