Paris, France
Henry Pourcelle (trade name)

Boxwood, ivory, metal, ebony
ca. 1860-1880’s
Length: 27.95 in
Wind Instruments – Woodwind Instruments – Single Reed

Stamped on top barrel, upper joint, and bottom bell: HENRY POURCELLE / PARIS in dotted oval border; directly below each logo is stamped the letter ‘A’

‘Henry Pourcelle’ was a trade name used for clarinets made in France and sold by Charles Bruno & Son in New York.  This clarinet in ‘A’ is almost identical to the ‘Bb’ clarinet in looks, except it is ever so slightly longer.  Therefore, when you play the note ‘C’ on it, the actual sound is concert ‘A’.  The length for clarinet in ‘Bb’ is approximately 66 cm (25.98 in), but for the clarinet in ‘A,’ it is approximately 71 cm (27.95 in).

The clarinet’s cylindrical bore (its circular shaped interior chamber) is the main reason for its distinctive timbre, which varies between the three main registers (the chalumeau, clarion, and altissimo). The ‘A’ and ‘B♭’ clarinets have nearly the same bore size and nearly identical tonal quality, although the ‘A’ typically has a slightly warmer sound.