 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2015-10-11 05:22
About the strangest oboe instrument I have come across so far.
Between an English horn and bass oboe. Saxophone fingerings, with many extra keys (the "Buck Rogers Model"). Plays beautifully, and has a HUGE resonance.
In 30 years of collecting, I have never seen another example like this...
Oboes.us
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-11 05:24
Can you post photos of it?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2015-10-11 05:34
Attachment: DSCN0202.JPG (284k)
Hi Chris, I am having trouble posing images, even re-sized to the smallest setting. If I can not attach here, go to my Facebook timeline (Peter Hurd)... Most recent post has a good image.
With best wishes,
Peter
Oboes.us
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-11 05:56
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html/10,410/DSCN0202.JPG
What key is it in?
It looks like a Sax fingered cor anglais (built to low Bb) which is something I'd buy in a heartbeat had I the funds!
I've seen the same double articulated Eb mechanism fitted on a regular conservatoire system Cabart cor anglais, so both LH and also RH Eb keys do exactly the same thing whereas on most oboes only the LH Eb has the fully articulated function (and the RH Eb key only lifts the Eb pad cup).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-11 06:00
Also noticed it has a triple vent fully automatic 8ve mechanism - now that's got my creative cogs whirring!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2015-10-11 06:13
Hi Chris, the "baritone oboe" is in fact in the key of Eb. Same exact range as an alto sax. Left pinky cluster: G#, Eb,C#, B, Bb. Right pinky cluster: Eb, C, C#, and (one touch) low Bb key. Right hand side keys and left hand palm keys- same as on saxophone. Still some keys I have not figured out yet. Automatic triple octave vent system seems to works very well. The left hand middle finger C (both octaves) sounds amazing on this instrument, in stark contrast to the usually very weak and stuffy left middle finger C on other oboe instruments with saxophone fingerings. The resonance of this instrument is HUGE. With respect to timbre, sounds like a cross between an English horn and a [say] pre-war Loree bass oboe. I surmise this instrument may have been made in the late 1920s or early 1930s. In an amazing state of preservation. I have never seen another example of an Eb "baritone oboe" of any make or description, though I have seen Cabart "sax-oboes" and Cabart English horns with saxophone fingerings. The amount of work it must have taken to produce this instrument! Determining an Eb bore, plotting the tone hole placement and sizes, and designing/engineering/fabricating and fitting the key-work.
Oboes.us
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-11 06:24
Take as many measurements from it as you can! An Eb cor anglais can be a very useful bit of kit when it comes to playing military band transcriptions that are usually in keys from four to seven flats that have been shunted up a semitone from otherwise comfortable original orchestral keys. Plus the long and short of it is the fact I'm far more adept to sax fingerings over dual/conservatoire system fingerings.
I can't see why sax fingered oboes like this aren't more accepted in the oboe community as so many are very quick to dismiss them in favour of a key system that has evolved and became more complex over time instead of one that was invented by Theobald Boehm that was a complete and radical departure.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2015-10-11 06:41
I have the instrument on trial for a possible partial trade of a modern bass oboe. If I keep this Eb baritone oboe, I will likely send it to Tom Hiniker to measure at the "sub-atomic" level and add the measurements to his archive. I have discovered also that this instrument also has a G#-G trill (needle key RH), and an F#-G# trill played by depressing the D key.
Oboes.us
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-11 18:33
You know what would be nice - a Bb version of this.
Either a Bb soprano (effectively an oboe d'amore in Bb to low Bb) or a Bb bass (realistically a tenor) oboe version. Who knows? Maybe they made them too!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2015-10-12 05:20
I have been playing this Eb baritone oboe some more today.
The tone seems to be an melding of English horn, "pre-war" Loree bass oboe, and Heckelphone. Has great depth and complexity. Far more sound than any modern bass oboe, and nearly equal to Heckelphone. This instrument could possibly be used to add color to a film score...
Oboes.us
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Author: mschmidt
Date: 2015-10-15 23:51
Amazing find! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Mike
Still an Amateur, but not really middle-aged anymore
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