E.A. Couturier
Encyclopedia
Ernst Albert Couturier was a cornet
player, feature soloist/headline act on cornet, composer, inventor and brass band
instrument
manufacturer.
to a family with three other children besides himself. At the age of fourteen, he began playing the cornet. He entered the New England Conservatory of Music
in 1885, but withdrew and took a job repairing watches in his uncle’s shop. He began playing professionally in various bands in the 1880s and in 1890 began composing for band. In 1892, he became director of his first band and, in 1907, took a job at Frank Holton Company as a promoter of their instruments. He received his first patent (U.S. patent 1,073,593) on September 23, 1913 for a more conical bore cornet. In 1916 he opened his own manufacturing concern with two other partners to produce brass band instruments. That firm failed after Couturier lost his eyesight in 1923, was bought by Lyon and Healy
, and ceased operations in 1929. Couturier suffered a mental breakdown
and died on February 28, 1950 in the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center in Wingdale New York
.
and violin
, choosing cornet
in 1883. By 1885, he was playing well enough to be accepted to the New England Conservatory
. He was a student of Theodor Hoch, a proponent of placing all pressure on the lower lip, for four years. In the 1880s he began playing professionally in bands such as the Twenty-first Regiment Band, the Eastman Business College
Band, Innes Band, and the Gilmore band. At age 17, he was able to play Herbert L. Clarke
's Varriations on Carnival of Venice, which is noted as a virtuoso piece with seemingly insurmountable technical difficulties, and developed a six octave range. In 1902, he made his first tour as a feature act soloist playing a Conn Wonder cornet across several Midwestern states. In 1906, he toured Europe where he also demonstrated multiphonics, the production of more than one note at the same time on an airophone, which according to The American History and Encyclopedia of Music is not possible on cornet. The Frank Holton Company then hired Couturier to perform on, consult in the development of, and promote Holton cornets. The Holton New Model cornet was sold under the name "Couturier New Model" in the 1910s. Business matters distracted from Couturier's playing for several years, but after the loss of his own company in 1923, he began playing again in Los Angeles
until 1929 when he returned to Mt. Vernon New York.
company as the Couturier Wizard Model, Ernst Albert Couturier bought the derelict William Seidel Band Instrument Company
and renamed it. He did so with two partners, Melvin G. Lathrop and William N. Barlow. His company built a full line of brass band
instruments in the conical bore style as well as a saxophone. In 1918 the firm moved from New York
to La Porte, Indiana
where the bulk of the instruments bearing the company name were made. In 1923 Couturier's eyesight failed and shortly after the company went into receivership and was sold to Lyon & Healy. In 1928 Lyon & Healy sold the band instruments division to the Frank Holton Company which halted production of Couturier instruments in 1929. Instruments built under Couturier's control between 1918 and 1923 can be identified by serial numbers ranging from 1000 to 9500.
Couturier was known to say, "After training for breath control and technical perfection, why must we remain at the mercy of inferior instruments?” Couturier turned to instrument design to address that problem, as did Vincent Bach
, Elden Benge
, Renold Schilke
and Jerome Callet
.
The continuous conical bore construction patented by Couturier was a core principle in his designs. E.A. Couturier company was known for the unique shape of the valve tubing, which, in its original and purest form did not support any tuning slide for fine pitch adjustment. This design was to support the most continuously conical bore possible and also offered less resistance to air flow through the horn. Slides, when present, continued a conical progression by varying the wall thickness in order to achieve a movable cylindrical exterior. Those instruments built without valve slides tasked the players to bend some notes using their lips and also to rotate the horn to free the instrument of condensation during rests. The Couturier cornet was typically available in a Bb/A model with a rotary valve for selecting the key of the horn while other makers of the era such as H.N. White used interchangeable tuning slides. Couturier and the company received numerous patents for conical bore instruments, a phonograph, the A/B-flat "quick change valve", and a mute design.
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
player, feature soloist/headline act on cornet, composer, inventor and brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
manufacturer.
Life
E.A. Couturier was born September 30, 1869 in Poughkeepsie, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to a family with three other children besides himself. At the age of fourteen, he began playing the cornet. He entered the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
in 1885, but withdrew and took a job repairing watches in his uncle’s shop. He began playing professionally in various bands in the 1880s and in 1890 began composing for band. In 1892, he became director of his first band and, in 1907, took a job at Frank Holton Company as a promoter of their instruments. He received his first patent (U.S. patent 1,073,593) on September 23, 1913 for a more conical bore cornet. In 1916 he opened his own manufacturing concern with two other partners to produce brass band instruments. That firm failed after Couturier lost his eyesight in 1923, was bought by Lyon and Healy
Lyon and Healy
Lyon & Healy is an American manufacturer of harps founded in 1864 in Chicago by George W. Lyon and Patrick J. Healy. Lyon & Healy has its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, United States, which, in addition to being the location of the production of its harps, also contains a showroom and concert...
, and ceased operations in 1929. Couturier suffered a mental breakdown
Mental breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and died on February 28, 1950 in the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center in Wingdale New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Solo career
Couturier began as a student of pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, choosing cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
in 1883. By 1885, he was playing well enough to be accepted to the New England Conservatory
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
. He was a student of Theodor Hoch, a proponent of placing all pressure on the lower lip, for four years. In the 1880s he began playing professionally in bands such as the Twenty-first Regiment Band, the Eastman Business College
Eastman Business College
The Eastman Business College was a business school located in Poughkeepsie, New York.It was founded in 1859 by Harvey G. Eastman, and was for a time one of the largest commercial schools in the United States....
