bout the Chalumeau

Chalumeau by Steven Fox modeled after an instrument by J.C. Denner The chalumeau (chalumeaux plural) is a single reed woodwind instrument. It is the predecessor of the clarinet and was most prevalent in the early part of the Baroque era. The chalumeau is differentiated from the clarinet, in that in almost all cases it lacks a bell. It is also differentiated by the location of its two uppermost keys. On the chalumeau they are diametrically opposed, whereas on clarients, the register key is placed higher on the back of the instrument toward the mouthpiece. On account of the location of its 'register' key, the chalumeau does not play well outside of its lowest twelve notes. Thus, it has a similar range to capped reed instruments like the crumhorn and does not overblow. It is associated with the low register, as opposed to the clarion register for which the clarinet is named.

Like the clarient, the chalumeau is a heteroglot reed instrument, as its reed is not attached to the body. Rather it is held there by twine. Idioglot reed instruments were an integral part of the body. If made from wood, a 'reed' could be constructed by cutting a 'tongue' vertically down the instrument, something akin to the cut in the head of a bishop chess piece.

The chalumeau was used in Germany, Italy, and England. One of the earliest pieces of evidence of the instrument is an inventory record of 1687 from the Hofkappelle of Duke Heinrich of Saxe-Römhild which indicates that a set of four chalumeaux were purchased from Nürnberg. The chalumeau had an important place in the Habsburg court. In fact, Emperor Joseph I wrote an opera aria for that included the chalumeau. The instrument was also known in Italy. Vivaldi called it the salmoe, and it was known as the salamuri in Venice.

Chalumeau by Steven Fox with ruler for scale

The instrument pictured here was made by Steven Fox of Canada. It is a copy of an instrument that was made by Johann Christian Denner that survives in the Bavarian National Museum (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum) in Munich. As you can see, its body looks very much like that of a tenor recorder. The instrument is in three sections.

There are a handful of surviving chalumeaux. In addition to the instrument made by Denner, the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum also holds two chalumeaux that were previously attributed to Stuehnwal. They are now considered to be anonymous, although they have also tentatively been attributed to someone in the Walch family. The bodies of the instruments are cylindrical. The turning of the instruments is plainer than that of Denner. They are in the soprano and alto ranges, measuring 290 and 399 millimeters long respectively. The alto instrument has three keys and is in three sections. The soprano instrument is only in two sections.

The Swedish Museum of Performing Arts (Scenkonstmuseet) (previously known as the Stockholm Music Museum (Musikmuseet)) has two tenor chalumeaux by Klenig. They look very much like the Denner instrument, although they are a few millimeters shorter measuring 490mm and 486mm as opposed to Denner's 500mm. They are both in three sections with two keys. The Scenkonstmuseet also holds an alto chlumeau by Liebau. It measures 230mm in length, is in three sections, and has two keys. The museum also contains a much later instrument by Muller. It has seven keys, and is 321 mm long. Remarkably it is in only two sections. Musikmuseet also held a tenor by Liebau. It was 526 mm in length. Tragically it has gone missing.

There is a bass instrument by W. Kress which looks very much like a dulcian, with its thick body that contains two bores. It is much larger than the other surviving instruments, measuring 140cm in length. On account of its size it has five keys. In addition to the large body of the instrument, there is a detachable bell, bocal and mouthpiece, making four sections in total. It is located in the Museo Carolino Augusteum in Salzburg.

Repertoire

Music for chalumeau flourished in the first half of the eighteenth century. Literature for the instrument includes solo works, duets, consort pieces, and well as parts in orchestral works and opera. Its golden age was short lived, as by the second half of the century works for the chalumeau were not common. By that time the clarinet had usurped the role of the primary single reed instrument.

A long list of composers wrote for the instrument. They inlcude: Attilio Ariosti, Guiseppe Bonno, Antonio Maria Bononcini, Giovanni Battista Bononcini, Antonio Caldara, Francesco Bartolomeo Conti, Johann Friedrich Fasch, Johann Joseph Fux, Johann Christoph Graupner, George Frideric Handel, Johann Adolph Hasse, Reinhard Keiser, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Giuseppe antonio Paganelli, Melchiore Pichler, Giuseppe Porsile, von Reutter, Camilla di Rossi, Georg Philipp Telemann, Antonio Vivaldi, Jan Dismas Zelenka, Marc'Antonio Ziani. Graupner's opus for chalumeaux was particularly substantial. He used it in concerti, suites, sonatas, and cantatas. Telemann was proficient on many different instruments. Thus it is not surprising that he played the chalumeau. He did not write for the bass chalumeau, and only wrote for the soprano on one occasion. In addition to using the instrument in various Frankfurt cantatas, he wrote a concerto for 2 Chalumeaux, TWV 52:d1. Fasch also wrote a concerto for the instrument, FaWV L:B1.

