The Taxonomy of the Valved Ophicleide

Invented in 1817, the keyed ophicleide rapidly became very widely used as a versatile band, orchestral, and solo instrument. In the middle of the 19th century, its roles were taken over by valved instruments. Some of the valved instruments of the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s were built to resemble keyed ophicleides and were given names such as »ophicléïde à pistons« or »Ventilophikleide«. These valved ophicleides are often viewed as transitional, and are not generally recognised as a distinct form of instrument. However, examination of their acoustical design shows that when valves replace keys, the timbre of the instrument is radically altered, especially in models built to resemble a keyed ophicleide. This paper examines the acoustically important features of valved ophicleides. Surviving examples in more than a dozen collections were measured and values of the Spectral Enrichment parameter (an indicator of timbre) were derived. The conclusions are drawn that the valved ophicleide can be regarded as a species of brass instrument with its own identity, and that it is worthy of revival.