Band, Innes Band, and the Gilmore band. At age 17, he was able to play Herbert L. Clarke
Herbert L. Clarke
Herbert Lincoln Clarke was a well-known American cornet player, feature soloist, bandmaster, and composer....
's Varriations on Carnival of Venice, which is noted as a virtuoso piece with seemingly insurmountable technical difficulties, and developed a six octave range. In 1902, he made his first tour as a feature act soloist playing a Conn Wonder cornet across several Midwestern states. In 1906, he toured Europe where he also demonstrated multiphonics, the production of more than one note at the same time on an airophone, which according to The American History and Encyclopedia of Music is not possible on cornet. The Frank Holton Company then hired Couturier to perform on, consult in the development of, and promote Holton cornets. The Holton New Model cornet was sold under the name "Couturier New Model" in the 1910s. Business matters distracted from Couturier's playing for several years, but after the loss of his own company in 1923, he began playing again in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
until 1929 when he returned to Mt. Vernon New York.
Composer and Conductor
Couturier did not devote much of his career to composition, but did author several works. Among these are The Maine’s Avenger March, The First Commander March, and The Van der Veer Two Step. In 1882, he directed a band of his own, and he also stepped in as director of the Gilmore Band in 1898.E.A. Couturier Co., Ltd.
After working for Holton, achieving his first patent, and seeing that patent built by the J.W. YorkJames Warren York
James Warren York was a musician, businessman, business owner and musical instrument innovator. The "York tuba sound" is considered by most tubists to be the defining timbre of a quality instrument...
company as the Couturier Wizard Model, Ernst Albert Couturier bought the derelict William Seidel Band Instrument Company
Seidel Band Instrument Company
The Seidel Band Instrument Company was a short-lived manufacturer of musical instruments located in Elkhart, Indiana.-History:The company was founded by William F. Seidel . Markneukirchen, lying on the border of the Czech Republic is one of the leading centers of musical instrument manufacturing in...
and renamed it. He did so with two partners, Melvin G. Lathrop and William N. Barlow. His company built a full line of brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
instruments in the conical bore style as well as a saxophone. In 1918 the firm moved from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to La Porte, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
where the bulk of the instruments bearing the company name were made. In 1923 Couturier's eyesight failed and shortly after the company went into receivership and was sold to Lyon & Healy. In 1928 Lyon & Healy sold the band instruments division to the Frank Holton Company which halted production of Couturier instruments in 1929. Instruments built under Couturier's control between 1918 and 1923 can be identified by serial numbers ranging from 1000 to 9500.
Couturier was known to say, "After training for breath control and technical perfection, why must we remain at the mercy of inferior instruments?” Couturier turned to instrument design to address that problem, as did Vincent Bach
Vincent Bach
Vincent Bach was a musician and instrument maker, who founded the Vincent Bach Corporation.- Vincent Schrotenbach :...
, Elden Benge
Elden Benge
Elden Eugene Benge, born July 12, 1904 in Winterset, Iowa, was the principal trumpet of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1928–1933; he held the same position in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1933-1939. After moving to Chicago he began to experiment with designing his own trumpet, taking...
, Renold Schilke
Renold Schilke
Renold Otto Schilke was a professional orchestral trumpet player, instrument designer and manufacturer. He founded and ran Schilke Music Products Incorporated, a manufacturer of brass instruments and mouthpieces.-Youth:...
and Jerome Callet
Jerome Callet
Jerome Callet is a musician, teacher and designer of brass instruments.He resides and works in Staten Island, New York. Callet, spends the bulk of his time teaching embouchure for all brass instruments having recently retired from his long-time practice of designing his own line of brass...
.
The continuous conical bore construction patented by Couturier was a core principle in his designs. E.A. Couturier company was known for the unique shape of the valve tubing, which, in its original and purest form did not support any tuning slide for fine pitch adjustment. This design was to support the most continuously conical bore possible and also offered less resistance to air flow through the horn. Slides, when present, continued a conical progression by varying the wall thickness in order to achieve a movable cylindrical exterior. Those instruments built without valve slides tasked the players to bend some notes using their lips and also to rotate the horn to free the instrument of condensation during rests. The Couturier cornet was typically available in a Bb/A model with a rotary valve for selecting the key of the horn while other makers of the era such as H.N. White used interchangeable tuning slides. Couturier and the company received numerous patents for conical bore instruments, a phonograph, the A/B-flat "quick change valve", and a mute design.
Sources
- Biography of Ernst Albert Couturier, Author not credited, published by Phil's Rugs-n-Relics at http://www.rugs-n-relics.com/Brass/cornets/1920-Couturier-bio.html retrieved 10/25/2010
- E.A. Couturier Conical Bore Single F Horn, by Stephen Mumford, Published by Dick Martz, at http://www.rjmartz.com/horns/Couturier_056/ retrieved 10/25/2010
- Theodor Hoch, Much Beloved Solo Cornetist of Bilse's Capelle, by Edward H. Tarr, Published in The Journal of the Historic Brass Society, July 2007
- Journal of the International Trumpet Guild, Ernst Albert Couturier, American Trumpet Virtuoso, by Michael Galloway, May 1990
External links
- Detailed Record of Couturier Related Instruments at Horn-u-coia.com http://www.horn-u-copia.net/Docs/Couturier%20db.htm
- Phil's Rugs-n-Relics, Couturier Bio. http://www.rugs-n-relics.com/Brass/cornets/1920-Couturier-bio.html
- The Cornet Compendium http://www.angelfire.com/music2/thecornetcompendium/
- http://www.horn-u-copia.net- Horn-u-copia website http://www.hornucopia.net
- http://www.laportecountyhistory.org/HistPhotoJuly08.htm