Chalumeau - Definition

The chalumeau is a musical instrument, believed to have been invented in the late 17th century by Johann Christoff Denner, and the direct ascendant of the clarinet. It represents the link between the recorder and the clarinet, and is essentially a cylindrical bore recorder with the mouhtpiece of a clarinet. Like the recorder, the instrument was built in families, from bass to sopranino. The chalumeau has a large repertoire in 18th century orchestral and chamber music. As the instrument developed through the 18th century, the terms chalumeau and clarinet were used interchangeably, with the usage dying out by the 19th.

The chalumeau register can also refer to the low, not overblown register of the clarinet.

Additionally, in French children's slang, a chalumeau is the term used for a small firecracker that has been broken in the middle and lit in the crack for the sparks and the small flames.

See also

• Clarinet