Oboe

General information:

An oboe is a woodwind with a cylindrical wooden body and a mouthpiece made from a double reed. First used at the court of Louis XIV,the oboe has remained identified as a French invention. In French, its name is "hautbois" (or principle wood), very appropriate since the contemporary woodwind section of the western orchestra was developed around this instrument.

Professional oboe players usually make their own reeds out of a piece of cane which they fold and fasten with a metal staple. The folded end is then cut off leaving two separate blades. These blades are scraped thin so that they will vibrate when you blow into them.

The ancestor of the Western oboe was another reed instrument called the "shalmey" or "shawm" which had finger-holes but no keys. In Europe from 14th through 17th centuries, shawms were played during festive and ceremonial events, especially during outside processions which were appropriate for the shawm's loud, buzzing sound. In part, the oboe was developed during the late 17th century to provide a quieter alternative to the shawm which would be more suitable for indoor concert music.

During the 18th century, many works were composed for solo oboe, including pieces by such renowned composers as J.S. Bach and G.P. Telemann. More recently, the importance of the oboe has been somewhat overshadowed by the introduction of the flute and clarinet to the orchestra, and by the emphasis on the violin and piano as solo instruments in the nineteenth century. However, it is still at the heart of the orchestral woodwinds, and is a dynamic instrument for both solo and ensemble performances.

Similar double reed instruments are found in Asian and Arabic countries. For example, a Japanese oboe called the hichiriki, operates on the same principle of a vibrating double reed. It is has a somewhat different shape, and is only about 18 cm. long, with finger-holes rather than keys. Historically, it was primarily associated with court music.

Of course, playing an oboe well requires considerable training and skill. You especially have to maintain careful control over your breathing. As Musician Eric Sampson writes, "In the hands of a trained professional, the oboe produces a hauntingly beautiful sound that seemingly floats above the rest of the orchestra. In the hands of an untrained amateur, it can summon romantically inclined geese!"


Hear the sound of an oboe in the AIFF format (5 sec., 199K)
or in the RealAudio format (84 sec., streaming)

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