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{The Brussels Musical Instruments Museum Oboe Collection}
Stefaan Verdegem - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
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IND ?> Inv. number
2321
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CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch
English horn in F
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TS ?> Type or system
9-keyed curved English horn
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MK ?> Maker
Triebert
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IN ?> Mark, inscriptions
(barbican tower with 3 merlons) / TRIEBERT / A PARIS – on all 3 parts;
(hardly legible on TJ).
- PL ?> Place of origin Paris
- DM ?> Date of making 2nd quarter of the 19th century.
- MATERIALS Leather covered maple with ivory mounts and brass keys.
- MEASUREMENTS
- Body Length c.792mm
- TJ length (body + tenon) c.300mm + 23.7mm
- MJ length (body +tenon) c.330mm + 26.3mm
- B length 162mm
- Acoustic Length 450mm
- BORE
- Minimal bore 5.4mm
- Reed well diameter 8.6mm
- Bore at end of TJ 10.8mm
- Bore at top of MJ 11.4mm
- Bore at end of MJ 17.3mm
- Bore at top of B 17.4mm
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Curved body with leather covered maple wood for TJ and MJ. Black stained maple for B. 4 ivory mounts.
All keys on oval plate based rods, round lipped key flaps type Heyde-181/4.
On TJ: octave key with extremely long lever for R1(!), C and Bb for R1 (with overlap), G# for L4;
On MJ: F# for R4, cross-F, Eb, C# and C key.
SATK (springs attached to the key).
Key-holes milled out with countersunk edge.
3rd hole doubled with finger cove.
Metal ring for necklace on the back.
Bulb bell with two vent-holes.
gold painted festoon decoration on TJ and MJ extremities.
No metal lining.
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FL ?> Faults
Good condition except for TJ leather a bit worn out. TJ leather cover shows traces of repair on the back. No visible cracks. All pads and springs seem to be original.
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PA ?> Playing Accessories
Bocal (not clear if original) in brass 99mm ø 5.9mm + 3.1mm.
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UP ?> Usable Pitch
Best result was obtained with a reed TL 49mm / staple 27mm / tip width 9.5mm, and a bocal TL 93mm ø 6mm + 3.1mm, giving as a result A = c.438Hz.
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PC ?> Performance Characteristics
Nice warm sounding instrument with quite a lot of resistance. Quite even intonation.
- FM ?> Further information on maker
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SR ?> Specific literature Reference
Mahillon (R1978) Vol.IV p.195.
Listed in Young (1993) p.240.
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IR ?> Illustration reference
Mahillon (R1978) Vol.IV p.196 (picture).
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GL ?> General literature (about this type of instrument)
Finkelman (2000) Teil 6/7.
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Comparable instruments
Brussels: MIM Triebert English horn no.0974.
Edinburgh: EUCHMI Triebert English horn no.3322.
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Remarks
There are some differences from the MIM 0974:
- Characteristic gold painted festoon decoration on TJ and MJ extremities.
- Sockets are not reinforced with metal, and cork covered as on 974.
- The brass keywork differs slightly from 974.
- Very unusual octave key design for R1! Later addition or custom-made order?
Triebert (1855) mentions on p.7 of his catalogue that “...the firm restricted the production of curved English horns...since there is no advantage any more in making them like this, given the latest improvements [on the straight English horn].”