The Mazzeo system is a key system for the
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
invented by
Rosario Mazzeo Rosario Mazzeo (April 5, 1911 – July 19, 1997) was an American clarinetist and clarinet system designer. He was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, and afterward lived in Boston, Massachusetts. He played first ...
in the 1950s,
and is a modification of the
Boehm system
The Boehm system is a system of keywork for the flute, created by inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm between 1831 and 1847.
History
Immediately prior to the development of the Boehm system, flutes were most commonly made of wood, with an i ...
. Exclusive mass-production rights were given to the
Selmer company, although only 13,000 were made. Many are now in museums, but some are in private collections or can be found for sale. In addition to the instruments made in France, Selmer's "Bundy" and "Signet" lines of student instruments (made in the U.S.) each included a Mazzeo model.
The differences between a Boehm system clarinet and a Mazzeo system clarinet are
*The throat B using the A key and any one or combination of left-hand second or third finger or right-hand first, second, or third fingers to operate a linkage opening the third right-index-finger trill key, rather than using the inadequately vented register key to obtain that pitch; the same fingerings, minus A key, produce A; traditional (
Boehm
Boehm () is a German surname, transliterated from Böhm (literally: Bohemian, from Bohemia) or reflective of a spelling adopted by a given family before the introduction of the umlaut diacritic. It may refer to:
* Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm (b ...
) B and A fingerings are also available;
*A left-hand-thumb plateau key;
*A ringless bell with less flare.
Full and modified Mazzeo clarinets feature
*An E/B key playable with the thumb, first, and third fingers and D/A key on the left-hand side;
*An articulated B to C keys;
*An alternate left-hand A/E key.
References
External links
Mazzeo System Clarinets at the National Music MuseumMFA Boston: Clarinets, Saxophones and Related Musical Instruments
Clarinet systems
{{SingleReed-instrument-stub