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{The Brussels Musical Instruments Museum Oboe Collection}
Stefaan Verdegem - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
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IND ?> Inv. number
0976
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CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch
English horn in F
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TS ?> Type or system
9-keyed angled English horn
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MK ?> Maker
Cuvillier
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IN ?> Mark, inscriptions
(lyre) / CUVILLIER / A St Omer / (Hermes staff) – on all 4 parts (including knee socket).
- PL ?> Place of origin St Omer
- DM ?> Date of making 2nd quarter of the 19th century.
- MATERIALS Maple with ivory mounts, brass keys.
- MEASUREMENTS
- Body Length c.706mm
- TJ length (body + tenon) 230mm + 17.8mm - knee socket 60.0mm
- MJ length (body +tenon) 269mm + 18.8mm + 30.2mm
- B length 146.9mm
- Acoustic Length c.454mm
- BORE
- Minimal bore 5.7mm
- Reed well diameter 8.3mm
- Bore at end of TJ 11.8mm knee socket 12.2mm + 12.2mm
- Bore at top of MJ 12.2mm
- Bore at end of MJ 17.8mm
- Bore at top of B 18.8mm
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Angled body with knee socket and 4 ivory mounts.
9 brass keys with round lipped flaps type Heyde-181/4, all of them on short axles and oval plate fixed rods, apart from octave key on long axle.
On TJ: slur-key or octave key, C for L3, cross-Bb for L3 and G# for L4;
On MJ: F# for R4, cross-F (F-hole on left side of the body), C-C#-Eb.
SATK (springs attached to the key).
3rd hole doubled with finger cove.
Bulb bell with one large frontal (above the mark) vent-hole.
Ring for necklace on the back.
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FL ?> Faults
Very good condition. No visible cracks. Some scratches. Some glue traces (from an old label?) on B. All present pads and springs seem to be original.
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PA ?> Playing Accessories
One Bocal (not clear if original) in brass TL 91mm ø 3.0mm + 5.5mm, and 1 (broken) reed (not clear if original) on staple.
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UP ?> Usable Pitch
Best result obtained with either present bocal TL 90mm ø 5.3mm + 3.0mm, or bocal TL 93 mm ø 6.0mm + 3,1mm, and a reed TL 49mm / staple 27mm / tip width 9.5mm giving A = c.438Hz.
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PO ?> Previous Ownership
Ex-Mahillon V. & J.
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FM ?> Further information on maker
Pierre (1893) p.326.
Jansen (1978) pp.352–353.
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SR ?> Specific literature Reference
Pierre (1893) p.326.
Jansen (1978) pp.352–353.
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Remarks
Angled cors anglais seem to be rather exceptional in 19th century France, except maybe from Tabard, Lyon, who made multi-angled cors anglais with 6 or 7 joints.
It is not clear from the literature, which is ambiguous, whether this instrument is made by the Cuvillier father or his son aîné. The keywork style points in the direction of an instrument c. 1830. The C-C#-Eb key design is quite similar to the Triebert MIM 2321. The octave key might possibly have been added later on.
{Cuvillier}
