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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000020.txt from 2005/12
From: philfrei@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Bulb bells
Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 19:40:13 -0500
Interesting.
I recall reading something, perhaps by Backus or Benade (was it the
Scientific American special issue on Music?) that bell shapes
compensate somehow for the fact that there are no tone holes lying open
below the lowest note on the instrument. But maybe that only applied to
flared bells. It seems there IS a significantly different sound between
what comes out the end of the instrument and what comes out the highest
open tonehole (confirmed by my various attempts at mike placement).
Maybe the shape would make for a slight reinforcement of the lower
formants (more "ooo" perhaps?) but this is pure speculation.
Playing with the bell off can make for a slightly wilder, brighter
sound--I remember it coming off once in a performance to help an
English Horn imitate a shofar.
- Phil Freihofner
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Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2005 07:10:45 -0600
To: <doublereed@-----.org>
From: "cflat" <cflat@-----.net>
Subject: RE: [DR-L] Oboe D'amore, English Horn, bass oboe and
heckelphone
Message-Id: <200512050710.AA14090354@-----.net>
I found the following on a website at this link:
http://idrs.colorado.edu/Publications/Journal/JNL1/baroqueoboe.html
Maybe it has some insight on the bell...
Charles
===========================================================
VII. The Bulb-bell
Investigation has revealed no detailed account of the function of
the bulb-bell in the oboe d 'amore, oboe da caccia and forms of
the taille. It is interesting to note that musicologists deal with
it in considerable detail without truly revealing the function or
purpose. There seems to be a tendency to credit the bulb-bell with
the powers of an auxiliary resonator, capable of enhancing both
the power and the quality of the tone. Many commentators feel that
the peculiar nasal quality of these instruments is the result of
the bell.
Eric Halfpenny relates an experiment on the taille where a
straight bell was substituted for a bulb-bell and reports a
changed character of tone, loss of sonority and the impression of
having to work harder. His provisional conclusion is that the bell
does tend to act as a free auxiliary resonator, improving power
and quality. (8)
Personal experience on the contemporary English Horn, which also
possesses a bulb-bell, indicates that only very subtle change in
color or quality occur with removal or change of bell. The bulb-
bell is certainly considered with care in the construction of a
modern instrument because quality and tuning have become musically
important to us. It is doubted that such small changes would have
been important in an age accustomed to, and expecting,
considerably more virility in the tone of its double-reed
instruments.
The probable origin of the bulb-bell is in the perforated bell
sections of the early shawm. The spheroidal version of the early
bells, drilled with numerous holes, serves a well-understood
function in the early Baroque. The purpose is to reduce the
general length and weight of the instrument while still achieving
a generally good control of pitch and tone.
>>
>>>From: "chris franz" <saxcat37@-----.com>
>>>Reply-To: doublereed@-----.org
>>>To: doublereed@-----.org
>>>Subject: [DR-L] Oboe D'amore, English Horn, bass oboe and
heckelphone
>>>Date: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 12:19:17 -0600
>>>
>>>
>>>Just a simple question, What is the purpose of the bulb shaped
bell on
>>>the Oboe D'amore, english horn, bass oboe nad hte heckelphone?
>>>
>>>Thnaks
>>>Chris Franz
>>>
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