A Preliminary Survey of the Oboe in India

Abstract

he oboe2 is widely disseminated throughout India and occurs in many forms, conical or cylindrical, with or without a pirouette, with seven to twelve holes, and with significant variation in size. The variety of contexts in which the instrument is found suggests considerable antiquity for its use. There is, however, a great deal of evidence to support the view that it was introduced into India by the Muslims, probably not much more than six hundred years ago. In North India and Pakistan the instrument is generally called shahna7 (sanal, shenai, sonai, etc.), but it is also known as sumay or surna, mohorn or mahur7 (in Orissa), pipahl (in Bihar), pipori (in Gujarat), and so on. In South India it is usually known as nagasvara(m) (nagasura, nagasara, nadasvara), while the smaller version with its rather obvious name, mukhavln. (lit. mouth vina), has largely been replaced by the Western clarinet. In their most extreme forms there is very little resemblance between the shahna7 and the nagasvara (see P1. 1). Besides the obvious difference in size and shape, the shahna7 is generally fashioned from one piece of wood, whereas the nagasvara has a separate, detachable bell. In spite of its cylindrical outward appearance, the shahnai has a conical bore like the nagasvara. The shahna7 has a pirouette and thus requires a blowing technique different from that of the nagasvara. The shahnaT has seven finger holes and one thumb hole, whereas the nagasvara has twelve holes-eight in front and two on each side. Between these two extremes there are a great number of oboe-type instruments in India, many having brass bells and brass sections below the mouthpiece. For instance, a nagasvara type was found in Hubli, Mysore State, which clearly has a pirouette, while a more sophisticated shahna' without a pirouette is used in North Indian classical music.3 In the orchestra of the Kota tribe in the Nilgiri Hills, South India, an instrument similar to the shahnai is used, while in Orissa some mohonTs in many ways resemble more closely the nagasvara, having a detachable bell and being somewhat larger than the common shahna 7. This indicates that the shahna 7 and the nagasvara types are not exclusively confined to North and South India, respectively.