Ophicleide In Bb From Couturier In Lyon Offered To Monsieur Rollet Ophicleide Solo From The Guard.

Ophicleide in Bb De Couturier in Lyon. Offered to Monsieur Rollet Ophicleide solo of the Bordeaux National Guard in 1846 by Monseigneur the Duke of Montpensier Antoine d'Orléans (1824-1890), Duke of Montpensier, is the youngest son of Louis-Philippe I, the last king who reigned in France from 1830 to 1848. Aged twenty-two, Prince Antoine married the Infanta Louise-Ferdinande (1832-1897), daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain (1784-1833) and his fourth wife, Marie-Christine de Bourbon. The Princes of Orléans-Bourbon are the Spanish descendants of King Louis-Philippe I through the Duke of Montpensier and of Queen Victoria of England, through Prince Alfred of Great Britain, Duke of Edinburgh. The ophicleide is a wind musical instrument from the brass family... A metal instrument, it replaced the old serpent in the 19th century for religious but also military use. Very different from this instrument born in the 15th century, the ophicleide was immediately equipped with keys. In the church, it was in use from 1820 to around 1880. It also had its place in the symphony orchestra, in military music and harmony orchestras. It held an important place among the brass instruments of the orchestra in romantic operas. The instrument was available in several sizes, covering several ranges, from the alto (in E flat and F), to the double bass (in E flat), including the bass (in B flat and C). There were also keyed bugles (sopranos). The first score using this instrument was Gaspare Spontini's opera Olimpia in 1819. The ophicleide also appears in the instrumental nomenclature of other famous compositions such as the oratorio Elias and the overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn, as well as in Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique. Verdi and Wagner also wrote for the ophicleide. Several variants of the ophicleide have appeared among different makers under different names: Russian bassoon, serpent bassoon, ophibaryton, ophimonocleide, and serpent forveille. These instruments, which are similar to the ophicleide, have had a less widespread distribution. The ophicleide has now fallen into disuse, due to the unevenness of its timbre across its entire range. It was quickly overtaken by tubas, more powerful piston instruments with a more even timbre, at a time when most composers were seeking to develop the sonic breadth of orchestras. A few musicians today are working to perpetuate its use, in the context of so-called historical performances, such as those of the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique founded by Sir John Eliot Gardiner, or the ensemble "Les Cuivres Romantiques"