Some of the earliest published works for the instrument are from 1706, when an Amsterdam publisher, Estienne Roger advertised duets for two chalumeaux titled "Fanfares et autres airs de chalumeau à 2 dessus by J.P. Dreux". At around that same time, John Walsh, and English musician published the "Fourth Compleat Book for the Mock Trumpet". Early uses of the instrument include Ziani’s Caio Popilio of 1704, Giovanni Battista Bononcini’s Endimione of 1706, and Turno Aricino of 1707; and Marc Antonio Bononcini’s Trionfo della Grazia of 1707.

One of the late works for the chalumeau is a concertino by Johan Melchior Molter. The chalumeau was also used in ballets by Franz Aspelmayr, and Joseph Starzer. Florian Gassman used the instrument in his opera I Rovinati.

There are a fair number of modern luthiers that make chalumeaux. Steven Fox is a single reed performer based in Ontario Canada. He is an experienced luthier that is dedicated to making clarinets and chalumeau. He has been refining his instrument for several years. He currently produces a tenor based on the one by Denner.

Grzegorz Tomaszewicz has been building instruments for more than 25 years. He makes chalumeaux modeled after the instruments attributed to Stuehnwal, as well as the one made by Denner. He produces chalumeaux in four sizes: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, at either A=415 or A=440. He workshop is located in Poland.

Guntram Wolf founded a large workshop in Germany. It used to make several different chalumeau models. Notably he made a bass modeled after the instrument by Kress. As of November 2018, it no longer advertises his chalumeau.

Thomas Carroll is a clarinetist who specializes in early clarinet literature and works for chlaumeau. He is also a luthier and makes clarients and chalumeaux. He produces a consort of chalumeaux ranging in size from soprano to bass that are based on the tenor by Denner. He states that he is designing a basson de chalumeau based on the bass chalumeau by Kress.

Guy Cowly makes chalumeaux in sizes ranging from soprano to bass. They are all modeled after the instrument by Denner. He is located in England.

Soren Green like Thomas Carroll is also a clarinetist who specializes in early clarinet literature and works for chlaumeau. He began making instruments prior to attending graduate school. He makes soprano, alto, tenor, and bass chalumeaux. They appear to be copies of the instrument by Denner. His workshop is located in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Peter van der Poel is a maker of woodwind instruments. He produces soprano alto tenor bass chalumeaux after Denner. They are pitched at A=415. His workshop is located in Bunnik, Netherlands

Andreas Schöni makes woodwind instruments in Switzerland. He produces chalumeaux in sopranino, soprano, alto, and tenor sizes based on the tenor by Denner. He also produces a bass after the instrument by Kress. His instruments can be pitched at A=415 or A=440.

Rudolph Tutz produces soprano, alto, tenor, and bass chalumeaux based on the instrument by Denner. They are pitched as A=440 or A=415. He is based on Austria.

François Masson has a workshop based in Port Louis, France. He produces soprano, alto, tenor, and bass chalumeaux based on the instrument by Denner.

Pierre-Alexis Cabiran has been involved in the research and study of instruments since the early 90s. His old site www.pa-cabiran.instrumentsmedievaux.org is no longer working. http://www.apemutam.org/sitesmembres/pa-cabiran/text/cabiran.html indicates that he is no longer making instruments commercially, but provides advice to those who are interested in creating instruments.

Pavel Číp produces a soprano chalumeau. He has been making instruments for 30 years. He is well known for his bagpipes and gemshorns. His workshop is in Zubří, Czech Republic.

Petr Skalický produces a soprano chalumeau. His instrument has a detachable bell. He also makes a variety of other wind instruments and is primarily known for his bagpipes. His workshop is in Rousínov, Czech Republic.

Moeck used to make a chalumeau. They stopped producing instruments other than the recorder more than a decade ago.