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Herbert Couf

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Herb Couf
Birth nameHerbert Couf
Born(1920-02-15)February 15, 1920
DiedJuly 8, 2011(2011-07-08) (aged 91)
Occupation(s)Clarinetist
saxophonist
composer
music store owner
instrument manufacturer executive
mouthpiece innovator

Herbert "Herb" Couf (February 15, 1920 – July 8, 2011 Michigan) was an American clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, music store owner, music instrument manufacturer executive, and an importer of music instruments. Couf had been the principal clarinetist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Paul Paray until the 1957 recession, when the orchestra laid off several musicians.

Couf subsequently opened a music store – The Royal Music Center – in Royal Oak, Michigan, just north of Detroit. He later produced his own line of saxophones, clarinets, and mouthpieces under the name H. Couf. H. Couf saxophones were manufactured in Germany by Julius Keilwerth. H. Couf clarinets were made in the United States by Artley, Inc. (Artley became part of Conn-Selmer). Couf later became Vice President of W. T. Armstrong Company, Inc. (Indiana corporation: 1955–1988, merged with C.G. Conn) upon selling his line of instruments to Armstrong. Couf also had been the conductor of the Royal Oak Concert Band, Royal Oak, Michigan.

Earlier years

Couf performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Compositions & publications

  • Introduction, Dance, and Furioso, solo saxophone in three movements (1959) OCLC 222311603 OCLC 35706846 OCLC 212377317 OCLC 39867528
  • Concertos for clarinet, for B-flat clarinet with piano accompaniment, transcribed by Herbert Couf, Charles H. Hansen Music Company, publisher (1946) OCLC 51480408
  1. Concerto in E-flat major, Beethoven
  2. Concerto in E minor, Chopin
  3. Concerto in A minor, Grieg
  4. Concerto in E-flat major, Liszt
  5. Concerto in E-minor (violin), Mendelssohn
  6. Concerto in D minor, Mozart
  7. Concerto in C minor, Rachmaninoff
  8. Concerto in D minor, Rubinstein
  9. Concerto in A minor, Schumann
  10. Concerto in B-flat minor Tschaikowsky
From the Clavecin book of Anna Magdalena Bach by Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Let's Play Clarinet (16 lessons & short compositions, focusing on fingering & technique), by Herb Couf, Experience/Chappell Music (1974) OCLC 4644251
  • Let's Play Saxophone (16 lessons & short compositions, focusing on fingering & technique), by Herb Couf, Experience/Chappell Music (1973) OCLC 4644261

Discography

Includes Introduction, Dance, and Furioso

H Couf stenciled instruments

1965–1980s

  • Saxophone; soprano, alto pictures, tenor, bari: Superba I (pro model with an F# key) – manufactured by Keilwerth and similar to its Toneking Special
- rolled tone holes throughout the range of saxes, except for the soprano.
- elegant, soldered, bell brace
- full bell & bow engraving
- lyre holder part of mouthpipe socket clamp mechanism (except soprano)
- neck upper octave key made from thick square brass rod
- bow soldered directly to bow via an expanded section
- no rings used to combine sections
- early superba 1s do not have a high F# key; mid-early Superba 1s have a high F# key
- early and mid-early superba I & IIs have a RH see-saw type F# key: later Superba I & IIs have a levered F# key
- all post to body construction (no ribs)
- early saxes had a removable metal thumbrest; late model sopranos and altos had plastic thumbrests; the plastic thumbrest had a 2 point connection; this prevented breaking which awas a problem on Selmer models at that time
  • Saxophone; soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass: Superba II (pro model with an F# key) – manufactured by Keilwerth and similar to its Toneking
- straight tone holes throughout the range of saxes plus the Superba 1 soprano.
- single rod bell brace
- bell engraving
- lyre holder soldered on separately below the mouthpipe socket sleeve
- neck upper octave key made from round brass wire
- bow soldered directly to bow via and expanded section. Bow soldered directly to body via an expanded section.
- no rings used to combine sections
- early and mid-early Superba I & IIs have a right-hand see-saw type F# key; later Superba I & IIs have a levered F# key
- all post to body construction (no ribs)
- all thumbrests were metal and soldered in a permanent position on the body

For a few years the Superbas were available in black lacquer. The engraving was done after the lacquer which provided a stunning visual effect of being able to see the engraving from a distance. This models had metal thumbrests and were probably late 70's models.[1]

  • Saxophone; alto & tenor: Royalist and Royalist II (intermediate models) – manufactured by Armstrong in Elkhart and were similar to Keilwerth's New King

Family

Herbert Couf was born to Morris Couf (born 2 September 1889 Bogoslov, Kiev, Ukraine) and Rebeca (née Rivka Needelman; 16 May 1896 Russia– September 1981 Atlantic City) — Morris and Rebeca were married November 15, 1917, in Manhattan, New York City.[2] Morris Couf had become a naturalized citizen March 1, 1916, in New York.[3]

Herbert Couf was married to Miriam ("Mickey") Couf. They had two daughters, Karen Eve Couf-Cohen (married to Gerald Irwin Cohen, MD) and Donna Andrea Reyes (married to Armando G. Reyes). Herbert Couf also had two brothers, Norman Couf (1925–2008) and Albert B. Couf (1931–2004)[4]

References

  1. ^ Steve Sklar, repair technician, www.clarinetperfection.com
  2. ^ New York City (Manhattan) Marriage Certificate No. 30269, Soundex No. C100
  3. ^ All New York County Supreme Court Naturalization Petition Index, 1907-24, Vol. 218, pg. 166, March 1, 1916
  4. ^ Obituary: Couf, Herbert, Detroit Free Press, July 10, 2011

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