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Re: A strange B&H Oboe ..

Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-01-17 13:19

Some of the older generation Chinese oboes (Lark, Hsinghai, etc.) that are based on the older E.German Moennigs but got a bit lost in translation don't lend themselves too well to conversion to dual system (adding a thumbplate).

One such article was sent to the Howarth factory for such work (hardly worth it, but that's what the customer wanted). It was a fully automatic ring key conservatoire system, but instead of having the usual linkage arm from RH1 to close the G# pad cup, the connection to close the G# pad cup was on the side of the G# key (like the linkage piece on d'amores and cors so the G# key closes the side A vent) but was raised when the con bar was tilted by RH1.

All very well in theory, but the table soldered to the end of the con bar had to be corked on both sides and and was itself very thin, so I doubt it lasted too well through use as there wasn't much preventing it from bending or breaking off from the end of the con bar. If the left thumb was off the thumbplate the G# pad wouldn't open (using the LH G# key) and if the side G# key was used while the thumb was off the thumbplate, it would force the con bar and thumbplate down. And you could do a G-Ab trill by fingering G# and trilling with the thumbplate.

So best used as a candlestick as are most Chinese oboes.

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

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