 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2010-02-14 23:29
I see ads for English horns and oboes that say "basic conservatory," "modified conservatory," and "full conservatory."
Can someone explain the differences, please? Thanks.
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2010-02-15 05:37
From oboes.com
Key Work System:
"Full Conservatory" — what does that mean?
The term “conservatory”, as is widely applied to the oboe, simply means the mechanism is based on the standard set of fingerings in current use, nothing more. Let us point out that "full conservatory" is not a well defined term, and can be used in a sales environment misleadingly. For young players, we recommend that you be sure to find an oboe that has left F and low Bb, as these are essential. However, split-E, 3rd octaves, and low Bb resonance keys, which might be part of the definition of “full conservatory”, really have a very minimal role. With this said, we will remark on the following loosely defined terms:
Simplified Conservatory Key work – very basic, beginner oboes, though they employ technically “conservatory” fingerings, are often lacking some very basic keys. These oboes often do not even have low Bb or left F, both of which will be missed by even the very elementary oboist.
Modified Full Conservatory – full conservatory but missing one or more of the optional and not necessarily essential key work refinements, like split E ring for the Eb-E trill, Bb (bell) resonance, 3rd octave, F resonance. These should, however, have left F, low Bb (key on bell), C# and D trills to be useful.
Full Conservatory System – full key work; please note that what constitutes a full set of keys is a matter of opinion, manufacturer, model, and age of oboe. Some of the keys that may or may not be on a full conservatory oboe are, for example, 3rd octave, Bb bell resonance, and F resonance. For example, the famous older "Tabuteau" model Loreé oboes did not have the F resonance key. We at Covey oboes, for another example, do not put 3rd octave keys on our newest model oboe, the Classic, for acoustical reasons; the extra tone hole in the top joint changes the acoustics of the instrument, and our performance goals for this model we feel are compromised by including the 3rd octave. By no means does that imply that this model oboe does not have "full-conservatory" key work, but rather that a trade-off choice was made to the instrument's (and therefore oboist's) advantage!
Cooper
Blog, An Oboe In Paradise
Solo Oboe, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra
Post Edited (2010-02-15 05:37)
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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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Author: jeremyreeds
Date: 2010-02-16 02:56
I agree with Chris P , 'Conservatory' system only refers to the way in which Bb4/5 and C5/6 are fingered, or to the mechanism involved in the production of these sounds, that is, by use of the right hand index finger
( there is an extension of this system, which they call in the Loree catalog, Conservatoire 1-2-3 , with which any finger of the right hand, including the pinky -keys of C and C#- , may be used to produce Bb4/5 or C5/6 ).
The term Conservatory has nothing to do with the fact that the oboe has open rings or plateaus, or that the oboe has all the "bells and wistles". In North America they refer to Conservatory System to an oboe with "all the bells and wistles" but historically the development of all these "bells and wistles" have happened in both Thumb Plate System and Conservatory System simultaneously ( the adoption of the Conservatory System by the Paris Conservatoire, did not kill the Thumb Plate System -yet-) .
Regards.
Jeremias
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2010-02-16 08:53
I've been using a dual system for more than 35 years, and I've never found it habit-forming ...
:-)
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