18 News - Historic Brass Society

wind instruments, this thesis develops a methodology for studying the
within German keyboard intabulations of the early sixteenth century.
The results of this approach are summarised in the form of a new
German Renaissance divisions treatise, which will be of practical
use to cornettists and other musicians involved in the performance
of Renaissance music.
The NEW LANGWILL INDEX
A Dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers & Inventors
A new edition is now being planned, which Publisher Tony Bingham
hopes to issue around 2010, with my good friend Dr. Erich Tremmel
- author of Blasinstrumentenbau im 19. Jh. in Südbayern (Augsburg,
1993) - as my Assistant Editor.
William Waterhouse, e-mail: wwaterhouse@ndirect.co.uk
We will not fail to keep you informed of future developments !!
Dr Erich Tremmel, e-mail: erich_tremmel@hotmail.com
Randy Cabell 19th Century Brass Activities
Randy Cabell has been busy unearthing some fascinating repertoire
of early American wind music and has issued a performance edition
and accompanying midi-generated CD of the music called Martial
Music in the Age of Lewis and Clark. This repertoire has been taken
from a number of band books scored for the usual Harmonie Musik
instrumentation of two clarinets, two natural horns, bassoons and
the Civil War period brass band. Cabell has brought out this music in
time for the Bicentennial of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition.
For information: Randy Cabell, 1007 Calmes Neck Lane, Boyce, VA
22620 USA. rcabell@visuallink.com
Stonewall Brigade Band to Get Complete set of Reproductions
The Stonewall Brigade Band of Staunton, VA, claims to be the oldest
continuously publicly supported community band in America.
They have recently received a gift from Dr. Jobe Coy Metts and Dr.
Margaret Cabell Metts Trust Fund for a complete set of reproduction
Sax horns based on the instruments originally used by the band over
a century ago to be made by Robb Stewart. The fund was established
by Randy and Mary Kay Cabell. In 1859 the Stauton band, which was
set of OTS instruments made by Antoine Sax. These horns were carried
through the Civil War as the band of the 5th Virginia Regiment,
The Stonewall Brigade. After the surrender at Appomattox, General
Grant allowed the members of the band to keep the horns instead of
Brigade Band and are the only remaining complete set of Confederate
Civil War horns in existence.
Spaeth-Schmid has New Website
50,000 items from their catalogue. http://www.spaeth-schmid.de
Museo Strumentale of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
At the very beginning of the 90s I and a group of colleagues, with the
Accademia, began the recollection of that ancient (private) museum
(founded in 1895), left unattended after the early 60s and the death
of its principal promoter in those days, Prof. Gioacchino Pasqualini.
Each instrument was examined and carefully documented, and a
brief catalogue was printed just afterwards («Il liuto e la lira», 1993).
At the same time the care of each item and the restoration of several
instruments had its start-point. The project was that of preparing a
for which also an exhibition was under preparation.
This purpose was gained at the very end of 1999, when a selection of
the instruments was displayed at the address Via della Conciliazione
opening of the new Auditorium of Rome, in 2002). In the meanwhile
the new building which was being erected by architect Renzo Piano.
Sadly enough, however, the president of the Accademia, Prof. Bruno
Cagli, resigned shortly before the beginning of 2001, and the new one,
Luciano Berio, showed a completely different attitude with respect
purposes of a museum, but was mostly interested to the «artistic»
exhibitions of the instruments. So that he himself designed a sort of
art installation with violins guitars and lutes hanging down from the
roof like «salami». In addition it was impossible to debate his attitudes
and preferences, so that I and the other consultants decided to take
to his previous position, and now things are going again in the right
direction (I mean towards a new museum constitution). submitted by
Renato Meucci
Tuba Recovery
An unfortunate but completely accidental occurrence resulted in Mark
being crushed in the parking lot at Bennington College moments
before he was scheduled to play at the concluding concert of the 21st
Annual HBS Early Brass Festival. The tuba made of nickel silver, was
manufactured by Graves & Co. Boston ca 1858-62. Elrod stated that
considers it as one of the rarest, if not the rarest of American over-the
shoulder bass saxhorns. Up till that weekend, it was in an incredible
state of condition/preservation and was determined to be completely
restorable since the metal is very substantial (thick) and not at all
brittle. Recognizing the importance of this instrument, instrument
maker and repairman extraordinaire, Robb Stewart, considered this
repair operation “emergency surgery” and put the job at the head of his
sideration
for this situation is most generous. The photo below shows
fully restored to its former beauty. Elrod commented how grateful he
is to Robb for this and would like the entire early brass community to
know of his generous offer. Among unusual or main features of the
tuba are its detachable «pigtail» leadpipe which based on extent period
photos is typical of all Graves OTS tubas of the period, separate elongated
«L» shaped leadpipe where the instrument can be played as an
of playing the 4-rotary valve instrument. In addition, it still retains its
original Graves mouthpiece. Elrod commented about the instrument,
“ As playing instruments go of these types, it is high pitched (A-453
HISTORIC BRASS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER - WINTER 2005 | 41