Sunday, December 26

Back to my (blog) roots!

I had lost this URL during a SNAFU with Google services – not their fault, nor even mine fully – so I started another one (having "hautboys" - with a y - in it) under the impression that I had lost this one. Luckily, I got this one back! Everything from the temporary one (and more) is here now.
The URL name is important to me because the nick-name Robin Des Hautbois has followed me since my high-school days: I considered it a sign of predestination! Robin des Bois is French for Robin Hood (Robin of the woods or Robin of Sherwood) and the spelling testifies that I remain with the modern instrument (the y was the spelling for the baroque/classical instrument).

The SNAFU is kind of funny, because I really do find the sound of the baroque instrument far superior to the modern instrument in a few ways:
  1. It is usually darker, deeper and mellower.
  2. Though it has less projection, it has a larger feeling to it. 
  3. It has a built-in echo quality that I compare to the deep honk of the Canada Goose, but without the honk! 
  4. It is best approximated by the modern oboe d’amore: I have wanted one since the age o f 15, when I first saw one in an encyclopaedia!
But at this point in life and looking forward, I don’t want to give up the ease offered by the most modern keywork and to learn a new set of fingerings (most of which are rapid forkings) could very well cause a relapse of tendonitis….. one of the reasons I had to quit so long ago. I still consider this state (non-musician) to be a purgatory. Besides, with Albrecht mayer’s recommendations to Ludwig Frank and the Dupin Imperial’s classical bore (played by Christoph Hartmann), the sound of the modern oboe is moving back to its origins while keeping its modern benefits!

Happy Holidays to all!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just to be sure, this is the correct link as of 12-26-10?

RobinDesHautbois said...

Yes, this is the one: the "i" for the modern
"i-nstrument"!
Cheers!

catialucas said...

hello
congratulations on your bolg ...
I am a catia and I'm starting the oboe in Portugal.
I wanted to ask for help if possible ....
I already have a method that is Rubank, but now I have asked for the PIERRE CRUCHON and actually I did not get a free download on the internet.
will I could help, or do you have and could give me?
I'm so sorry to bother you, but the true is expensive ... and now I can not buy.
thank you,
catia lucas

( my mail) catialucas23@hotmail.com

RobinDesHautbois said...

Have you played other instruments before? If not, then you are really starting music too: there is not much to say except that you have to work on scales and easy pieces just to learn this difficult, but wonderful instrument. Pierre Cruchon is an EXCELLENT beginning.

The most difficult thing will be getting good reeds. There are very good reed makers in Europe. I don't know about Portugal, but France has Roseau Chantant (http://www.le-roseau.ca). Weather (climate) changes how reeds play, so its best to get them from a maker close to home, or if you can find a good teacher who will help you with reeds and music sheets.

You can start playing by ear (songs and tunes you know) and memory: develop a sense of improvising (invention) and you could become like Gabriela Montero of Venezuela!

You can also use the computer: Muse-Score Editor is a free software for writing and playing music (http://musescore.org/en/screen-shots). You can use files from http://www.midiworld.com/handel.htm (look for other composers too). These are probably too difficult for a beginning student though.

Good luck and I really hope you will enjoy your new adventure with the oboe!

RobinDesHautbois said...

I hope Catia Lucas will get notification of this: on the Oboe BBoard, someone recently posted a Wiki Site with TONS (litterally thousands) of full scores and parts that are legally free to download and print. Here's the link to a search I did for "oboe": http://imslp.org/index.php?title=Special:Search&ns0=1&redirs=0&search=oboe&limit=500&offset=0

RobinDesHautbois said...

That is copy-paste the following in the address bar of your browser:
http://imslp.org/index.php?title=Special:Search&ns0=1&redirs=0&search=oboe&limit=500&offset=0