I think that we should have a competition for the most obscure woodwind. G'head. Try to one-up me. I dares ya!
The Tritonikon is a metal double-reed instrument that looks a lot like the ophicleide, reed contrabass and Sarrusophone. It was one of the many instruments designed in the mid-ish 19th century to improve on the contrabassoon.
Here's the Czech to English translation of the Wikipedia article from Google Translate:
The Tritonikon is a metal double-reed instrument that looks a lot like the ophicleide, reed contrabass and Sarrusophone. It was one of the many instruments designed in the mid-ish 19th century to improve on the contrabassoon.
Here's the Czech to English translation of the Wikipedia article from Google Translate:
History, development and construction
The invention of this instrument is attributed to Vaclav královéhradeckému toolmakers Red Francis (1819-1896) and falls to 1856. Some structural elements are undoubtedly the work of Belgian toolmakers, composer and music theorist Victor-Charles Mahillon (1841 Brussels - 1924 Wed-Jean Cap Ferrat in Belgium). The concept of the workshop tritonikonu VF Red based partly on metal bassoons toolmakers Johann Stehle, whose company produced an improved model Schöllnast und Sohn, Bratislava, and partly from ofiklejdy, in which red sleeve tentatively replaced cane slices. He made a total of twenty different tritonikonů toned, three of which are located in the collection of musical instruments of the National Museum in Prague. Sarrusofonu invention that offered players improved technical capabilities and application, development tritonikonu stopped. The fate sarrusofonu later in a similar manner saxophone care.
The tool is made of brass and its shape reminds tube. Body of the instrument consists of Esíčko to which he attaches a double slice spiral curved tube with holes and fitted navrtanými damper mechanism and a short corpus. Holes in the tool tube is unusually large and its design ensures a unique feature of this tool - every tone is produced only a single flap and no tones no need to use a combination of flaps. The drive is also completely organized jedinenčným way - in principle fingering notes piano keyboard - left hand little finger controls the valve deepest tone, while the little finger of his right hand the highest tone. Other fingers of the control valve intermediate tones. Belgian Mahillon toolmaker who worked on the development of tools, prohláil that "players versed in piano playing is enough to dominate tritonikonu just a few days. The only thing that may initially cause problems for the upper left-hand position. "In addition to the individual tones flap tritonikon octave has two flaps and a few inch valves, including control of the tone D ', which differs from the other valves reverse the starting position.
The slices of development tools, which due to the characteristics of sound They made of metal, which involves more than manufacturers. In addition to this tritonikonu and metal bassoon Harmoniebaß Johann Stehle is also one among them Paolo Pelitti with his models and Basso controfagottone controfagotto D'Ottone Brass or bassoon, Heinrich Joseph Haseneier and Contrabassophon 1850 Victor-Charles Mahillon, Brussels, who presented the contrabass anche-a-tool-making workshop or delivering Orsi Italian military bands tool contrabass ad chance.