Posted by Klaus Bjerre on February 14, 2000 at 06:40:19:
The flip side of informing of one’s e-mail address is the chance given to send rather rude private mails.
I have got such a mail from a reader of this list. His tongue must have been transplanted from a very thorny bush. In my country a dentist does have an academic background. Apparently not so south of the border. So much for identification of the offender.
The factor that triggered the flaming was my mentioning of a handmade Hüttl Ab piccolo, the existence of which was doubted. The specimen in question will not could be traced here 40 years after.
But The Slesvigske Fodregiment of Haderslev did employ an Ab piccoloplayer for a period after WWII. That musician did retire around 1970.
When I started playing in 1960 my tutoring material did contain a fingering table for Db tuba.
Until instrument production did settle on the present day mainstream, a lot of detours were taken. Nobody has to know of them, but ridiculing such knowledge is backfiring.
Klaus Bjerre
Collector of brass instruments