I'm 46 and I have been principal clarinetist of the South West German Radio Orchestra in Kaiserslautern for the last 23 years. Beneath my orchestral occupation, I had the lucky chance to play as a clarinetist in many different chamber musics together with excellent colleagues. Several CD recordings and concert trips passed during this time and I remember a number of beautiful concerts. From 1984 to 1987 I have been living in Berlin for my studies at the "Hochschule der Künste" with Prof. Peter Rieckhoff.  He really tought us students almost everything concerning music and even more than just profund requirements of clarinet playing, all his huge basic knowledge on the needed equipment such as clarinet reeds and a good mouthpiece.
In 1985 his wife had taken the decision to produce clarinet reeds and FOGLIETTA had been founded. I've known the company from its conception and since that time I never missed an opportunity to help and involve myself, even when I had started with the orchestra and also after Peter Rieckhoff sadly passed away in November 1994.
 

The most important points of motivation for Peter Rieckhoff in founding this company may have been to provide his students an individually suiting material on the first hand and on the second hand to pass on all his deep knowledge on traditional reed making by hand and on a well blowing combination of reed and mouthpiece.
 
Since Oktober 2003 I have taken over the management of FOGLIETTA and the company had to be moved from Swizzerland to Mehlbach, a small village near Kaiserslautern in the southwest of Germany.
 
Naturally I am obliged to this tradition with all my knowledge and experiance and of course I shall continue to be at your service, dear customers, to help you with all the information you require where clarinet reeds are concerned with the same quality you have been used to in the past.
 
The concept of FOGLIETTA can be brought to one conclusion: We want to provide the clarinet player a combination of reed and mouthpiece which has a sound of its own personality. This is possible due to persistant innovation, completely selfcreated reed cuts, itinerate personal tests of the reed quality and furthermore to several selfproduced mouthpiece facings suiting our reed types. In one phrase: We want to give the clarinet world an oportunity beyond unification.
 

Of course, making a good clarinet reed requires more than good patterns and know how, namely the proper raw material. For this reason it is important to have reliable suppliers who guarantee optimal pre-treatment and cane seasoning. Even then the personal contact does matter since the canes must be tested and laid in stock. Just as wine in a cellar, the " hidden reserves " of cane in storage are sorted according to age and region so that only the best canes are taken for reeds.
 

First the cane tubes must be split into four segments by hand. Then, the straight pieces are selected and cut to the desired length. After straightening the bottom of the tube segments by shaping, it has to be decided which end later becomes the tip. Eventually, the raw pieces are cut into form mechanically and the bottom side is polished. Before planing the actual form of the reed, the lenghth of the facing needs to be fixed. This is done by milling of the hard, outer layer containing silicic acid. The finished clarinet reeds are now trimmed and sorted into eight different strengths.
 

A good sorting machine is able to achieve a lot, however, it is absolutely essential to blow the reeds and test the different adjustments of the patterns, throughout the whole production process. In the end, the response and the sound of the instrument are the criteria for a successful clarinet reed. before shipping, every single reed is again viewed by me in order to be sure that no defective product leaves our house.
 
Quality speaks for itself and for this reason the traditional handiwork is so important to us.