Old, OLD Loree.
Tuesday June 03 2008
Well, it finally arrived.
The instrument arrived today. I unwrapped it and immediately checked the serials. The top joint was marked O67, the bell marked A74, and the middle joint with no number at all.
That’s right. the bell is marked A74, as in the 74th oboe Loree ever made! Although the middle joint wasn’t marked, the unique staining and color along with the grain pattern leads me to believe that it is the same instrument as the bell. These joints definitely do not appear to be grenadilla, but rather palisander or some other rosewood. Meanwhile, I need to write to Loree to ask what year O67 might be. It seems to be grenadilla wood, and perhaps if the original A74 was made out of pallisander, it would have more easily cracked to pieces, and been replaced by the O67 topjoint.
What is perhaps most amazing is the fact that the instrument is not cracked, all of the keys move and work fine, and the joints even get some suction! I can play an entire scale on it! Talk about historical finds!
Darlene
Jun 5, 2008
can you post some pictures?
racheloboes
Jun 10, 2008
I second the request for pictures. I’d love to see some if you can get them.
oboerista
Jun 11, 2008
What a cool historical find! I have Engelbert Brenner’s Loree from the 50’s, and it is even different from the modern (current) instruments.
Let us know how she sounds once you make a reed for it & put it through it’s paces. Remember - it was designed with a French reed in mind - it pre-dates the “American School”!
David
Shirish Malhotra
Jun 28, 2008
hey that’s my oboe!!! You’ve named it, I see…
Jun 3, 2008
According to the following, O was c. 1900 and A is c. 1881.
http://www.musictrader.com/loree.html
that’s an oldboe.
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