Georges Mager's Courtois D Trumpet
This Courtois D trumpet was given to Boyde Hood (Los
Angeles Philharmonic trumpeter, now retired) for
Christmas when he was 13 years old by Llewellyn
Bromfield of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, with the
story that it had belonged to and was used by Georges
Mager in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. When Boyde
showed this trumpet to Bud Herseth, he said that it does
look like the Courtois trumpets that he remembers Mager
playing. Bromfield acquired it from Joe Alessi Sr. when he
was studying with Schlossberg at the Institute of Musical
Arts (later renamed Julliard). Alessi had gotten it from
Mager. The story and corroboration are believable, but
I'm always curious to know more details. This trumpet
gave me fewer clues for the date of manufacture than most
Courtois instruments. Earlier examples, like those played
by Arbuckle and Levy, have serial numbers stamped on
the underside of the third valve cap and the successive
medals indicated on the bell give and easy range of years
possible. Instruments made later than WWI, have a new
series of numbers stamped on the second valve casing.
This trumpet has none of that evidence, with the bell stamp
much simpler than I recall seeing before and no serial
number. The details such as valve caps, waterkey and pull
knobs are like earlier instruments and the construction of
the valves, with fixed valve guide and bottom spring, is like
the orchestral F and G trumpets made in the 1870s through
the 1890s or later. All these details led me to guess that it
was made just before or soon after WWI. Courtois was
already listing C trumpets in their 1897 catalog, but these
were with a mouthpipe shank for C and crooks for Bb and
A like we are accustomed to in early cornets.
The next morsel of evidence is a photograph taken in 1921
of the brass section of the BSO, provided by Doug Yeo
from the Boston Symphony Archives. The trumpet that
Mager (front row, center) is holding here is obviously a C
trumpet, but with the same details of this D trumpet. The
curved braces and the angle of the second valve slide are
the most noticeable but also the pull knobs, waterkey
mount, tuning slide brace, mouthpiece receiver ferrule and
rounded slide ferrules all appear to match. Even his
mouthpiece appears to be a Courtois. It is certainly a
Courtois trumpet from the same era and Gustav Perret
(top right in photo) appears to have the same model
trumpet in this and the 1925 photo of the brass section.
French C trumpets were not new to the orchestra, based
on the 1915 photo of the brass section in which Gustav
Heim and Louis Kloepfel (both of whom were known to
prefer Bb) are both holding what appear to be Besson C
trumpets.
This D trumpet is 16 3/4" long with mouthpiece removed
(15 1/2" from bell rim to curve, the bell rim diameter is 4
7/16" and the bore measures .447".
As always, I invite your response, especially if you have
additional information or insights.
Angeles Philharmonic trumpeter, now retired) for
Christmas when he was 13 years old by Llewellyn
Bromfield of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, with the
story that it had belonged to and was used by Georges
Mager in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. When Boyde
showed this trumpet to Bud Herseth, he said that it does
look like the Courtois trumpets that he remembers Mager
playing. Bromfield acquired it from Joe Alessi Sr. when he
was studying with Schlossberg at the Institute of Musical
Arts (later renamed Julliard). Alessi had gotten it from
Mager. The story and corroboration are believable, but
I'm always curious to know more details. This trumpet
gave me fewer clues for the date of manufacture than most
Courtois instruments. Earlier examples, like those played
by Arbuckle and Levy, have serial numbers stamped on
the underside of the third valve cap and the successive
medals indicated on the bell give and easy range of years
possible. Instruments made later than WWI, have a new
series of numbers stamped on the second valve casing.
This trumpet has none of that evidence, with the bell stamp
much simpler than I recall seeing before and no serial
number. The details such as valve caps, waterkey and pull
knobs are like earlier instruments and the construction of
the valves, with fixed valve guide and bottom spring, is like
the orchestral F and G trumpets made in the 1870s through
the 1890s or later. All these details led me to guess that it
was made just before or soon after WWI. Courtois was
already listing C trumpets in their 1897 catalog, but these
were with a mouthpipe shank for C and crooks for Bb and
A like we are accustomed to in early cornets.
The next morsel of evidence is a photograph taken in 1921
of the brass section of the BSO, provided by Doug Yeo
from the Boston Symphony Archives. The trumpet that
Mager (front row, center) is holding here is obviously a C
trumpet, but with the same details of this D trumpet. The
curved braces and the angle of the second valve slide are
the most noticeable but also the pull knobs, waterkey
mount, tuning slide brace, mouthpiece receiver ferrule and
rounded slide ferrules all appear to match. Even his
mouthpiece appears to be a Courtois. It is certainly a
Courtois trumpet from the same era and Gustav Perret
(top right in photo) appears to have the same model
trumpet in this and the 1925 photo of the brass section.
French C trumpets were not new to the orchestra, based
on the 1915 photo of the brass section in which Gustav
Heim and Louis Kloepfel (both of whom were known to
prefer Bb) are both holding what appear to be Besson C
trumpets.
This D trumpet is 16 3/4" long with mouthpiece removed
(15 1/2" from bell rim to curve, the bell rim diameter is 4
7/16" and the bore measures .447".
As always, I invite your response, especially if you have
additional information or insights.
Click images for larger views.
