German family of woodwind instrument makers in whose hands the German bassoon, based on the researches of Carl Almenraeder, reached its present degree of perfection. Many of the reforms carried out by successive members of the Heckel family are of so fundamental a nature that today the German-style instrument is frequently known as the ‘Heckel’ bassoon regardless of its actual maker. A collateral branch of the family has long been established as brass instrument makers. The first member to specialize in woodwind instruments was Johann Adam Heckel (b Adorf, Saxony, 14 July 1812; d Biebrich am Rhein, 13 April 1877). Having learnt his craft in his native town, in 1829 he travelled to Mainz to train under his uncle August Jehring, working for the Schott factory, where Carl Almenraeder’s model of reform-bassoon was being developed. In March 1831 they established a workshop together, initially also supplying Schott, at Biebrich (now Wiesbaden-Biebrich). Until 1843 Heckel-Almenraeder bassoons were produced there for Schott and were stamped with his name. In 1862 he was visited by Richard Wagner, then working on Die Meistersinger at the castle nearby, who maintained a fruitful contact with him, later inspiring the creation of the extended ‘A’ bell for the bassoon, the Tristan Schalmei and the Hecklephone. J.A. Heckel was followed in business by his son Wilhelm (b Biebrich, 6 July 1856; d Biebrich, 13 Jan 1909) and Wilhelm's two sons: Wilhelm Hermann (b Biebrich, 6 July 1879; d Biebrich, 12 Jan 1952) and August (b Biebrich, 4 Oct 1880; d 19 Sept 1914). After the death of Wilhelm Hermann the ownership and direction of the firm passed successively to his son-in-law Franz Groffy (b 1896; d 1972), then to the latter’s son-in-law Adolf Gebhard (b 1919), his daughter Edith Reiter (b 1937), and then to her children Angelika Lucchetta Reiter (b 1965) and Ralf Reiter (b 1971).
The name of Heckel is associated particularly with the bassoon, to the development of which the firm has made a unique contribution. Consistently resisting the temptation to enlarge the scope of their operations the firm has remained in its original premises, dedicated to customized service. Though now specializing in bassoon and double bassoon production (and the Heckelphone), the firm formerly produced woodwind instruments of all kinds. It has introduced several entirely new wind instruments of which the most important is the Heckelphone. Other innovations have included the heckel-clarina (1890), a type of oboe-system soprano saxophone, and the heckelphone-clarinet (1907), a type of wooden saxophone intended for military use. This instrument was not itself patented, but protection was obtained for its automatic octave mechanism which the maker claimed to have invented.
The brass instrument activities of the Heckel family, also of considerable distinction, began with the work of Johann Adam (b Adorf, 1809; d Dresden, 1866), cousin of his namesake above, who moved from Adorf to Dresden, where in 1836 he established what was to become a successful brass instrument workshop. He introduced a characteristic broad silver rim to the bell of the horn, trumpet and trombone, subsequently known as the Heckelrand. His son and successor Friedrich Alwin (b 1845) received in 1889 the prestigious appointment of maker to the Saxon Court; his model of trumpet was successful especially in Vienna. His son Theodor Alwin (b 1883; d 1954) was the last of this branch of the Heckel family.
Waterhouse-LangwillI
MGG1 (H. Becker)
MGG2 (’Doppelrohrblattinstrumente’, §A.VI, 4; A. Masel)
[W. Heckel:] Der Fagott (Biebrich, 1899, 2/1931)
H. Heyde: ‘Die Blasinstrumentenbauer, Jehring (Adorf) und Heckel (Adorf, Dresden, Biebrich)’, BMw, xix (1977), 121–4
J. Burnau: ‘The Origin and Development of the Bassoon’, NACWPI Journal, xxvii/2 (1978), 37–43
W. Jansen: The Bassoon: its History, Construction, Makers, Players and Music (Buren, 1978)
A. Benade: ‘Dechové nástroje: Technicky a hudební vyvoj od roku 1700/Wind Instruments: Technical and Musical Developments from 1700’, Hudební nástroje, xxi (1984), 14–16, 51–3, 94–7
PHILIP BATE/WILLIAM WATERHOUSE