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About Geoffrey Bridge
Expertise
Professional oboist with many years experience. Former pupil of Leon Goossens. Solo artist for Arts Council of Great Britain. Freelance recitalist/broadcasting/orchestras. Former Head of woodwind teaching in Hampshire, England. Questions on repertoire, playing styles, reeds, cane selection and processing.

Experience
Royal College of Music Licenciate of the Royal Academy of Music General Teaching Council certificate Broadcast solo recitals/performed with major symphony orchestras/Music Club recitals/writings on double reed matters

Organizations
Treasurer and Trustee of the British Double Reed Society International Double Reed Society Southern Pro Musica Orchestra/Aberdeen Sinfonietta

Publications
Double Reed News/Australasian Double Reed Society magazine

You are here: Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Musical Instruments > Oboe > Prestini oboe

Oboe - Prestini oboe

Expert: Geoffrey Bridge - 11/6/2009

Question
I have a Prestini oboe which I bought from an antique store several years ago. It has been professionally overhauled, and a professional oboist I am acquainted with said it was a full conservatory model, semi-professional level. I can't find any information on Prestini oboes on the Internet as far as quality / value / scarcity, etc. - can you help me?

Answer
Hi Shari

This does sound an interesting oboe. The Prestini company in Trento Italy, made oboes in the 1970's. I copy in this answer an article you may find of interest which explains the true origins. You may have already seen it. If so I apologise for giving it to you.
These instruments are very good indeed if they are in working order and they are scarce. This doesn't unfortunately mean they are very valuable!
You may find that it has a slightly different key system to the usual called the "Prestini system". This has a lever on the back to play the low B natural and will also most likely have both a left hand F and a left hand C# key duplicating the normal F & C# keys. This system is still used in Italy by some players today.

Here is the copy of part of the article about Prestini to which I referred earlier.

GIUSEPPE PRESTINI (1875-1955) who was the first Italian oboist to adopt the "Lorée type" oboe instead of the traditional Italian oboe which was used until the beginning of the twentieth century. First oboe in the orchestra of the "Maggio Musicale Fiorentino", he taught in Florence and Venice graduating many students. His was the idea of the oboe called "Prestini system", which is now used by all Italian oboists (it is a common oboe of the "conservatory type" with a second F key to the left little finger, second C sharp key also to the left little finger -- in place of B natural -- and B natural key to the left thumb). It is a system which makes it as easy as possible to play some passages which otherwise would be extremely difficult to perform. It is for this reason that I cannot understand why this system has not had abroad the success which it deserves. His teaching methods also deserve to be better known outside Italy. The following is a list thereof:

Daily Exercises (Ed. Bongiovanni, Bologna),
30 Exercises on Ornaments (Ed. Ricordi, Milan),
12 Studies on rhythmical difficulties in modern authors (Ed. Bongiovanni, Bologna),
Collection of Studies (Ed. Ricordi, Milan),
6 Great Capriccios (Ed. Fantuzzi, Milan),
Concerto for oboe and orchestra (Ed. Bongiovanni, Bologna),
History of Woodwinds.

He also founded the firm of the same name, maker of cane, reeds and accessories which, on his death, passed to his son SILVANO PRESTINI (himself an excellent oboist) who in the Seventies began to make also instruments.

End of quotation........

If you have any doubts about what you have let me see a few photos if you can and send them to: advertising@bdrs.org.uk

I hope this is of interest to you.

Best wishes

Geoffrey
British Double Reed Society

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