French Ophecleide c.1850

The Ophecleide (or Opheclide) served as a tenor/bass pitched transition instrument between the keyless and keyed Serpents of the 1700s and the valved lower brass instruments of the mid 1800s. The idea came from the keyed bugles first invented in 1817 in the UK. The first Ophecleide was patented in 1821 in France and a version was still listed in the French Cousenon catalog of 1910.  

Essentially it is a tapered tube about 8 feet in length and pitched in C (or sometimes in Bb) with a bell about the size and shape of a alto or baritone horn.  They usually have 9 keys placed so the player can open and close a  single or combination of large holes in the tubing - using two hands- much like the saxophones of today- but with the air column vibrations coming from the players lips using a euphonium size mouthpiece.   Higher (alto) and lower (contrabasse) versions were also made.

This particular ophecleide came from Tony Bingham's shop in the UK- who doubted whether he could restore it - it was in really tough shape.  It has no markings, but is probably French - circa. 1850. I  bought it and brought it back to my brass repairman  in Bangkok. He had never seen one before, but since it worked essentially like a strange looking saxophone, he called on his woodwind talents and fully restored it to playing condition!  When I play it, it sounds like a sick cow- but Chuck Dallenbach of the Canadian Brass once had a go at it and played some easily recognizable tunes!!!  The sound is not particularly mellow, but there are  still some serpent / opheclide ensembles who play period pieces.  Some wag wrote an ode to an ophecleide (at left)  which sums up the the general feeling......