Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Sound [ ] In comparison to other modern, the treble oboe is sometimes referred to as having a clear and penetrating voice. The Sprightly Companion, an instruction book published by in 1695, describes the oboe as 'Majestical and Stately, and not much Inferior to the Trumpet.' Humorously, the sound is described in the play as like 'that of a duck if the duck were a songbird'.

Herein Luciano Berio's 'Sequenza VII' for oboe is published in its revised version from 2000.

The rich is derived from its (as opposed to the generally of and ). As a result, oboes are readily audible over other instruments in large ensembles. The highest note is a semitone lower than the nominally highest note of the B ♭. Since the clarinet has a wider range, the lowest note of the B ♭ clarinet is significantly deeper (a major or minor sixth) than the lowest note of the oboe. Music for the standard oboe is written in concert pitch (i.e., it is not a ), and the instrument has a range, usually from B ♭ 3 to G 6. Orchestras tune to a played by the first oboe.

According to the League of American Orchestras, this is done because the pitch is secure and its penetrating sound makes it ideal for tuning. The pitch of the oboe is affected by the way in which the is made. The reed has a significant effect on the sound. Variations in cane and other construction materials, the age of the reed, and differences in scrape and length all affect the pitch. German and French reeds, for instance, differ in many ways, causing the sound to vary accordingly. Weather conditions such as temperature and humidity also affect the pitch.

Skilled oboists adjust their to compensate for these factors. Subtle manipulation of embouchure and air pressure allows the oboist to express timbre and dynamics. 's Gran Concerto for Oboe and Piano. Performed by, oboe and Lisa Bergman, piano. The oboe begins playing about one minute in.

Problems playing this file? History [ ] The regular oboe first appeared in the mid-17th century, when it was called a hautbois. This name was also used for its predecessor, the, from which the basic form of the hautbois was derived. Major differences between the two instruments include the division of the hautbois into three sections, or joints (which allowed for more precise manufacture), and the elimination of the, the wooden ledge below the reed which allowed players to rest their lips. The exact date and place of origin of the hautbois are obscure, as are the individuals who were responsible. Circumstantial evidence, such as the statement by the flautist composer in his Memoire, points to members of the (Filidor) and families. The instrument may in fact have had multiple inventors.

The hautbois quickly spread throughout Europe, including Great Britain, where it was called 'hautboy', 'hoboy', 'hautboit', 'howboye', and similar variants of the French name. It was the main melody instrument in early military bands, until it was succeeded by the. The standard Baroque oboe is generally made of and has three: a 'great' key and two side keys (the side key is often doubled to facilitate use of either the right or left hand on the bottom holes). In order to produce higher pitches, the player has to 'overblow', or increase the air stream to reach the next harmonic.

Notable oboe-makers of the period are the Germans and J.H. Eichentopf, and the English Thomas Stanesby (died 1734) and his son Thomas Jr (died 1754). The range for the Baroque oboe comfortably extends from. With the resurgence of interest in in the mid 20th century, a few makers began producing copies to specifications taken from surviving historical instruments. Classical oboe, copy by Sand Dalton of an original by Johann Friedrich Floth, c.

1805 Classical [ ] The period brought a regular oboe whose bore was gradually narrowed, and the instrument became outfitted with several keys, among them were those for the notes D ♯, F, and G ♯. A key similar to the modern octave key was also added called the 'slur key', though it was at first used more like the 'flick' keys on the modern German. [ ] Only later did French instrument makers redesign the octave key to be used in the manner of the modern key (i.e. Held open for the upper register, closed for the lower). The narrower bore allows the higher notes to be more easily played, and composers began to more often utilize the oboe's upper register in their works.

Because of this, the oboe's in the Classical era was somewhat broader than that found in Baroque works. The range for the Classical oboe extends from C 4 to F 6 (using the system), though some German and Austrian oboes are capable of playing one half-step lower.

Classical-era composers who wrote concertos for oboe include (both the solo concerto in C major K. 314/285d and the lost original of Sinfonia Concertante in E ♭ major K. 297b, as well as a fragment of F major concerto K. 417f),, (both the Sinfonia Concertante in B ♭ Hob.

I:105 and the spurious concerto in C major Hob. VIIg:C1), (the F major concerto, Hess 12, of which only sketches survive, though the second movement was reconstructed in the late 20th century), and numerous other composers including,,, and. Many solos exist for the regular oboe in chamber, symphonic, and operatic compositions from the Classical era.

Viennese or Wiener oboe [ ]. The members of the oboe family from top:,,,, regular oboe, and The standard oboe has several siblings of various sizes and playing ranges. The most widely known and used today is the cor anglais, or English horn, the tenor (or alto) member of the family. A; it is pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe. The oboe d'amore, the alto (or mezzo-soprano) member of the family, is pitched in A, a minor third lower than the oboe.

Made extensive use of both the oboe d'amore as well as the taille and, Baroque antecedents of the cor anglais. Even less common is the bass oboe (also called baritone oboe), which sounds one octave lower than the oboe. And both scored for the instrument. Similar to the bass oboe is the more powerful, which has a wider bore and larger tone than the baritone oboe. Only 165 heckelphones have ever been made.

