Alexei Ogrintchouk plays on a Marigaux oboe. I met him in January and it was definitely the case then. I believe it was the model 2001, with standard Conservatoire system keyworks. Players in other parts of Europe don't use the thumbplate system (the thumplate is common only in Commonwealth countries, excluding Canada and Asia).

Some French (or French trained players) nowadays use Marigaux. Examples being Alexei Ogrintchouk, Francois Leleux and David Walter. Maurice Bourgue and Jacques Tys both use Rigoutat.

Yes, circular breathing on the oboe is incredibly difficult. This is partly because of the amount of 'push' required to get the air through such a tiny gap AND the fact that the oboe is unique in that one needs to exhale the stale air completely before breathing in again. I can't imagine how strong the facial and lip muslces would need to be to keep everything working in a circular fashion on the oboe.

I've tried it, but never mastered it. I just can't get enough pressure behind the air with my cheek muscles alone. It also nearly keeled over with the CO2 build-up

My first oboe was made of ebonite (ie plastic) and it did have a full Gillet system with all the trill keys. It didn't have a brand name on it and came from Germany. My teacher was very impressed with it and thought it was the best value for money student oboe he had ever tried and it did have a very satisfactory sound when he played it.

That said, last year I upgraded to a wooden Marigaux and I much prefer it. It does have a nicer tone but possibly the major advantage is that it is easier to play. As Andrew pointed out this is more to do with the care put into manufacturing it; all the notes are perfectly in tune with each other, the action of the keys is smoother and it requires marginally less breath pressure. (Even the last point is, I think, more to do with the fact that the bore has been better made than with the fact that it is wooden).

The first time I played my new oboe after my plastic one, I was amazed. The tone difference is immense. ahh Never played a rubber one.

AAAAAARGH! I wish there were oboist's stamina pills out there...I could really do with some tomorrow afternoon. Faure is doing me in!! (but it is lovely)

*feels much better having got it off her chest*

Many thanks for that information Wai Kit Leung I see that you have impressive oboe qualifications - are you a professional oboist?

Hello piano63, I was an amateur and I stopped playing the day after my FRSM exam. Still enjoying going to masterclasses and concerts though.

Nothing to do with the previous topics.

I had my oboe serviced by Howarth and picked it up on Tuesday (at the same time as AUK was trying his Lorees). They did various things to the keys (not really sure what but the metal as opposed to the pads) and the difference is amazing. The mechanism is so much smoother and awkward slurs and fast passages in the pieces I am playing are no longer a problem. I feel like I've upgraded to a better instrument at a fraction of the price

That's good.

Having the mech serviced on a flute is also a delight

The rods and keys often get slightly bent out of alignment, even during normal playing. During a service the instrument is completely stripped down, they check for anything that doesn't appear to be straight and make the appropriate adjustments.

Final adjustments, after the instrument is put back together again, includes twiddling some of those numerous adjusting screws to get the tuning and distances exactly spot on.

Oboe servicing is not cheap, but as we all well know, there's a lot more keywork on an oboe than there is on a flute or clarinet......

*Looks at clari and oboe* They both appear to have roughly the same amount of keywork, though there are more linkages on the oboe!

I need to practise the oboe. I sound like a duck with severe tuning difficulties!

If you have a full Gillet system oboe with thumbplate, then there are considerably more keys and rods on there than a clarinet. The keywork of the oboe is more intricate too, which also makes them more tricky to adjuct correctly. Combine all this together and you've got what makes them so expensive to buy in the first place.

I'm not entirely sure what I've got, except that it has a thumbplate! I found it gathering dust at school, pretending to be a clarinet.

Very likely it's just an English thumbplate system.

The Oboe I used to play(a student model) had very few keys compaired to the one I use now.

Look at an Proffetional Oboe close up. It has a lot of keys.

They also fitted "oversize top and bottom joints" and swedged a couple of things.

Sounds like Howarths did a good job Kerri, I am glad it feels like a whole new instrument...

I am still so dissapointed you didnt give me a prod in the ribs and say hello...it would have been lovely to meet you properly and have a chat...I lived in the coffee shop next door most of the day we could have had a good chin wag and talked about CAROLPIANO to our hearts content... (she's actually very nice, a real sweetie) but I love to tease her...

Ok, the Ornamental oboe will be canceled from Sheetmusicuk.co.uk hopefuly.





If that goes well, My mum is going to check if the Musicroom one is in stock.(if it isn't then I'm in big trouble for pieces to play), and if it isn't, then Juneemerson.

I would second what someone else said and try Howarth. I have just looked on their website and they have Ornamental oboe. Their service is excellent. I buy all my new oboe sheet music from them. I order it on the website and it arrives to France in less than a week. Their postage charges are very reasonable too.

I've just aquired a John packer 181 oboe and its awfully noisy! Does anyone else play one?

I haven't tried (or heard) one but have you tried using a different reed in it? When I changed oboes my favourite reeds didn't suit my new oboe.

