Veriam Music Trust
Historic Clarinets
Metzler, England
Boston Collection (B032)
Instrument: Clarinet
Maker: Metzler & Co
Region: London, England
Era: Early romantic
Date(s): 1833 - 1842
Keys: 6
Stamp: Metzler / London / 105 · Wardour · St
The Metzler family business was a prolific musical instrument maker for almost 150 years, between 1788 and 1936.
The ‘Metzler / London / 105 · Wardour · St’ stamp indicates this clarinet was made by Metzler & Co (as opposed to previous iterations of the business designated as V. Metzler and then Metzler & Son), which was established in 1833, but moved to Great Marlborough St in 1842 (39).
Ref: (39) William Waterhouse, 'The New Langwill Index' (1993), p. 261-62
Goulding & Co, England
Boston Collection (B033)
Instrument: Clarinet
Maker: George Goulding & Co
Region: London, England
Era: Classical
Date(s): 1787 - 1800
Keys: 5
Stamp: Goulding & Co / London
Goulding & Co was started by George Goulding in C1787. Multiple partnerships throughout his woodwind instrument making career saw numerous versions of the Goulding stamp, but ‘Goulding & Co’ was the first mark he used for his instruments. This stamp places the making of this clarinet between 1787 and 1800. The company traded until 1834. Langwill notes Goulding was designated as ‘music-seller to the Prince and Princess of Wales’ (40).
Ref: (40) William Waterhouse, 'The New Langwill Index' (1993), p. 142
George Wood, England
Boston Collection (B034)
Instrument: Clarinet
Maker: George Wood
Region: London, England (50 Compton St, Soho Square)
Era: Early romantic
Date(s): 1832-36
Keys: 9
Stamp: Geo”e Wood / New Compton Strt / 50 Soho / London (Flower icon)
James Wood started his woodwind instrument making business in London in 1799. His son, George Wood, took the business on in 1832 (41).
Ref: (41) William Waterhouse, 'The New Langwill Index' (1993), p. 435-36
Garrett, England
Boston Collection (B035)
Instrument: Clarinet
Maker: Garrett & Co
Region: London, England
Era: Classical/Romantic
Date(s): 1823-1894
Keys: 7
Stamp: B / Garrett / London
The Garrett workshop was started in 1800, and appears to have been a family business that lasted until 1894 (42).
Ref: (42) William Waterhouse, 'The New Langwill Index' (1993), p. 128
S. A. Chappell
Boston Collection (B036)
Instrument: Clarinet
Maker: Samuel Arthur Chappell
Region: London, England (New Bond Street)
Era: Romantic
Date(s): 1866-1901
Keys: 12
Stamp: S. A. Chappell / New Bond Street / London
Samuel Arthur Chappell, Son of wind instrument and pianoforte maker Samuel Chappell, took over the failed woodwind company of legendary composer and conductor Louis Jullien* in C1861 (43, 44).
After Chappell took over the firm, some of their instruments were stamped ‘S. A. Chappell, late Jullien & Co’, but the form of the ‘New Bond Street’ stamp on this clarinet indicates a manufacture date between 1866 and 1901 (The New Langwill Index)
*Louis Jullien’s full birth name was:
Louis George Maurice Adolphe Roche Albert Abel Antonio Alexandre Noë Jean Lucien Daniel Eugène Joseph-le-brun Joseph-Barême Thomas Thomas Thomas-Thomas Pierre Arbon Pierre-Maurel Barthélemi Artus Alphonse Bertrand Dieudonné Emanuel Josué Vincent Luc Michel Jules-de-la-plane Jules-Bazin Julio César Jullien.
The name consisted of the 36 names of the players of the Sisteron Philharmonic Society, whom his father played violin with at the time of his christening. He later shortened it to Louis-Antoine Jullien (45).
Ref: (43) William Waterhouse, 'The New Langwill Index' (1993), p. 61-62
Ref: (44) William Waterhouse, 'The New Langwill Index' (1993), p. 197
Ref: (45) Wikipedia contributors, 'Wikipedia' (2024), p. name Louis-Antoine Jullien
Unknown
Boston Collection (B043)
Instrument: Clarinet
