Where Are All The Oboists These Days? Options

[katica]

Hi Louise. I'm another who's never heard of Buisson. Do you know how old the instrument is?

I was quite intrigued, so I went on an internet hunt - which I imagine you have already done.

I was a bit worried that you might have some awful Chinese oboe imitation, rather like those Chinese factory-made violins with Italian-sounding names. It's hard to find a decent resin oboe but for student models a decent resin can be better than a bad wooden one.

There's not much out there but I found this discussion over on the Oboe BBoard. This is a US-run discussion forum which quite often has some helpful discussions.

I also found this site (a clarinet site, you will note! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ), which I thought had some useful insights. They list Buisson as a "fake" French brand name. I was particularly worried by references to Buisson that came up in a Google search with references to Dallas, London. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) Another comes up with "La Couture" mentioned as the place of origin for Buisson instruments. That would tie in with what the site says about instruments made by makers who were moonlighting from established manufactures in the "La Couture" district around WWII. There don't seem to be any new Buissons about, so this could be a viable explanation. In that case, who knows how good or bad it is. Maybe you got an excellent moonlighting oboe maker? Like other woodwind instruments, the oboe doesn't tend to improve with age but there are people who play on perfectly OK old instruments. Maybe that's what you've got. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

By the way, older oboes often had more open holes. What does yours look like? Maybe you could post a photo...

It will be interesting to hear what your teacher makes of it. Have fun tomorrow. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)

[Hardying]

It was great to meet you at Egham Hardying and I thought your playing was lovely. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Sorry to hear about your Mother. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
[/quote]


Thanks it was good to meet you too & I enjoyed your playing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Hope we'll meet up again one day. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)

[louise1712]

Hi Louise. I'm another who's never heard of Buisson. Do you know how old the instrument is?

I was quite intrigued, so I went on an internet hunt - which I imagine you have already done.

I was a bit worried that you might have some awful Chinese oboe imitation, rather like those Chinese factory-made violins with Italian-sounding names. It's hard to find a decent resin oboe but for student models a decent resin can be better than a bad wooden one.

There's not much out there but I found this discussion over on the Oboe BBoard. This is a US-run discussion forum which quite often has some helpful discussions.

I also found this site (a clarinet site, you will note! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ), which I thought had some useful insights. They list Buisson as a "fake" French brand name. I was particularly worried by references to Buisson that came up in a Google search with references to Dallas, London. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) Another comes up with "La Couture" mentioned as the place of origin for Buisson instruments. That would tie in with what the site says about instruments made by makers who were moonlighting from established manufactures in the "La Couture" district around WWII. There don't seem to be any new Buissons about, so this could be a viable explanation. In that case, who knows how good or bad it is. Maybe you got an excellent moonlighting oboe maker? Like other woodwind instruments, the oboe doesn't tend to improve with age but there are people who play on perfectly OK old instruments. Maybe that's what you've got. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

By the way, older oboes often had more open holes. What does yours look like? Maybe you could post a photo...

It will be interesting to hear what your teacher makes of it. Have fun tomorrow. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)

Thanks for the info katica (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I haven't got the oboe yet, will get it tomorrow at lesson. It belongs, I think, to the music school so I'm assuming it's ok to get started on! Will let you know (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Arundodonuts]

Hi Louise. I'm another who's never heard of Buisson. Do you know how old the instrument is?

I was quite intrigued, so I went on an internet hunt - which I imagine you have already done.

I was a bit worried that you might have some awful Chinese oboe imitation, rather like those Chinese factory-made violins with Italian-sounding names. It's hard to find a decent resin oboe but for student models a decent resin can be better than a bad wooden one.

There's not much out there but I found this discussion over on the Oboe BBoard. This is a US-run discussion forum which quite often has some helpful discussions.

I also found this site (a clarinet site, you will note! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ), which I thought had some useful insights. They list Buisson as a "fake" French brand name.

Peter Hurd has an interesting website and gives some information of makes.

http://oboes.us/resources/stencil.html

He lists Buisson as a "stencil" name - i.e. one that is used by a supplier who doesn't make their own and suggested two makers in of Buissons, LeBret and Kohlert. It doesn't necessarily make them cheap and nasty (for example the Howarth B was made for them in Italy) but I think it's an old make (I've seen a few knocking around secondhand, mainly on Ebay). It will probably be an open hole instrument which is not the generally favoured type today but I play with a couple of oboists who use open hole instruments and make a nice sound. Providing it has been well maintained it could be decent enough.

[katica]

Peter Hurd has an interesting website and gives some information of makes.

http://oboes.us/resources/stencil.html

He lists Buisson as a "stencil" name - i.e. one that is used by a supplier who doesn't make their own and suggested two makers in of Buissons, LeBret and Kohlert. It doesn't necessarily make them cheap and nasty (for example the Howarth B was made for them in Italy) but I think it's an old make (I've seen a few knocking around secondhand, mainly on Ebay). It will probably be an open hole instrument which is not the generally favoured type today but I play with a couple of oboists who use open hole instruments and make a nice sound. Providing it has been well maintained it could be decent enough.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
That chimes with the site I cited.

Someone was wanting to sell their old Buisson clarinet and I found this knowledgeable-sounding comment on 8notes.com: "Your clarinet is what is known as a "stencil", that is, it was made to be sold only by the Dallas Company of London, and F. Buisson is the invented name of the manufacturer. It was actually made either by La Couture Company or by Kholert and Sohne, sometime in the early 1950's. It is likely to be a well made wooden instrument."

