SUPPLEMENT

to

The Cornet Compendium

The History and Development

of the

Nineteenth-Century Cornet

by

Richard I. Schwartz

Copyright © 2002 by Richard I. Schwartz

Table of Contents

FOREWORD…………………………………………………………            1

PREFACE…………………………………………………………….             2

CHAPTER 1    EARLY HISTORY………………………....…….…..             3

The Cornet in Early Operatic and Orchestral Literature, Bands during the Civil War (for Civil War cornetists see CHAPTER 3), African American Brass Bands

CHAPTER 2    WELL-KNOWN SOLOISTS…………………........            14

Charles L. Barnhouse, Anna Berger, Albert Bode, Herbert L. Clarke, Thomas Clark[e], Harvey B. Dodworth, Patrick S. Gilmore, Herman Koenig, U. S. G. Patterson, Alice Raymond, St. Jacome, Louis Schreiber, Albert Sweet, Ernest S. Williams

CHAPTER 3    LESSER-KNOWN SOLOISTS…………………...........       34

CHAPTER 4   SOLOS………………………....……………………......       60

CHAPTER 5    TUTORS………………………………………....……..        77

CHAPTER 6    MANUFACTURERS/DEALERS………………………          79

Arban, Besson, Boosey, Conn, Courtois, Distin, Carl Fischer, Higham, Lyon & Healy [H. Gunckel, F. Jaubert, Henri Gautier, and other trade names], Montgomery Ward [Trade names Jules DeVere & Co., Windsor, and Lefevre], J.W. Pepper, Rivière & Hawkes, Salvationist Publishing and Supplies and Salvation Army Bands, Adolphe Sax, Sears and Roebuck [Marceau, Dupont, Tourville & Co., and Lamoreaux trade names], Slater.

CHAPTER 7    LINKS ON THE WEB……………….……………....            120

CHAPTER 8    INDEX…………..…….……………...………………            121

CHAPTER 9    SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY…………….…           131

FOREWORD

by

Niles Eldredge

I’ve never met anyone quite like Rick Schwartz. Here is a man whose idea of a “midlife crisis” is to turn his attention away from his beloved reed-blown clarinet to fall in love with a fickle new old-timer—the lip-blown cornet. Amazingly, in a very few short years, Rick has become the “Everyman” of the cornet. The skilled musician that Rick is has enabled him quickly to become a first rate cornetist. But that’s far from all—as the composer in him has produced new, very diverting, scores for the cornet. Above all else, though, the musicologist in him has led him to explore the cornet’s early history.

Rick Schwartz’s idea of history is very broad indeed: as we can see from the original Cornet Compendium, as well as its Supplement at hand here, Rick is very much at home exploring the early history of the cornet itself—its designs, and its early manufacturers. But he is also attuned to the as-yet undeciphered history of the use to which the cornet was put, on both sides of the Atlantic, and in all conceivable musical venues. These interests have led him to analyze orchestral scores and popular music, on both sides of the Atlantic, trying to decide, among many other things, which instrument—the cornet or the trumpet—held the upper hand in symphony and operatic orchestras, concert venues, dance halls, and parade fields.

Last—but far from least—is Rick’s devotion to the cornet players of by-gone years. I love it when he says that the nineteenth century cornet virtuosi were the “rock stars of their day.” Naturally, we hear in Rick’s words all about them—but we hear, too, of some of the lesser-known individuals. Especially noteworthy is Rick’s ground-breaking research on the almost wholly neglected subject of African American players who lived and played in the pre-Buddy Bolden/Louis Armstrong days.

For all of this continuing intense devotion and first-class scholarship, all of us who love the cornet are deeply indebted to Rick Schwartz. I write these words in a room absolutely crammed to the gills with old cornets—and I thank Rick Schwartz for his warm and deep love of them and all they mean, and for all he has done and continues to do to breathe life into these dear old instruments.

 PREFACE

     Since the publication of The Cornet Compendium and the present, its author has accumulated more information that augments many issues in the book and adds information about topics that were not in the original publication. Below appears what the author hopes is an appropriate format to supplement the original, i.e., in the same order of topics and chapters. Emphasis here is on lesser-known soloists, solos, cornetists in the Civil War, early orchestral and operatic compositions using the cornet, and large manufacturers or dealers of brass instruments omitted from The Cornet Compendium, i.e., Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Carl Fischer, Lyon & Healy, Montgomery Ward, and Sears.

     My heartfelt thanks go to my good friend Niles Eldredge. He is scholar of the first rate and a very kind man. His guidance, encouragement, and great knowledge of the cornet has opened up many doors for this author and has made this continuing project a truly wonderful experience. To Niles, a heartfelt “Thank You!”

     This author felt obliged to defer a section in this supplement on the early history of valve development of the cornet, as its intricacies are planned in a monumental article entitled the “A Brief History of Piston-valved Cornets” submitted for publication in volume 14 of the Historic Brass Society Journal (2002). The article is the result of decades of research by Niles Eldredge of the American Museum of Natural History, Committee on Evolutionary Processes and Division of Paleontology, New York City. This author has had the privilege of reading a draft of the article and it discusses many issues of cornet valve design and is indeed a monument of research. It deserves serious reading by any brass enthusiast or historian.  

     Thanks go to many other people who made the journey through this project most enjoyable and rewarding: Tony Bingham, Nick DeCarlis, Kenneth Fung, Rich Ita, James Klages, Sabine Klaus, Gabi Mathez, Tom Meacham, Betsy G. Miller, Jim Montgomery, Bill Pieber, David Sager, Iris Schwartz (my very understanding wife), Robb Stewart, David Townsend, Robert and Tra Wagenknecht, Emory Waters, the staff of the Virginia State University Library, Pamplin Park Civil War Historical Museum, the Washington University Library, the Missouri Historical Society, and the 1904 World’s Fair Society.

     This Supplement is only a part of this author’s newly found life-long commitment to the cornet. The author hopes that this work will provide perhaps a more complete picture of the instrument and the significant place it had in music history. Even though this work may have seen its final form, the research never ends. Information about the instrument is virtually endless.