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{The Brussels Musical Instruments Museum Oboe Collection}
Stefaan Verdegem - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
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IND ?> Inv. number
4137
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CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch
English horn in F
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TS ?> Type or system
Elaborate Système 4
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MK ?> Maker
Couesnon
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IN ?> Mark, inscriptions
EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE DE PARIS (in scroll) / 1889 (in circle) / HORS CONCOURS / membre du jury / COUESNON & CIE / FOURNISSEURS DE L'ARMEE / PARIS / (Tower with axe, ‘MONOPOLE’ in scroll with two chicken heads) / 7701 / A.WAGNER & LEVIEN SUCC. / MEXICO-PUEBLA / GUADALAJARA – On B.
No mark on TJ nor MJ.
- SN ?> Serial number 7701(?) (on bell).
- PL ?> Place of origin Paris
- DM ?> Date of making after 1889 – end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century.
- MATERIALS Ironwood or cocuswood with silver plated keywork.
- MEASUREMENTS
- Body Length c.804.8 mm
- TJ length (body + tenon) 324.8mm + 22.8mm
- MJ length (body +tenon) 367.3mm + 17.7mm
- B length 112.7mm
- Acoustic Length c. 462mm
- BORE
- Minimal bore 4.7mm
- Reed well diameter 7.5mm
- Reed or crook well depth (if cylindrical) 20.0mm
- Bore at end of TJ 12.5mm
- Bore at top of MJ 12.1mm
- Bore at end of MJ 19.4mm
- Bore at top of B 19.6mm
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Silver plated keywork, ferrules, thumb rest and reed cylinder.
System no.4 mechanism, with round flat lipped keyheads.
On TJ: 2 manual octave keys. D or C# trill key for L3, half-hole plateau, Bb and C (with overlap) for R1, G# for L4.
On MJ: G vent-hole and F# vent with ‘Brille’ key, all on one axle; cross-F, C-C#-Eb on 2 axles with linked C-‘Brille’ for high D; ‘butterfly’ key for left Eb and low B, key on MJ.
Bulb bell.
The half-hole mechanism comprises a double plateau controlling 2 vent-holes, one closing for C2 with the fingering 020/000.
Metal lining: reed cylinder, tenons, sockets, joint and bell ends.
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FL ?> Faults
Very good condition. All springs and pads present. One small crack on bell. Very little wear on body. Keywork in fair condition.
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CS ?> Case
The case fits the instrument in two parts. Metal handle. Accessories absent. Reed box space c.78mm, space for grease pot, three bocals and screw driver.
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UP ?> Usable Pitch
A = c.435Hz with reed TL 56mm / staple 27mm / tip width 8.7mm, and bocal TL 88.6mm ø 5mm + 3.1mm.
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PC ?> Performance Characteristics
Excellent playing instrument.
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PO ?> Previous Ownership
Ex-R.R.Warche (1965)
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FM ?> Further information on maker
Jansen (1978) Vol.1 p.351.
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GL ?> General literature (about this type of instrument)
Finkelman (2000) Teil 7 & 8.
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Remarks
It is not clear whether the no.7701 on the bell is a serial number. According to the bell stamp this instrument was apparently sold through a dealer in Mexico. Being made after 1889, it is not clear whether Couesnon - who owned the Triebert firm from 1882 – or Triebert made this instrument. On first sight it does not have many similarities to Triebert English horns from this period, except of course the standard key system layout.
The keywork system does not seem to correspond to any English horn mark in the 1934 Couesnon catalogue. All the ‘monopole’ marks are advertised in ebony and with a more advanced keywork system, possibly dating this instrument before 1934.
{Couesnon}
