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This group of woodwind instruments is unified by the pair of reeds that create the instruments’ sound as air is blown between them. |
THE INSTRUMENTS
The four double-reed instruments
are the oboe, English horn,
bassoon and contrabassoon. They
have, as a group, a distinctive
sound, often described as nasal.
The
oboe first appeared in the
mid-17th century and continued
to evolve until the late 19th century,
at which point the design
and construction of the modern
oboe were fully established.
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English horn (l) oboe (r) |
While the oboe is the soprano
member of the double-reed family, the
English horn (or
cor Anglais) is the tenor
member, sounding a perfect fifth below
the oboe. Its bulbous bell gives it a tone
that is typically described as more mellow
and plaintive than that of the oboe, closer
in tonal quality to the
oboe d’amore, an early member of the family. It is typically scored only when its unusual tone quality is desired.
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contrabassoon (l) bassoon (r) |
The
bassoon plays the
role of the bass-baritone
member of the double-reed
family. It has been produced
in its modern form since the
early 19th century, but increasing
demands on capabilities
of instruments and
players in the 19th century—
particularly larger
concert halls requiring
greater volume—and the
rise of virtuoso composer-performers
spurred further
refinement.
The low-pitched
contrabassoon is probably
scored so rarely in band music because
few musicians—other than those who regularly
play the contrabassoon in symphony
orchestras—have access to them.