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{The Brussels Musical Instruments Museum Oboe Collection}
Stefaan Verdegem - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
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IND ?> Inv. number
0973
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CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch
English horn in F
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TS ?> Type or system
14 keys and 2 rings
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MK ?> Maker
Siering, Jeremias
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IN ?> Mark, inscriptions
(?crowned coat of arms) / SIERING / MAGDEBURG – on all 3 parts.
- PL ?> Place of origin Magdeburg
- DM ?> Date of making 3rd quarter of the 19th century.
- MATERIALS Boxwood with nickel silver ferrules and keywork.
- MEASUREMENTS
- Body Length c.745.9mm
- TJ length (body + tenon) 294.4mm + 22.2mm
- MJ length (body +tenon) 316.5mm + 20.2mm
- B length c.135.0mm (bell broken)
- Acoustic Length 442.6mm
- BORE
- Minimal bore 5.4mm
- Reed well diameter 7.1mm
- Bore at end of TJ 11.6mm
- Bore at top of MJ 17.1mm
- Bore at end of MJ 18.1mm
- Bore at top of B n.m.
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Nickel silver keywork and ferrules. Keyheads type Heyde-181/2.
Most keys with long levers, mounted on short axles and pillars, except for G vent key and ‘Brille’, on longer axles.
On TJ: octave key, D trill for L1, C# trill, C and Bb (with duplicate for L0), all for R1, G# for L4;
On MJ: G vent-hole with remote lever on small axle. F# vent operated by ‘Brille’ on axle, cross-F with duplicate for L4, Eb-C-C#, left Eb (with separate key-hole) and low B (key on bell) for L4.
Metal receiver for octave key through bore.
TJ with balluster, no other mouldings on instrument body.
Nickel silver ferrules on the top of each joint.
3rd hole single.
Metal thumb rest glued onto body.
Milled out key-holes and ring-holes with countersunk edge.
No vent-holes on bulb bell.
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FL ?> Faults
Poor condition: bell ruined due to a storage accident in the 1980s when a ceiling came down. Traces of wear and tear. Some pads missing. TJ slightly bent. Body scratched and stained. Small crack on MJ.
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PA ?> Playing Accessories
Mahillon (R1978) Vol.II pp.252–3 mentions a bocal and a reed and a TL with bocal and reed of 870mm. These are not with the instrument any more.
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UP ?> Usable Pitch
Pitch could not be established, because the instrument is not in playing condition and the bell is broken.
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PO ?> Previous Ownership
Ex-Mahillon V. & J.
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FM ?> Further information on maker
Heyde (1982) pp.217–8.
Dullat (2010) pp.442–3.
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SR ?> Specific literature Reference
Mahillon (R1978) Vol.II pp.252–3, with special mention of the G vent-hole with key on axle.
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GL ?> General literature (about this type of instrument)
Finkelman (2000) Teil 6/7.
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Remarks
Dullat (2010) pp.442–3 reports that Siering arrived in Magdeburg in 1857. He had several partners in his instrument-making business. Siering is reported repeatedly as Hof-Instrumentenmacher, hence probably the crowned coat of arms in this stamp. At the latest he moved to Dessau in 1880.
The 2 keys below the octave key are trill keys, according to Mahillon (R1978) Vol.II pp.252–3.