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    {Thibouville}

    © MIM Photo Anne Deknock
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  • IND ?> Inv. number

    2004.036

  • CN/NP ?> Common name / Nominal Pitch

    Oboe in C

  • TS ?> Type or system

    Système 3

  • MK ?> Maker

    Thibouville

  • IN ?> Mark, inscriptions

    BREVETÈ / S.G.D.G. / T (harp) M / MTIN Thibouville ainé A PARIS (in oval cartouche) – on TJ;

    MTIN Thibouville ainé A PARIS (in oval cartouche) – on MJ;

    T (harp) M / MTIN Thibouville ainé A PARIS (in oval cartouche) / BREVETÈ / S.G.D.G. – on B.

  • PL ?> Place of origin Paris
  • DM ?> Date of making Probably end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century.
  • MATERIALS African blackwood with silver plated keywork.
  • MEASUREMENTS
  • Body Length 561.3mm
  • TJ length (body + tenon) 232.8mm + 17.8mm
  • MJ length (body +tenon) 193.8mm + 21.8mm
  • B length 134.5mm
  • Acoustic Length 323mm
  • BORE
  • Minimal bore c.4mm
  • Reed well diameter 6.5mm
  • Reed or crook well depth (if cylindrical) 18.0mm
  • Bore at end of TJ 10.0mm
  • Bore at top of MJ 10.2mm
  • Bore at end of MJ 19.0mm
  • Bore at top of B 19.3mm
  • TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

    Nickel silver keywork, ferrules, thumb rest and reed cylinder.

    System no.3 oboe. Keys on axles and pillars. Round keyheads type Heyde-181/7.

    On TJ: 2 manual octave keys on long axles, half-hole plateau, G#, C and Bb (with overlap) for R1;

    On MJ: F# vent on one axle with ‘Brille’ key, cross-F, C-C#-Eb key on 2 axles with link C-‘Brille’; 2 separate levers ‘double kidney’ for left Eb and low B, key on bell.

    The edge of the tone-holes 5 + 6 (countersunk edge within the rings) is higher then the MJ body.

    3rd hole doubled with finger cove.

    No inner rim in bell.

    Metal lining: reed cylinder, TJ tenon (MJ tenon not lined), sockets, joint and bell ends.

  • FL ?> Faults

    Very good general condition, but the instrument is not in good playing condition. Some keys slightly bent with marks from pliers, some pads loose or missing.

  • CS ?> Case

    Instrument case in good condition, with 2 (recent) notes, one being a drawing of the Thibouville mark, a second one with the address ‘Mr Armand Thomas, 10 rue Lieutenant Liedel, 1070 Bruxelles’.

    The case has keys and is in black painted wood, with grey-green velvet inside. Instrument fits in two parts.

    Dimensions (LxDxH) 430 x 100 x 131mm.

  • PA ?> Playing Accessories

    One reed (cracked and damaged) inside the case TL 72.5mm, brass staple 47mm, soldered, with cork. Reed with extremely short U- or V-scrape, c.5mm. This reed is most likely 20th century.

  • UP ?> Usable Pitch

    Hard to estimate the pitch since the keywork is not in good playing condition, only the left hand notes play, pointing towards A = c.435Hz.

  • PC ?> Performance Characteristics

    Instrument speaks easily with an open sound, as far as could be ascertained.

  • PO ?> Previous Ownership

    Gift of Armand Thomas, former solo oboe of the Brussels Monnaie Theatre orchestra.

  • FM ?> Further information on maker

    Janssen (1978) pp.501–4.

    Camboulive (1995).

  • Remarks

    To quote Janssen (1978) p.501: “...The Thibouville dynasty of French woodwind makers and traders....The nightmare of every organologist trying to delve into the history of this clan.....No instrument historian ever unravelled the knot.”

    This specific stamp dates the instrument after 1884, according to Waterhouse (1993) p.397. The other literature is no clearer about the dating of this oboe, which is certainly after 1848, the opening of the Paris shop.

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