Posted by Bad copying. Sorry! on May 18, 2003 at 14:41:49:
In Reply to: Mollenhauer tuba posted by K on May 18, 2003 at 14:39:18:
Sorry for going public, but I get so many enquiries about diverse questions related to my interest for older brasses, that I will allow myself to take the road, that I consider more efficient.
The name of Mollenhauer has for long been known to me, but only in the area of my sideshow as a recorder teacher. Their recorders never appealed to me, and I never bought one for neither myself nor for my plenitude of students.
Now the name comes up in the brass context. Web searches are not very telling, yet I dare to make a conclusion, which however should be read with every imaginable reserve:
Germany is and has always been a state mentally and dialectwise split in a lot of provinces, no matter how unified the overall state structure appears to be.
The stencilling system is well known from the US, but so it is in Germany. A fact often disguised by another fact: there are lots of small local brass makers in Germany. A number reported to be increasing due to the fact, that German orchestras have returned to the use of generic German type brasses after at least US type trumpets having had some popularity.
Taking this back to a Mollenhauer context: Any traces of Mollenhauer and musical instruments lead back to Fulda, a town close to the southern border to the former state of GDR. Not too far from Markneukirchen.
Due to the $-convertibility of the DM and the DKr Germany and Denmark could get extremely cheap instruments out of the GDR. When I take a peak at the Mollenhauer tuba, the make of B&S is triggered immediately.
Whether we are talking the top line of B&S (in an older incarnation) or the second line of Weltklang, basically is insignificant to me. Anything, but for the number of valves, the linkages, and the amount of nickel silver applied, of these models is identical. There might be differences in the level of the assembly quality, but for surviving instrument having been through several repairs, that wouldn't count much any more.
The owner of this Mollenhauer tuba should be congratulated to his acquisition.
A view of the elaborate Mollenhauer bell engraving ona trombone sadly has been lost by a recent disk crash not yet remedied/recovered.
A Mollenhauer single F horn can be seen here:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/yorkmasterpublicphotosxiv/vwp?.dir=/&.dnm=Mollenhauer+single+F+horn.jpg
Klaus Bjerre
Retired teacher
Free music files in .pdf format:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/
(Approved membership required)
Index over brass instruments gallery and catalogue scans:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterPublicPhotosIII/files/
(Free for all membership recommended for better view options.
Alternative log in option:
Yahoo identity = brassphotos03 and password = public)
