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{The Brussels Musical Instruments Museum Oboe Collection}
Stefaan Verdegem - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
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IND ?> Inv. number
1978
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CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch
Oboe in C
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TS ?> Type or system
2 keys
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MK ?> Maker
Anonymous
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IN ?> Mark, inscriptions
(Hardly legible):
GG / LONDON – on all 3 parts.
(The ‘GG’ mark, being stylised, could also be a device, like 2 horns).
- PL ?> Place of origin London
- DM ?> Date of making End of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century.
- MATERIALS Possibly pear-wood, with ivory mounts and silver keys.
- MEASUREMENTS
- Body Length c589mm (bell bottom ivory mount missing)
- TJ length (body + tenon) 214mm + 27mm
- MJ length (body +tenon) 215mm + 27mm
- B length c160mm (bell bottom ivory mount missing)
- Acoustic Length 328mm
- BORE
- Minimal bore 5.3mm
- Reed well diameter 7.5mm
- Reed or crook well depth (if cylindrical) 11.5mm
- Bore at end of TJ 10.9mm
- Bore at top of MJ 11.5mm
- Bore at end of MJ 16.4mm
- Bore at top of B 18.7mm
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
2 silver keys with octagonal flat flaps, type Young-R.
3rd hole doubled with finger cove.
Raised key rings circular.
SATK (springs attached to the key).
Bell with 2 vent-holes. Inner bell rim does not exist since bell bottom ivory mount is missing.
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FL ?> Faults
Bottom ivory mount missing.
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UP ?> Usable Pitch
A = c425 Hz with reed TL 82mm / staple 58mm / tip width 9.5mm and reed TL 84mm / staple 60.5mm / tip width 9.5mm.
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PC ?> Performance Characteristics
Uneven sound and intonation. Rather thin sound.
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PO ?> Previous Ownership
Unknown
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SR ?> Specific literature Reference
Mahillon (R1978) Vol.II p.250.
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GL ?> General literature (about this type of instrument)
Adkins (1996) pp.66–79.
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Remarks
Mark hardly legible, and off centre on TJ.
Comparing this instrument with those of other makers, there are many similarities with other London makers from the end of the 18th century, e.g. (except for the keys) the Goulding Wood & Co oboe no.326 in the London Royal College of Music. This would suggest someone from the Wood family as a possible maker.
Another hypothesis could be that the GG is a so far unknown mark of George Goulding, possibly in the early years of his business, before his partnership with d’Almaine.
The keys are almost identical to the Brussels MIM 0964 Miller oboe, the latter having 3. Similarities of the keys with other makers could be explained by the fact that, according to Lasocki (2010) p.102, John Hale was a London key-maker working for many instrument makers of that time. No engravings could be found on the key front. Since the keys could not be taken off we do not know if there are any engravings on the back of the keys.
Halfpenny (1965) p.52 reports a Gottlieb London clarinet with the mark ‘G’ on 5 of the keys, one of which is similar in design and stamp to the Miller-Collier clarinet no. GLAHM 112046 in The Hague Collection (Glasgow University).
Adkins (1996) pp.66–79 considers this widespread 'straight top' model to be an 'English Country oboe' that was used to support the psalms in church services in parishes where they could not afford an organ. The simplified straight top was cheaper (because easier to make) than the bulb shaped oboe.
Wood species hard to determine. Maple ('érable bruni') according to Mahillon (R1978) Vol.II p.250. According to Marcel Ponseele it is certainly not maple. Possibly pear-wood according to Charles Indekeu.
{Anonymous}