I have an idea that someone like Blackbird77 considered buying a Buisson a while back (when I was lurking on here and myself looking for a second-hand instrument) - but in the end found a Howarth. I think it might have been plastic, though.

The kids I know who have learned on an old open-holed instrument seem not to have developed the bad finger positions that I did because it was so much easier on a closed-hole Patricola. I've wondered whether you can make other kind of sounds with an open-holed oboe such as slides between notes, as you can on the recorder...

[Barry Toner]

I've got my first oboe lesson on Friday (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Good luck for today. We await the feedback with interest. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[louise1712]

Thanks, I'll keep you posted. I'm really looking forward to it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Arundodonuts]

I've wondered whether you can make other kind of sounds with an open-holed oboe such as slides between notes, as you can on the recorder...

I believe glissandi are easier on an open holed oboe. Not that I'll be needing them for a while.

[louise1712]

First lesson went well, learnt C,B,A and G, played a couple of tunes and finished with a duet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Only had twenty minutes as I had my clari lesson to get to immediately after so I'm very happy with what we covered. The oboe is a plastic Buisson student oboe, open-holed, looks to be quite old. Reeds, well, started on a soft one but have been given a medium one to practice on.

[barry-clari]

First lesson went well, learnt C,B,A and G, played a couple of tunes and finished with a duet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Only had twenty minutes as I had my clari lesson to get to immediately after so I'm very happy with what we covered. The oboe is a plastic Buisson student oboe, open-holed, looks to be quite old. Reeds, well, started on a soft one but have been given a medium one to practice on.

You can get many tunes from those four notes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Roseau]

First lesson went well, learnt C,B,A and G, played a couple of tunes and finished with a duet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Only had twenty minutes as I had my clari lesson to get to immediately after so I'm very happy with what we covered. The oboe is a plastic Buisson student oboe, open-holed, looks to be quite old. Reeds, well, started on a soft one but have been given a medium one to practice on.

Glad you enjoyed it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
20 minutes is probably long enough for a first lesson anyway as it takes time to develop the muscles necessary for the embouchure (which are not the same as those used for a clarinet).

[katica]

First lesson went well, learnt C,B,A and G, played a couple of tunes and finished with a duet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Only had twenty minutes as I had my clari lesson to get to immediately after so I'm very happy with what we covered. The oboe is a plastic Buisson student oboe, open-holed, looks to be quite old. Reeds, well, started on a soft one but have been given a medium one to practice on.

Good to hear. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)

What did the oboe feel/sound like to play on? What did your teacher say?

I agree with Roseau - twenty minutes is good going for a first lesson on the oboe! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Also good going to move onto a medium reed. If you can manage one without getting too tired or into bad habits (such as biting down on the reed) you'll probably end up get a nicer sound out of a medium reed than a soft one. But it's hard to generalise as everyone's different...

My teacher obviously doesn't know what to do with himself on Saturdays when he's not teaching down south... usually doesn't send or answer e-mails but got a message today to check mine as he has sent me some technical studies to work on. Prestini and Salviani. Anyone know these?

About to set up YouTube for a bit of salsa practice. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[louise1712]

Thanks for the support Roseau and katica (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The oboe sounded surprisingly ok, managed to keep the notes more or less in tune and teacher seemed pleased with what we'd done (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) It's a bog-standard student oboe, very light compared to my clari! Covering some of the holes is proving a problem, the third finger of my left hand was starting to go into cramp towards the end of the session but I suppose this will improve as I get used to the different hand position.

Started off on the soft reed today to get used to the embouchure again then moved onto the medium reed, again managed about twenty minutes before lips started to go, frustrating but I put it away. Went over the stuff we did yesterday (Learn as you play units 1-3) and did some long notes (tuning).

Really enjoying it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Roseau]

My teacher obviously doesn't know what to do with himself on Saturdays when he's not teaching down south... usually doesn't send or answer e-mails but got a message today to check mine as he has sent me some technical studies to work on. Prestini and Salviani. Anyone know these?

I have a copy of the Salviani which someone sent me. I've never played them to my teacher (he doesn't even know I own them) and it's a while since I played them but I seem to remember they were quite nice. They are "tuneful" studies but are often harder than they initially seem and some have some quite tricky rhthyms.

It's currently half-term here, so two weeks with no lesson (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) I am dutifully practising the "hard bits" in Morceau de Salon but feel I need a bit of teacher input and have been casting about for something else to play. I did think of learning a study with lots of detached notes to try and put into practice the advice in the BDRS article on tonguing but so far it is not very convincing and not musically satisfying so I have let myself be distracted by Britten's Arethusa. I am telling myself that it will enable me to work on long, flowing phrases but a niggling voice at the back of my head keeps telling me that if I take it into my teacher after the holidays he will say that I have chosen something I know I can already do reasonably well and that a study full of detached notes would have been more useful (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[Arundodonuts]

Prestini and Salviani. Anyone know these?

My teacher gave me several volumes of studies over Christmas to take a look at. I dismissed most as impossible but I have started on Salviani volume 2. These are scale studies and I'm using them at the moment to
1. speed up my scales
2. improve the even-ness of the scales
3. improve my tonguing
4. synchronise tonguing and fingering

There are actually 4 volumes of Salviani and I discovered they are all on IMSLP.