The oboe is a double-reed woodwind instrument, has slender, narrow, conical body. The distinguishing features of the oboe is the mouthpiece: two flattened blades of bamboo that produces a “squeaky” sound by vibrating against each other. The oboe didn’t always look and sound that, it went through centuries of change.
Early images of the oboe begin with Ancient Egypt (3000 B.C), it showed a feast of in honor of the dead. The instrument was made out of barley straws and did not have finger keys or any kind of mechanism. The length of the straw would vary which would create different pitches. Three straws were excavated around the twentieth century, it said that one straw was pitched in the treble range, tenor, bass. In 1922-34, archaeologists
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In keeping with Renaissance custom, the bombarde family consisted of instruments of every pitch, from the treble shawm (third octave above middle C) to the great bass shawm (contraoctave). The treble shawm was the oldest member of the bombarde family, and, like all bombardes, had a wind-cap which was taken into the mouth for blowing. The double-reed was inside this wind-cap and was not touched by the musician who consequently had no possibility of influencing the sound, which was relatively static. All shawms have several vent holes and the bell. This section of the instrument is very long and contributes to the tone and carrying power of the instrument. A large fontanelle protects the key mechanism of the lowest note(s), and the crenellated metal band often found wrapped around the bell not only helps protect the instrument but also helps make the shawm a sturdy weapon for settling disputes among town …show more content…
The hautboy is made out of boxwood and had three parts: head, middle, and bell. The tube, which was made of boxwood and on the shawm had been a single piece, now consisted of three parts, the upper and lower joints and the bell. In addition, three keys were added (although these were reduced to two a short time later). The bell was bordered by a tightening rim.
These innovations originated in France and were probably due in no small measure to the instrument-making families of Hotteterre (the name had been a byword for innovative instrument-making since the 16th century) and Philidor. Like all baroque woodwinds, the hautboy’s timbre differed throughout its range because intermediate notes which were played with cross-fingerings sounded more veiled.
Around the late 17th century, the oboe was accepted into the orchestra. In 1657, it said that Jean Baptiste Lully, court composer to the King Louis XIV (“Sun King”), used the oboe in his ballet L’Amour Malade. From that point on, the Baroque oboe or hautboy thrived and up to thirty oboist were involved in the Grande Ecurie, the French Court Orchestra. .
Overtime, the hautboy started to gain popularity in France and all over Europe. The baroque oboe was used in almost occasion from military, chamber music to opera, sacred music, and