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The
Oboe
Oboe-like instruments existed already in the ancient
world (early versions were found in Egyptian
tombs)., and in the 8th century, it was brought to Europe;
but the oboe as we know it only appeared in the 17th century, and it was
the first wind instrument to be introduced into the
classical
orchestra.
The oboe has a double reed, characterizing
all oboes, as opposed to the clarinet, which has a single reed.
The system of leverages and covers was adapted to the
oboe by Theobals Bohm in the 19th century,
thus making it more comfortable.
The oboe is known for its precise
notes - before a concert, different players are known to tune their instruments
according to the oboe.
In the past, an unlimited number of oboists was used
in the orchestra, however nowadays it is customary to use only 2-3.
In 1777, Mozart
wrote an oboe concerto in C major,
that was lost. Telemann
composed the Oboe Concerto in D minor
and Cimarosa
wrote the concerto for oboe and orchestra in G minor,
among the gentle works of baroque
period; Tchaikovsky
opens the "Swan Lake" ballet
music
with the oboe, and Prokofiev
deployed the oboe to describe the character of the duck in "Peter
and the Wolf".
English Horn (cor anglais)
The English horn is a kind of big
tenor oboe,
lower than the oboe in a perfect fifth. The
constricted bell opening gives the tone a hollow sound. It is not a regular
participant in orchestra, and when required, the oboist plays it. The source
of its name is apparently a mispronunciation of the French word Angle,
meaning "angular", since the instrument used to be rounded, and
it was only in the Classic
period when it "straightened-out".
Used rarely before the 19th-century Romantics but often thereafter in the
orchestra,
but still rarely in chamber music.
Dvorak,
in his 9th symphony ("From the New World"),
uses the English horn in the second movement (Largo),
and so does Rossini
in one of his most beautiful sections in the
"Wilhelm Tell"
overture.
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Composers
Mozart
Tchaikovsky
Prokofiev
English Horn
Dvorák
Rossini
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