On a different tack...rejoice with me!
I played Gabriel's Oboe and a piece by Faure on Saturday at an informal concert and it all went really well!!!
I managed to get through the Faure (which was a real test of my stamina) and Gabriel's Oboe went well... everyone seemed to enjoy it and want us to do it again...
I had a lot of complementary comments about my playing, which was nice, as I can't help wondering what everyone thinks about this crazy woman who tries to play the oboe.
I was really pleased...and so was the organist who accompanied me and played some of her own pieces as well.

I suppose different Oboes are best with different reeds. I didn't have a problem when got one from a different trust.







I deleted the stupid video that I uploaded about month ago, and uploaded two new ones instead



Romance and Hurmoresque from two fantasy pieces by nielsen



OK, some of the notes are wrong in the Humoresque, but it's only been played randomly...





The ****** camera won't pick up any dinamics that I make.It did on some video's, but not on this. Maybe I'm too close to the camera? It's the only place in my room I can record without the light affecting the picture too much.

Well done Itchy...I am so pleased for you...the Faure is lovely and Gabriels Oboe is always lovely to hear..

I am sure the audience enjoyed your performance, and I am sure the compliments were well deserved...

Kudos to you

Andrew

Oops. Only just notices Itchy's post...



Glad it went well!

It was really good and has really given my confidence a boost...now they'll want us to do it again!!
Thanks for all the support Andrew.

Very well done itchy1, that is marvellous!

Glad it went well Itchy

Well done Itchy! Hope this gives your confidence a big boost.

Anyone planning to watch Nicholas Daniel play at the proms on friday night? I'm just wondering if it will be on BBC2 or BBC4 as I don't have sky, or if it will be online afterwards as i'm out.

Confidence boosts are always welcome eh?

I'll be watching...though not sure which channel it will be on...it should be an interesting work

What's he playing?

I believe its a work by Thea Musgrave so very modern...definitely worth a listen...Nick Daniels is an excellent Oboist

No, I mean the keywork is noisy. I took the bottom half apart and replaced alot of the corks with felt and this made a little bit of a difference. I am missing my old rudal carte oboe which made much nicer sounds than either this brand new john packer one or my also brand new Buffet one. Bit disappointing really. I gave it to my sister to learn though.
The John packer 181 seemed to have a good review from a professional oboist on the site though when I checked it out. There are a few design faults I reckon. The cork pads for a start. Even though they will last much longer than regular skin ones, they are much noisier. Some of the rods are to short as well, which means there is some rattling going on which I hate. Its a pitty that they have sacrificed good workman ship for the sake of having what seems to be a semi automatic key system. Just as well I wasnt the one who payed £600 for it. Although, it does have a very nice french style case!

Sorry for misunderstanding


Have you checked that all the silencing corks are there? (I'm not sure that this is the right term in English, I mean those little bits of cork that stop one bit of metal mechanism directly touching another bit of metal). On my first oboe these kept falling off all the time and it does make an irritating noise if they are missing. (My teacher keeps a rubber in his oboe case which he cuts slithers off in an emergency).


I thought there were usually quite a few cork pads on the oboe? (Have to get mine out and have a look later).


What do you mean by semi-automatic system? It is usually used to mean that the first octave key closes automatically when you press the second octave key and is standard on most oboes.

I've just checked on the website and by the looks of things it'll only be on radio 3

Yeah i've just noticed that, i'm gutted as I was looking forward to that!! Will have to listen to it on radio 3 tomorrow instead!!

Did anyone listen to Nicholas Daniel and Evelyn Glennie last night?? What did you think?
I really enjoyed it, but I think it's a piece that needs to be seen as well as heard.
I loved the interchange between the percussion, oboe and orchestra, but I wish I could have seen it!

Ok. I have looked at it some more and it has:
dual conservatoire keywork system
Semi-Automatic Octaves
2 C-D Trill Keys
C-C# Trill Key
Forked F vent
Low B-C Link
Extra trill mechanisms (Ab-Bb, Ab-A)
"Banana Key" - low C-C# trill
Low Bb vent

Semi-automatic octave system is the most commonly found. In the old days (Leon Goossens) there was the simple octave system, where the first octave key doesn't close when you press the second octave key. There is also the full automatic octave system, where you don't have the second octave key at all. You just use the first octave key for both first and second octave notes.

Mine doesn't have any automatic octaves... But at least I'm used to mucking around up there from the throat keys on clarinet!

I did and I enjoyed it as well, but I agree. I wish I could have seen it too as I think that's an important part of the piece.

My first Oboe was a simple octave system (I think a lot of student models are), so I'm used to it too.

I have to go to school on the 7th for Instrumental workshop for year 7s...

I have to play a piece, and tell the new year 7s what the oboe is about.





It sounds much better than the workshop I went to when I was a new year 7

You do workshops? We have never done anything like that. Could be an idea I guess... I would love to just walk into an assembly and play a piece though!

Well, it's a music specialist school



Also the workshop's become better because of the status I guss...

Ah, fair enough

Come to think of it, we'd struggle to get people who knew their instruments at our school.. Clarinet, Sax, maybe violin/piano, but thats it!

Definitely needed to be watched on TV, why oh why aren't BBC showing this prom???? The Oboe sounded fantastic!!! gutted!