Curtals (Dulcians)
Contrabass Dulcian
Dulcians Berlin
The curtals (dulcians) are copies after instruments in the Berlin Museum for Musical Instruments (Sammlung Preussischer Kulturbesitz). The copies are reconstructed as exactly as possible in 440 Hz or 466 Hz.
The wall of the instrument is not very thick which makes it slimline and extremely light. The material used is oiled and stained maple.
The instruments have, like the originals, two keys and no double holes. The crook (wall thickness 0.7mm) is cut from sheet brass, soldered, fitted precisely over a pin and shaped by hand using the exact historical technique.
As a result of this attention to detail, our dulcians are delicate instruments which can be played with many nuances and which always produce a full and rich tone.
Bass Dulcian Meran
The reproduction is characterised by a strong sound, reliable responsiveness and intonation. The finger holes are further apart than on the Berlin model, but easy to reach with medium-sized hands. The instrument is thicker and heavier than the Berlin model. The bell is removable like that of my reproduction of the Berlin model.
Both original instruments – the Berlin and the Meran original – were manufactured by the same instrument maker and bear an almost identical embossed stamp: a clover leaf on both originals and additionally CR on the Berlin instrument. In the opinion of Maggie Kilbey it refers to an instrument builder from the Rauch family of Schrattenbach who was active before 1630.
The difference in sound between the two reproductions rests on the different hole size. That of the Meran model is narrower in the bass bore than that of the Berlin model but it has the same sized conical gradient. The descant bore of the Meran model is also narrower, only the first 20 cm are wider than the drill of the Berlin model.
Here is a table to compare the distinctive features:
|
|
Praetorius Berlin
|
Praetorius Meran
|
|
Sound
|
elegant, delicate to powerful
|
powerful to very powerful
|
|
Responsiveness
|
reliable
|
very reliable
|
|
Weight c. g
|
960
|
1150
|
|
Finger spread
|
|
|
|
Finger hole 1 – 3
|
81 mm
|
84 mm
|
|
Finger hole 4 – 6
|
82 mm
|
91 mm
|
|
Bell
|
detachable
Further bells for a more
powerful sound possible
|
detachable
|
Dominic Teresi
Dulcian, baroque, classical and modern bassoons.
"the ensemble's best and most supple work was in the four Vivaldi concertos... Among them was a lively account of a bassoon concerto (RV 483), with Dominic Teresi playing the solo line gracefully."
- New York Times
»www.myspace.com/dominicteresi
Dominic Teresi is playing the 440 Bass Dulcian after the Berlin original.