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Re: defining "conservatory"

Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-02-15 15:15

The word 'Conservatoire' is French for music school, and after the Triebert System 6 model oboe was adopted as the oboe of choice by the Paris Conservatiore, it became known as 'Conservatoire system' and all oboes built with the fingering system based on the Triebert System 6 are known as 'conservatoitre system'.

The Gillet conservatoire system is the more recent development (although it's been in production for over 100 years) with full plateau keywork to make (most) trills easier, and this is the oboe that's most popular among players nowadays. Most intermediate and beginner models being made are based on this model (with covered fingerplates instead of ring keys), but they have less keywork than the top pro models.

The main feature of all conservatoire system oboes is the way Bb4/5 and C5/6 are played - by closing RH finger 1 to open the Bb or C keys on the upper joint instead of being made with a thumbplate or side key (the thumbplate was the model that preceeded the conservatoire system where Bb and C are made by lifting the left thumb off the thumbplate and the simple system before that had the single side key for Bb and C). The top joint C key won't open while LH2 is closed (along with RH1), and the Bb key won't open while LH3 remains closed.

For British tastes (and the seeming reluctance to ditch the thumbplate system on these shores), conservatoire system oboes can be converted by adding a thumbplate for the left thumb to control the Bb and C keys making them 'dual system' instruments. Once the thumbplate is held down the instrument is put back into conservatoire mode (allowing RH1 to control the opening/closing of the Bb and C keys).

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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