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AVTXD INSTRUMENTS, OF WOOD AND METAL ; HARMONIUMS, Sec. [Class Xa.

Wind Instruments.—Wood and Metal .

For Orchestras and Military Bands.

In this department the Jury awarded the CouncilMedal to—

M. Adolphe Sax (Paris ), for his invention of severalnew classes of wind-instruments, in wood and metal; andto T. Boehm 'Munich ), for his important scientific im-provements of the flute, and the successful application ofhis principles to other wind instruments.

The following remarks have been contributed by aJuror:—

“Among the inventors of musical instruments, thehighest distinction is due to the merits of M. Adolphe Sax,whether considered with regard to the variety, excellence,or the utility of his inventions. His creation of the entireclass of Sax-horns, and Sax-trumpets, has produced themost satisfactory results, in the total revolution of militarymusic. Both in the theatre and the concert-room, thetwo extremities of this vast instrumental scale can be in-troduced with important advantages. Ilis Six-horns(double-bass in E flat, and B flat) have left ophicleidesvery for ill arrear; and his small treble Sax-horn, in Bflatj is the only brass instrument known that can reachwith certaintv and just intonation the notes of the upperoctave of the’flute. His cornets-h-pistons are the best weare acquainted with.

“M. Sax has also created the class of Saxophones, brassinstruments with a simple reed, similar to the clarionet.The effect of these new instruments possesses a charmequal to the originality of their tone, and they cam* tothe highest degree of perfection ‘la voix expressive deVorchestre .’

“ It must be conceded, that his bass and double-bassclarionets, in wood and metal, are inventions of inesti-mable value. Besides these, he has added a semitone tothe lower register of the ordinary clarionets, and by anew hey, has rendered it possible for the performer totake the upper notes at once with the greatest ease.

“ M. Sax has also contrived to fill up the gap which ex-isted between the lower E and the lowest B flat of the tenortrombone, by very simple means; and his brass bassoon,with a new "system of holes and keys, is very perfect.*lie has likewise invented a contrivance for brass instru-ments with mechanical cylinders, as simple as it isingenious, by means of which the sound is continued uponthose instruments, as upon the violin, sliding-trombone,and with the voice, in passing from one note to anotherthrough all the enharmonic intervals.

“ Lastly, M. Sax has adapted to the bugle-horns ofinfantry bands a set of portable tubes, which, on beingadjusted to simple bugles, transforms them into cylinderbugles of various keys ; thereby changing the mo-notonous character of the simple bugle, by giving itthe means of producing all the intervals of the musicalscale.

“ M. Boehm’s inventions may be described as follows:—Firstly, he has brought the acoustical proportions oftubes and the finger holes of wind instruments into cor-rect numbers and measurement, by which means flutes,oboes, clarionets, bassoons, &c., can be theoretically con-structed. Secondly, lie has invented a mechanism forthe keys which gives facility and precision to the execu-tion, and by which the former difficulty of reaching orstopping the holes at great distances, or of large sizes,is now surmounted. As by these moans the holes can bemade correct in size and position, M. Boehm has ac-quired not only a perfection in tone and tuning neverbefore attained, but also a great facility in playing inthose keys which were hitherto difficult and detective insonorousness or intonation.”

It should also be mentioned, that several improvementsare illustrated in Mr. J. Clinton’s Flute, exhibited byMr. II. Potter, in which the facilities of other modernflutes, and the ordinary system of fingering are combined,and their defective parts avoided. In this instrumentthe tone and tune arc rendered equal by the same meansthat M. Boehm has adopted, namely, an equality of sizeand distance in the holes. It has likewise claims toconsideration for comparative cheapness, the mechanismbeing so simple, that its price docs not exceed that of theold eight-keyed flute.

The Jury have awarded the Prize Medal to variousmakers of wind instruments whose names will appear inthe Award List.

Harmoniums, $'c.

In the class of musical instruments, including Melo-diums, Seraphines, Panorgues, jEolians, See., Messrs.Wheatstone and Co., of London , have exhibited a veryingenious and effective one, called the Portable Har-monium, of which the following is a description.

It has a compass of five octaves, commencing fromthe lowest C on the violoncello, the key-board beingon the same extent and scale as the larger harmoniums.It can be instantaneously folded up, so as to occupy lessthan half its height, and half its length.

This instrument is quite original in nearly all itsmechanical parts. It is peculiarly constructed for pro-ducing expression, and may either be used by itself forthe performance of music written for the organ or har-monium, or for taking violin, flute, or violoncello solosor parts—its capabilities of expression giving it greatadvantages in imitating these instruments. It may beused in front of the key-board of a pianoforte; thusenabliug the performer to give a hand to each instru-ment , and by this means to produce a variety of effects.

The Jury have awarded the Prize Medal to Messrs.Wheatstone and Co., also to M. Jaui.in, of France , forI instruments of this class.

Honourable Mention has been made of MM. Alex-andre and Son, Fiance, for two “ Harmoniums it Per-cussion A. Muller, France , for two portable Me-1 odiums; and J. Deutscjimann, Austria , for a Sera-phine.

In this class may also be placed a novel kind of musicalinstrument, called* the Harmonine, exhibited by the in-ventor, M. de Villeroi. This little instrument is abouteight inches in length, and its scale, commencing on thelowest C of the violin, comprises three octaves, includingall the semitones. Considering the very small dimen-sions of the harmonine, its tone possesses a remarkablepower, but at the same time is of an agreeable quality,somewhat resembling that of the oboe and flute. Itscapabilities of imitating the distant sounds of an organ,and of producing every species of accentuation, alsomerit notice, as displaying considerable ingenuity on thepart of the inventor.

Instruments of Percussion.

In this department, comprising Drums , Cymbals, &c.,the Jury have noticed a variety of improvements of con-siderable importance, in the mechanism for tuning drums,for orchestras and military bands. For these improve-ments Prize Medals have been granted to Messrs. C.Ward (included in the award to him for a bassoon),United Kingdom ; A. Knocke, Zollverein . ^ And Ho-nourable Mention lias been made of C. Kkxf.k, Zollverein ;also of four very large and fine Gongs, exhibited by TheHonourable East India Company .

Automatic Instruments.

It is proper to notice, that among the brass instrumentsexhibited by Mr. Kohler, was an improved ChromaticTrumpet, invented by Mr. T. Harper, sen., and whichhas been acknowledged by competent judges to be thebest instrument of its kind.

* It has been already stated that the invention of thebnssoon exhibited by M. Sax, is claimed by Mr. Cornelius'Ward, of London.— Reporter.

In this class, comprising Mechanical Organs, &c., Mr.Bryceson, of London, lias exhibited a Barrel-Organ , forwhich the Jury have awarded a Prize Medal.

Other ingenious instruments of a similar descriptionhave been exhibited: and Honourable Mention has beenmade of Mr. C. Dawson (for a barrel-organ, called anRutophon, the tunes of which are produced by means ofperforated sheets of mill-board', Messrs. Gray andDavison (for a barrel-organ), Messrs. V> kiirle and