Oboe

General info:

The oboe is a double reed woodwind musical instrument. The most commonly used variant, the standard oboe, plays in the treble or soprano range. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed and vibrating a column of air. The distinctive oboe tone is versatile, and has been described as "bright". An oboe player is known as an oboist.

History:

Medieval and Renaissance oboes

The predecessor of the oboe is a medieval and Renaissance musical instrument of the woodwind family, called the shawm. Its form is somewhat similar to the oboe, but it had the pirouette, a small cylindrical piece of wood with a hole in the middle, which was placed over the reed as a support for the lips and embouchure. But the pirouette obscured parts of the reed, and the limited contacted restricted the control and dynamics of the instrument.

Baroque oboes

The regular oboe first appeared in the mid-17th century, when it was called hautbois. Major differences between the oboe and shawm included the division of the oboe into three sections, or joints (which allowed for more precise manufacture), and the elimination of the pirouette. However, the exact date, place of origin and the individuals responsible for the invention of the Baroque oboe remains obscure. In any case, the oboe quickly spread throughout Europe. It was the main melody instrument in early military bands, until it was succeeded by the clarinet. In order to produce higher pitches, the player had to "overblow", or increase the air stream to reach the next harmonic. The range for the baroque oboe extends from C4 to D6.

Classical oboes

The classical oboe had narrower bores and several more keys, among them were those for the notes D♯, F, and G♯. A key similar to the modern octave key was also added. French instrument makers redesigned 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 allowed the higher notes to be more easily played (The range for the Classical oboe extended from C4 to F6), and composers began to more often utilize the oboe's upper register in their works. Many solos exist for the regular oboe in chamber, symphonic, and operatic compositions from the Classical era.

Romantic oboes

In the 1880s, the Wiener oboe was developed by Josef Hajek. It retained the essential bore and tonal characteristics of the historical oboe. The Akademiemodel Wiener Oboe, first developed in the late 19th century, is now made by several makers such as André Constantinides, Karl Rado, Guntram Wolf, Christian Rauch and Yamaha. It has a wider internal bore, a shorter and broader reed and a new fingering-system.

Present-day oboes

The Wiener oboe was developed further in the 19th century by the Triebert family of Paris. Using the Boehm flute as a source of ideas for key work, Guillaume Triebert and his sons, Charles and Frederic, created a series of increasingly complex key systems. F. Lorée of Paris made further developments to the modern instrument. The 20th century saw minor changes to the bore and keywork, although the oboe retained its general characterisitics. Today, the modern oboe is usually made of granadilla, with nickel silver keys plated with silver or gold. It has an extremely narrow bore and is played with a double reed.

Range:

The commonly accepted range for the oboe extends from B♭3 to about G6, over two and a half octaves, though its common tessitura lies from C4 to E♭6. Some student oboes only extend down to B3 (the key for B♭ is not present). However this variant is becoming less common.

Role:

The key role of the oboe is that it usually carries the melody with its lyrical and mournful color, often heard as the solo instrument in the most emotional sections of music. In addition, orchestras and concert bands frequently tune to a concert A played by the oboe. because it possesses a secure pitch and penetrating sound.

Foreign names:

Oboe ---- German

Hautbois ---- French

Oboe ---- Italian

Famous pieces: