 The Fingering Forum
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2003-05-18 16:12
is that "long" F key in addition to the existing left F Key? and the left key is an awesome key; it makes life easier.
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Author: Debbie
Date: 2003-05-22 19:22
I've seen a posting on e-bay for an oboe that plays to low A. Possibly this could be one of these modified oboes.
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Author: TorusTubarius
Date: 2003-05-23 03:53
A low "A" oboe would have to have an extra key on the bell as well though I would think. Would that not also alter the sound of the instrument to some degree?
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Author: Debbie
Date: 2003-05-23 12:38
Yes, it would definitely have to have an extra key on the bell below the b-flat, but I don't think it would alter the sound that much that far down the instrument, although I don't really know.
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Author: TorusTubarius
Date: 2003-05-23 23:31
I think you might be surprised how much it would alter the sound. People often don't give the bell enough credit for how much it affects the focus and timbre of the tone. For instance, if you've ever played a Loree and a Covey oboe, you would know that the two play nothing alike. However, if I take a Covey bell and stick it on my Loree, it completely changes the timbre and makes my oboe feel more like a Covey. I find the Covey oboe to have a clear and more even sound throughout the range than most Loree's, but it doesn't have the pure resonance and timbre versatility of the Loree. The way I describe it is that if you imagine the tone of each as a column of sound that encapsulates you as you play, the Covey would have a well defined column about two and a half feet in diameter, while the Loree would have a less defined column about four feet in diameter. I realize that's pretty abstract, but I hope it makes sense.
The shape of the bell on English horns is why its tone is so much more mellow and melancholy sounding than that of an oboe (and more limited, but that's another matter), more so than simply the larger size of the instrument and reed.
I suppose what is most important is the shape of the bell, not so much the size of the instrument, at least when the difference is as small as that between a low A oboe and a standard oboe. One would think that if Loree made a low A oboe, with the bell proportionately the same shape as on their regular oboes, that the tone wouldn't be affected much. Still it makes me wonder.
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