For Throwback Thursday, meet the National Music Museums ground zero -- the very first instrument ever collected by Arne B. Larson, founder of the NMM. This modest Albert system clarinet in E-flat (high pitch) is unsigned, except for the initials A L scratched by one of its owners onto the bottom of the lower joint and bell. Made of African blackwood, with eleven German-silver cupped keys and two rings, the instrument was probably built between 1875-1900. According to Arnes notes, the instrument was bought for $2.00 in 1900 by his father, Adolf Larson, purportedly from a Spanish-American War veteran. Adolf played it until 1918. Arne B. inherited the clarinet and played it until the late 1960s. Following in his grandfathers and fathers footsteps, Andre P. Larson (the NMMs Founding Director) regularly played this clarinet in the NMMs ensemble The Golden Age of Bands from 1968 through the early 1990s.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 21:00:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015