Without a doubt, the least known and least understood of all the Western World’s instruments, are the oboe and the bassoon. These instruments of ancient origins are indispensable and are respected components in today’s symphony orchestras and concert bands. Composers and arrangers write parts for the oboe and bassoon in most serious musical compositions.
Oboes and bassoons are members of the oboe family but more specifically, the “double reed” family. They use a double reed made out of cane separated by a very small opening. When the player blows air through the reeds they vibrate against each other, producing a sound or pitch in the instrument. This is in contrast to the single reed of the clarinet and saxophone.
Ancient Origins
The ancestral forerunner of the oboe was an instrument called a Shawm. It was a high pitched double reed instrument from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Introduced from the Near East in Approximately the 12th Century, it was used prolifically until the 17th Century. By the 16th Century a whole family of Shawms –Soprano through bass had been developed and appeared on the musical scene. These instruments served as the progenitors of modern day double reed instruments.
Oboe
In the 1650’s two French oboists, Jean Hotteterre and Michal Philidor, were credited with the modification of the Shawm and the further development of the oboe. The oboe was officially added to the French orchestras in the 1700’s. The characteristic nasal sound of the oboe is due to the double reed and construction of the instrument that has a conical bore in contrast to the cylindrical bore of the clarinet. The oboe is made in three sections: top joint, lower joint and bell. Fine oboes are usually made of grenadella wood. Student model oboes are usually made of plastic or resin to avoid cracking or splitting.
The modern oboe has a range of more than two and a half octaves. “The oboe is capable for the expression of poignant melodies or short expressive phases,” said Gordon Jacob in Orchestral Technique. “It is also capable of considerable agility and can take part in woodwind dialogues in which little phrases are tossed about.”
English Horn
The English horn is not English and not a horn in the usual sense of the word. It is unknown how it got its name. In actuality it is a lower pitched oboe sounding a fifth below the written note, for example, when a C is played it sounds like a F. It is a cousin to the oboe but is somewhat longer and it shares the same key work and fingering system. It has a conical bore and a pear shaped bell that produces a soft, somewhat melancholy sound. The English horn was accepted into orchestras, circa 1830. A modern day type of English horn was created by French maker, Henri Brod, in 1839. He called it an hautbois alto or a low oboe. It is essentially a solo instrument treated as such in many compositions. A prime example is the slow movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony.
Bassoon
This instrument is the bass of the double reed family. Its main function is to provide the lower notes of the woodwind group. The dynamic range (volume) is wide. The written lower notes are in the bass clef and higher notes are in the tenor clef. Vivaldi wrote many concertos for bassoon. Mozart and Weber also wrote a concerto for bassoon. Jacob reminds us, “The instrument, once called the clown of the orchestra is worthy of better labels.”
Double or Contra Bassoon
The contra bassoon is the very lowest sounding instrument of the double reed family. It sounds an octave below the bassoon. An older form of the contra bassoon was used by Handel in 1727. Later it was used by Haydn in The Creation and Beethoven in the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies.
A more modern version was developed by Heckel, circa 1880. Composers generally write parts that avoid extreme high or low notes because of poor tone quality on the instrument. Some notes on the contra bassoon are more “growly” and not pleasant to hear thus they are less frequently used.
A good contra bassoon can be almost prohibitive in cost. It is not uncommon to pay $50,000 and up. Consequently, you rarely see one in orchestras and bands that are not of professional status.
Even though the oboe and bassoon are considered the “odd couple” due to their different sounds, they are an important component to make the ensemble complete. These are not easy instruments to learn or play. The musician needs to have patience and self-discipline to master these instruments but they will always be in demand in orchestras and bands.
Mark your calendar for the Danville Community Band’s Annual Free Spring Concert, Sunday, June 8, 2014 at 3 p.m., Community Presbyterian Church in Danville. For information call 925-372-8420.
Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville
Community Band.
Leave a Reply