Name of Instrument: alto clarinet

Maker / Brand: Leopoldo Franciolini shop

Stearns Catalog #: 0628

Country of Origin: Florence, Italy

Region of Origin: Europe

Instrument Category: Aerophone

Date of Fabrication: late 19th C.

Location:

Description: This instrument comes to the Stearns Collection from a highly questionable source--Leopoldo Franciolini. Many Franciolini instruments are forgeries or interesting hybrids of original instruments and scrap wood. In this case, we have an Alto Clarinet in F without keys. It is a composite instrument with four sections: two are leather-covered maple (a Franciolini favorite) with six finger holes plus a thumb hole and an ivory ferrule. The boxwood barrel appears to have been purloined from a bass clarinet (with ivory ferrules). The boxwood bell appears to have been lifted from an oboe, and is disguised with decorative turnings and ivory mount. The grendilla mouthpiece appears to be re-purposed from a bass clarinet. While Franciolini actively sought to mislead his customers, the simultaneous crudeness and creativity demonstrated in his catalogue is greatly entertaining. More troubling, however, is the shadow cast upon the flawed judgment of Frederick Stearns in his last years of collecting.

Research: Prof. James M. Borders and Stearns Staff