Bass Clarinet in B-flat

Giacinto Riva established his workshop in Persiceto (province of Bologna) in about 1839 and moved to Ferrara in 1861. He is known to have delivered three clarinets to the town band of Ferrara in 1839. Waterhouse, NLI, 330.

Overall size: 665
Sounding length: ca. 1351 mm
Bore: c-hole 15.8
Technical description: Stained boxwood with German silver ferrules, keywork and bell. Bass clarinet in bassoon shape. Six pieces: mouthpiece, crook, upper or wing joint for the fingers of the left hand, butt joint for the fingers of the right hand, bass joint, and bell. Unstamped ebony mouthpiece lined with German silver on tip to avoid damages from the upper teeth. Speaker liner chimney on crook. All sockets lined with German silver. Throat A♭ key for R2 or R3.Thumb hole closed by a key for L0. All tone holes undercut like on the bassoon. Tone holes under rings lined with German silver. Alternative E♭4/B♭5 for R0. F♯3/C♯5 key to be lifted from below. (A clarinet by Griesling & Schlott in the collection of Hans-Rudolf Stalder has the same key arrangement.) 19 keys, 2 rings. Extension to B♭3 operated by L0 and R0. Sling ring on bottom of the instrument. Crook and bell with milled-edge rim.

L0:   thumb hole; speaker; C3; B♮3; B♭3.
L1:   T; throat A♮.
L2:   T.
L3:   T; throat A♭ ; cross E♭4/B♭5.
L4:   C♯4/G♯5; E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R0:   E♭4/B♭5; E♭3; D3; C♯3;
R1:   T; side F4/ C6; side trill key for throat A-B♮ and B♭-C.
R2:   T + spectacle.
R3:   T + spectacle (forked B♭3/F♮5); cross B♭3/F♮5.
R4:   G♯3/E♭5; F3/C5.

Keyhead type: modern.
Keymount type: screwed-in pillars.
Inscribed on bass joint and butt joint in a dotted oval "G. RIVA /DI / PERSICETO".
Decorative features: Incised laurel on key protector.
Playing accessories: Nice German silver ligature.
(Heike Fricke, 2014)