I just read this:

In the first half of the evening, he limited his appearences to three short arias from Rodelinda, and Serse sharing the programme with the excellent Gabrieli Players, whose oboist Katharina Spreckelsen amazed one, playing a Concerto Grosso on a ventilless, wooden instrument, with circularly breathing virtuosity and superb phrasing.

I don’t understand … what is a “ventiless” instrument? I’m going to guess I’m just clueless. That seems to happen a lot these days! (I didn’t even know “ventiless” was a word … or does the writer mean “ventless”? But how can an instrument be ventless? Or maybe the writer means the instrument has no keys? Can that be called “ventless” … or “ventiless”?

I read it here, so maybe the writer will even see this and fill me in.