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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000035.txt from 2003/06

From: Grant Green <GDGREEN@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Double Reed Family
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2003 14:14:05 -0400

At 09:45 PM 6/4/2003 -0500, Ryan wrote:
>Does anyone know the full instrumentation of the double reed family and
>what keys they are in? Thanks in advance.

Modern (in use 1900 or later):
Oboes: mussette (F, Eb), oboe (C), oboe d'amore (A), English horn (F),
bass oboe (aka baritone oboe) (C)
Heckelphones: piccolo (F), terz (Eb), bass (C)
Bassoons: octave (C), tenoroon (G, F), bassoon (C), contrabassoon (C)
Wolf Contra Forte (C)
Sarrusophones: sopranino (Eb), soprano (Bb), alto (Eb), tenor (Bb),
baritone (Eb), bass (Bb), contrabass (Eb, C, BBb)
Rothophones: soprano (Bb), alto (Eb), tenor (Bb), baritone (Eb), bass (Bb)
Reed contrabass (aka contrabasse a anche) (C)

Note that there are many variations not included here, such as the
"sax-fingered" oboe in metal, the rumored bass sarrusophone in C, the Boehm
system bassoon, etc., and no distinction is made here between French and
German system bassoon, French and Viennese oboes, etc. The sarrusophone,
seldom seen, is now being made again by Benedikt Eppelsheim (Munich), and
is also available (in any size) from Orsi (Milan). Also not included are
the many folk instruments that use double reeds, such as bagpipes (highland
pipes, uilean pipes, etc.), the Spanish folk shawms (tipple, tenora) and
dulcians, Bretton bombardes, etc.

Pre-modern:
Shawms: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, basset/bass, great bass
Dulcians (aka Curtals): soprano, alto, tenor, bass, great bass
Racketts: alto, tenor, bass, great bass/contrabass
crumhorn and cornamuse: soprano, alto, tenor, bass, great bass
sordunes: tenor, bass, quart bass, great bass
Kortholts: tenor, bass
Rauschpfeife (capped shawm): sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor
Schalmei: sopranino, soprano, alto

Most or all of the pre-modern instruments were considered "non-transposing"
- one simply learned different fingerings and played concert pitch
parts. Most of the above are available at
http://www.e-m-s.com/cat/pricelist/woodwind.htm. There are also, of
course, the predecessors of the modern instruments, such as the Baroque
oboe and bassoon, taile, etc.

Enjoy!

Grant

Grant D. Green
650-949-5210
gdgreen@-----.net