HECKEL BOOK TIMELINE

I recently finished reading Wilhelm Heckel Six Generations Dedicated to Music. And as I noted in my YouTube Video- I had a slight challenge following a timeline of events.

The book follows innovations in relation to each family member. But many of the family members overlap in their work at the company. As I read the book I built a timeline of events to aid in my personal comprehension and synthesis of materials. I am sharing my timeline so that it may serve as an aide in your bassoon studies and personal enjoyment while you read the book. Cheers! Eryn

HECKEL COMPANY TIMELINE: Based on Edith Reiter’s

Wilhelm Heckel Six Generations Dedicated to Music 

Johann Adam Heckel (1812-77) and much older Carl Almenräder (1786-1843) meet while working for the music publisher Schott

1831: 19 year old Heckel and Almenräder open Musical instrument Factory in Biebrich, Germany

1838: Almenräder leaves the firm. No established reasons for leaving.

Heckel Factory will continue as a family tradition, passed down through inheritance, each family member working in the company

1845-50: European Sales Tours: increased sales to St. Petersburg

1847: Construction of “Contra-bassophone” or Contrabassoon

1852: Sale of bassoon to Louis Weissenborn, father of Julius Weissenborn

1856-67: Bassoons sent to Boosey & Son in England/Colonies for military bands. This ends in 1867 Boosey & Son develops their own bassoon

1862: Richard Wagner visits Heckel workshop and becomes family friend, later praises the “Contra-bassophone”

1877: Patented Construction of “Contra-bassophone”

• 19 keys, no finger holes
• 1 inch higher in length than a usual bassoon
• Larger Bocal
• Range of three octaves and a major third
• Sound compared to a 16 foot pipe organ

Serial Numbers added to Bassoons: Serial Numbers Begin at 3000 to account for bassoons made Pre-1877

1880: No Longer called Almenräder Bassoon, referred to as Heckel Bassoon

Post 1889: Lined Wing Joint to avoid the consistent challenge of Decay

1900: Modernize Bell Ring

• “Calophone-Ring” narrowed opening (more than our modern bassoon)
• Meant to help the sound of B, E, and C-sharp

Richard Strauss visits the Heckel factory, pushes for Piccolo Heckelphone

1904: Bocals marked with either a Star or a Sun

• Bocal Types C, CC and D
• Added Bocal Button, closed by the E Key
• Attempt at a Water Free Bocal. This was unsuccessful. It required a shortened wing joint, altering tuning and sound of bassoon.

1911: Heckel Serial Number 5000 sold to Dresden bassoonist Knochenhauer

• Local debate over serial number, due to numbering beginning at 3000
• Knochenhauer later given credit for Tuning Pipe used for Setting up Heckel Bassoons

WWI: Stop consecutive ordering of serial numbers to hide declining sales. This is still used today to mask actual instrument sales

War Recession: Heckel begins to copy of bombards and dulcians from Leipzig Museum

1920: Higher Tuning of bassoons, first bassoon sold tuned to A 440

1932: Heckel Bassoon with a Boehm System 

• Changed the Sound, the Intonation, and Acoustic Radiation: NOT for the better
• Visit this bassoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

1939: LEGEND of the Stroboconn Tuner and the Conn 8R

• Attempted trade of 2 Heckel Bassoons for the Stroboconn Tuner
• Heckel denies the trade due to challenges of the wartime conditions
• Begins the legend of the Conn 8R based on 8000 series Heckel Bassoons
• *Not in the book but it is believed that Conn had 4 Heckel Bassoons that they modeled the Conn 8R after

1945: Recovery after war, retrieval of stored instruments in Taunus, USA contacts assist

1950’s: Secrecy in the workshop between instrument makers

• Fearful of losing their jobs if other’s new their profession
• Workers took all tools home as part of job protection
• Creation of E Bocal for extreme High Notes

1995: Creation of XL Bocals for High Notes and R Bocals built without a brass casting, creating consistent wall thickness

Contrabassoon Advancements:

• Bell facing upwards for acoustic resonance
• Expanded to B or Sub Contra A
• Lined wing joint, improving longevity

1996: Student Model “Opus” Bassoons

1997: Student Model Heckel “Opus” Bassoons changed named to Heckel Crest

Current Bassoon Innovations: 

• Synthetic Lining of Wing joint and secrets pipes
• Round Wings
• Third Octave Keys
• Shifted F-sharp Hole with a New Key Mechanism