Wien, 26 October 1977

Dear Art,

In addition to what I told of the history of the Vienna oboe I looked now at home for a little paper, with some more details from Hadamowsky, which he told me in 1973:

Golde was a famous instrument maker, although he and his son had a small shop in Dresden.  His instruments were used much in all Germany.  His tradition was broken, when the son shooted himself to death after his father had died.

Baumgärtel came to Vienna in 1880 (also his father had been an oboe player).  Here played this time the two oboe players Jandorek and Zink (both from Prag with instruments from there), who were not this good as Baumgärtel.  So the Goldeoboe became famous in Vienna, but the instrument was too sharp.  Together with the  instrumentmaker Hayek an oboe was constructed by enlarging the measurements of the Golde instrument.  The Goldeinstrument has steps, the oboes used before in Vienna had not.  The instrument which Baumgärtel brought with him later was owned by Franz Kodäschka, now it is in the instruments collection of the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" in Vienna.

So far Hadamowsky. Baumgärtel was teacher of Alexander Wunderer and Kamesch, Wunderer was teacher of Hadamowsky.  Kamesch and Hadamowsky were my teachers, also those of Manfred Kautzky, who is now teaching in the "Hochschule".  Now, this perhaps is the tradition, not so long as someone may think.

In 1974 Paul [Hailperin] and I had a visit to the museum and Paul measured roughly several instruments while I played the Golde original.  That was an easy job with usual Viennese reads.  Pitch at about 890 Hertz, when the "Stimmzug" was drawn out a little, which made the high register better.  If not even sharper.  The D in first and second register were sounding not very well, perhaps because the key did not open well.

The step between upper and lower joint is not existing!  But on the two instruments of Koch and Uhlmann (first half of the century, Viennese makers) there are those steps.  Just opposite to Hadamowsky's thoughts.  Koch died 1828, Uhlmann 1838 and Golde 1873.

That is all about Vienna oboe I know.  It makes my speaking on your tape a little rounder. - I hope you had success in Ossiach.  It is a beautiful area, you both could enjoy it, I think.

Best regards to Virginia and you
[signed] Jürg Schaeftlein