Oboe

To be able to play high, you must be excellent at everything else. It doesn't add up.

But it does. You'd understand it if you played. To be able to play the full range requires a high level of off-the-bat skill.

The fact still stands that you don't really want the oboe played higher than that high F. A good comparison would be trumpet players. A trumpet CAN go as high as it wants, but it starts losing practicality around high E's, at least in the classical world. Jazz is a whole different story, but I'm not gonna go there. I agree that a discussion of range is the way to go, just setting a range is misleading
On another note, I knew of an professional oboe player who was teaching his students about hitting triple high G's. He literally had his students bite the reed to get the notes out. Dogs all around the world went deaf.

I can't imagine that having any musical value - surely it was used as a teaching method, teaching certain awarenesses and the like and possibly a more stable embourchure?

Originally Posted by oboeducky

On the oboe, range *IS* an indicator of talent, and a major one at that. I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

You don't have to be all cocky about it. I don't think it is as much. I feel its more your ability to make the instrument sound good, and playing correctly.