Contrabassophone
Encyclopedia
The contrabassophone is a woodwind instrument
, invented about 1847 by German
bassoon
maker Heinrich Joseph Haseneier. It was intended as a substitute for the contrabassoon
, which at that time was an unsatisfactory instrument, with a muffled sound due to tone hole
s that were too small and too close together. Haseneier's design made use of some of the same principles that went into the Boehm system
flute
, in which keywork was developed based on tone holes with acoustically optimum sizes and positions. The contrabassophone's bore
was substantially larger (by about a third) than that of the contrabassoon, and the result was an instrument with a powerful tone. Indeed, it was regarded as too loud for orchestra
l use, though it was suitable for outdoor use in military band
s. Many other European makers produced copies of the contrabassophone, including a lightweight version made of papier-mâché
.
Adolphe Fontaine-Besson
patented a similar instrument in 1890 but allowed the patent to lapse in 1898. By this time the contrabassophone had been largely superseded by improved versions of the contrabassoon for orchestral use, and by the tuba
in wind bands.
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
, invented about 1847 by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
maker Heinrich Joseph Haseneier. It was intended as a substitute for the contrabassoon
Contrabassoon
The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon or double-bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower...
, which at that time was an unsatisfactory instrument, with a muffled sound due to tone hole
Tone hole
A tone hole is an opening in the body of a wind instrument which, when covered by a key, alters the pitch of the sound produced.The resonant frequencies of the an air column in a pipe are inversely proportional to the pipe's effective length. For a pipe with no tone holes, the effective length is...
s that were too small and too close together. Haseneier's design made use of some of the same principles that went into the Boehm system
Boehm System
The Boehm system is a system of keywork for the flute, created by inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm between 1831 and 1847.Prior to the development of the Boehm system, flutes were most commonly made of wood, with an inverse conical bore, eight keys, and tone holes that were small in size, and...
flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, in which keywork was developed based on tone holes with acoustically optimum sizes and positions. The contrabassophone's bore
Bore (wind instruments)
The bore of a wind instrument is its interior chamber that defines a flow path through which air travels and is set into vibration to produce sounds. The shape of the bore has a strong influence on the instruments' timbre.-Bore shapes:...
was substantially larger (by about a third) than that of the contrabassoon, and the result was an instrument with a powerful tone. Indeed, it was regarded as too loud for orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l use, though it was suitable for outdoor use in military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
s. Many other European makers produced copies of the contrabassophone, including a lightweight version made of papier-mâché
Papier-mâché
Papier-mâché , alternatively, paper-mache, is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste....
.
Adolphe Fontaine-Besson
Besson (company)
Besson is a manufacturer of brass musical instrument. It is owned by Buffet Crampon, which bought Besson in 2006 from The Music Group.The company was formed in 1837 by Gustave Auguste Besson, who at the age of 18 produced a revolutionary design of cornet which surpassed all contemporary models. His...
patented a similar instrument in 1890 but allowed the patent to lapse in 1898. By this time the contrabassophone had been largely superseded by improved versions of the contrabassoon for orchestral use, and by the tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
in wind bands.
External links
- The Contrabassophone at Contrabass Mania. (Note: The implication that only Haseneier and Morton made contrabassophones, and in very limited numbers, appears to be based on a misunderstanding of Dibley's article.)