Klarinet Archive - Posting 000540.txt from 1997/02

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: single reed oboe?
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 01:35:43 -0500

On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Burch Johnson wrote:

> Enquiring minds want to know. OK, as long as someone else started
> this thread, I'll ask if anyone ever heard of an oboe with clarinet-
> type keywork...therefore with clarinet fingering. I suppose it might
> be single reed, but the person who mentioned this didn't specify.

I've been waiting for responses to this message from those who might be
able to supply information about actual instruments of this type, but as
I have seen none, I'll wade in with a little on the topic.

The instrument being referred to would be a "Boehm-system" oboe, and such
instruments have been built, as have "Boehm-system" bassoons. The
bassoon in particular has never been successful when the keywork is
configured in this way, probably in part because some other changes were
necessitated, including eliminating the extension of the wing joint. So,
the acoustical changes were so extensive as to make the instrument such
that players were not interested in it. John Baccus refers to this
instrument in his textbook on acoustics. Some instruments of this type
can be found in various museums.

The term "Boehm" system refers to the practice of applying to any
woodwind instrument the rational acoustical principals developed by
Theobald Boehm, the originator of the modern flute. He conducted many
experiments in instrument design, choice of materials, tone hole size and
placement, and perhaps most importantly, he calculated the relationships
between the length and the diameter of the bore, and determined what
characteristics of tone holes would be appropriate for a given bore design.

According to my recollection of the history of the woodwind instruments,
it was Hyacinthe Klose who was largely responsible for applying Boehm's
principals to the clarinet. Thus, the instrument in use in much of the
Western World today is called the Boehm-system clarinet.

There is no mechanical reason why Boehm-system oboe could not be built,
and I am sure some music exist in museums. The question would be, would
players choose to play it.

A readily-available reference on this topic would be Anthony Baines'
"Woodwind Instruments and Their History." (I'm not sure of the exact title.)

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org