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{The Brussels Musical Instruments Museum Oboe Collection}
Stefaan Verdegem - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
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IND ?> Inv. number
2618
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CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch
Tenor oboe (Taille de hautbois) in F
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TS ?> Type or system
3 keys
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MK ?> Maker
Rottenburgh, I.H.
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IN ?> Mark, inscriptions
I⋅H⋅ / ROTTENBURGH / (six-point star) - on all 3 parts.
- PL ?> Place of origin Brussels
- DM ?> Date of making Middle of the 18th century.
- MATERIALS Most probably boxwood with 3 brass ferrules and brass keys.
- MEASUREMENTS
- Body Length c. 745.2 mm
- TJ length (body + tenon) 286.8 mm + 37.8 mm
- MJ length (body +tenon) 302.9 mm + 38.1 mm
- B length 157.2 mm
- Acoustic Length 449.5 mm
- BORE
- Minimal bore 7.8 mm
- Reed well diameter 10.5 mm
- Bore at end of TJ 13.7 mm
- Bore at top of MJ 15.3 mm
- Bore at end of MJ 19.8 mm
- Bore at top of B 19.8 mm
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
3 brass keys with round flat flaps, type Young-S for C-key, type Heyde-179/1 for Eb-keys, the keyhead being the mirror of the touch.
Raised key rings not circular.
SATB (springs attached to the body).
3rd and 4th hole doubled with finger cove.
No vent-holes in bulb bell.
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FL ?> Faults
Very good condition. Some scratches on body. MJ and B ferrules loose.
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PA ?> Playing Accessories
Bocal (not clear if original, looks like a later type) in brass TL 83 mm. Reed (only socket part - top part broken-off) bassoon-like mounted (no staple).
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UP ?> Usable Pitch
A = c. 403 Hz with reed TL 52.8 mm / staple 28 mm ø 5 mm / tip width 11 mm with bocal TL 101 mm ø 6.6 mm + 3.5 mm, but low notes roll, and the intonation is uneven.
A better-working combination gave a pitch of A = c. 415 Hz with reed TL 52.8 mm / staple 28 mm ø 5 mm / tip width 11 mm, with bocal 98 mm ø 5.9 mm + 3.1 mm, but low D + C stay very low, suggesting a lower usable pitch.
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PC ?> Performance Characteristics
The Rottenburgh Tenor 2618 plays much less well than the 2619, although being very similar and played with exactly the same reed/bocal combination. Low notes tend to roll, and the intonation is uneven.
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PO ?> Previous Ownership
Ex-Snoeck
- FM ?> Further information on maker
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SR ?> Specific literature Reference
Mahillon (R1978) Vol. IV p. 361.
Ottenbourgs (1989) pp. 560-3.
Listed in Young (1993) p. 194.
Mentioned in Waterhouse (1993) p. 337.
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Comparable instruments
Stockholm Musikmuseet F288, see www.musikmuseet.se.
Oxford, The Bate Collection, no. 248.
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Remarks
Haynes type-C. Young (1993) p. 194 calls this the ‘military model’.
Possibly pear-wood according to Charles Indekeu. Boxwood according to Young (1993) p. 194, Mahillon (R1978) Vol. IV p. 361, and Marcel Ponseele.
{Rottenburgh}