Not surprisingly, competent heckelphone players are difficult to find due to the extreme rarity of this particular instrument. The least common of all are the musette (also called oboe musette or piccolo oboe), the sopranino member of the family (it is usually pitched in E ♭ or F above the oboe), and the (typically pitched in C, two octaves deeper than the standard oboe). Folk versions of the oboe, sometimes equipped with extensive keywork, are found throughout Europe.

These include the musette (France) and the and (), the and (Italy), and the (also spelled ) (Spain). Many of these are played in tandem with local forms of, particularly with the Italian or Breton. Similar oboe-like instruments, most believed to derive from Middle Eastern models, are also found throughout Asia as well as in North Africa. An oboe reed Most professional oboists make their reeds to suit his or her individual needs. By making their reeds, oboists can precisely control factors such as tone color, intonation, and responsiveness.

Occasionally, novice oboists may begin with a Fibrecane reed, which is made of a synthetic material. Commercially available cane reeds are available in several degrees of hardness; a medium reed is very popular, and most beginners use medium-soft reeds. These reeds, like clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon reeds, are made from. As oboists gain more experience, they may start making their own reeds after the model of their teacher or buying handmade reeds (usually from a professional oboist) and using special tools including gougers, pre-gougers, guillotines, knives, and other tools to make the reed to their liking. According to the late, former principal oboist of the, an oboe student must fill a laundry basket with finished reeds in order to master the art.

'Making good reeds requires years of practice, and the amateur is often well advised not to embark on making his own reeds. Orchestral musicians sometimes do this [make reeds], and co-principals in particular often earn a bit on the side in this way. Many professional musicians import their reed cane. Directly from the growers in southern France and split it vertically into three parts themselves. Oboes require thicknesses of about 10 millimeters.'

[ ] This allows each oboist to adjust the reeds precisely for individual embouchure, oral cavity, oboe angle, and air support. The reed is considered the part of oboe playing that makes it so difficult because slight variations in temperature, altitude, weather, and climate will change a perfectly working reed into an unplayable collection of cane. Notable classical works featuring the oboe [ ]. Vienna Symphonic Library.

Retrieved 9 September 2012. • Marcuse 1975, 371.

• Kushner 1993, 167: 'The oboe: official instrument of the International Order of Travel Agents. If the duck was a songbird it would sing like this. Nasal, desolate, the call of migratory things.' • • Thomas, Julia..

Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved October 20, 2014.

• American League of Orchestras, (accessed January 1, 2009). • Burgess & Haynes 2004, 27 • Burgess & Haynes 2004, 28 ff • Carse 1965, 120. • Burgess & Haynes 2004, 102. • Burgess & Haynes 2004, 212.

Guntram Wolf. Retrieved 27 November 2012. • Howe and Hurd 2004. • Joppig 1988, 208–209.

• Masterclass by John Mack, Aspen Music Festival and School, 2004 • • 2009-01-02 at the. Dave Wild • Encyclopaedia Metallum • Hoboe.com • Allmusic.com • • • References [ ] • Baines, Anthony: 1967, Woodwind Instruments and Their History, third edition, with a foreword by Sir Adrian Boult. London: Faber and Faber. • Beckett, Morgan Hughes: 2008, 'The Sensuous Oboe'. Orange, CA: Scuffin University Press.. • Burgess, Geoffrey, and Bruce Haynes: 2004, The Oboe.

The Yale Musical Instrument Series. New Haven, Connecticut and London: Yale University Press.. Channel Play Out Software Download there. • Carse, Adam: 1965, Musical Wind Instruments: A History of the Wind Instruments Used in European Orchestras and Wind-Bands from the Later Middle Ages up to the Present Time New York: Da Capo Press.. • Gioielli, Mauro: 1999. 'La 'calamaula' di Eutichiano'.

Utriculus 8, no. 4 (32) (October–December): 44–45.

• Harris-Warrick, Rebecca: 1990, 'A Few Thoughts on Lully's hautbois' Early Music 18, no. 1 (February, 'The Baroque Stage II'): 97-98+101-102+105-106. • Haynes, Bruce: 1985, Music for Oboe, 1650-1800: A Bibliography. Fallen Leaf Reference Books in Music, 8755-268X; no. Berkeley, California: Fallen Leaf Press..

• Haynes, Bruce: 1988, 'Lully and the Rise of the Oboe as Seen in Works of Art'. Early Music 16, no.

3 (August): 324–38. • Haynes, Bruce: 2001, The Eloquent Oboe: A History of the Hautboy 1640–1760. Oxford Early Music Series. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press..

• Howe, Robert: 2003, 'The Boehm System Oboe and its Role in the Development of the Modern Oboe'. Galpin Society Journal 56:27–60 +plates on 190–92. • Howe, Robert, and Peter Hurd: 2004, 'The Heckelphone at 100'.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society 30:98–165. • Joppig, Gunther: 1988.

The Oboe and the Bassoon, translated by Alfred Clayton. Portland: Amadeus Press.. • Kushner, Tony: 1993. Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, single-volume edition.

New York: Theatre Communications Group.. • Marcuse, Sybil: 1975, Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Dictionary Revised edition, The Norton Library, New York: W. External links [ ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to.

• bibliography of literature for oboe written between 1650 and 1800. • Student, intermediate & professional oboes explained. • ( link, was ) • NPR story by Debbie Elliott • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Cambridge University Press. • of clips of dozens of prominent oboists in the United States, Europe, and Australia • from the Woodwind Fingering Guide • for Android devices •.