Baritone oboe
The baritone oboe or bass oboe is a double reed instrument in the woodwind family . It is about twice the size of a normal oboe and sounds an octave lower, i.e. in the tenor register. It has a deep, full sound and has similarities with the higher pitched English horn . It is notated transposing in the treble clef, the sound is an octave lower than the notation. The lowest note is an H 2 , B 2 or A 2 . The mouthpiece bow (called S-bow ) first leads away from the instrument and only then leads to the player. So it's like a question mark - not like the English horn.
history
The early baritone oboe is more like a bassoon . The French François Lorée designed the shape that is known today in 1889. While Frederick Delius was in Paris (late 19th century), the instrument became better known. When Delius returned to England , some English composers became interested in the baritone oboe. Another instrument, the Heckelphone , which also belongs in this register, caused some confusion . It was developed by the bassoon manufacturer Wilhelm Heckel around 1904, has wider bores and therefore has a more powerful sound than the baritone oboe, which is more similar in sound to the English horn.
In English compositions of this time it is not always clear which instrument is meant when the composer wrote a part for baritone oboe or bass oboe .
A similar instrument, the lupophon , was developed by Guntram Wolf . He described it as the new bass oboe. This instrument looks more like a saxophone and extends to F 2 . The name is derived from the name of the inventor ( lupus (Latin) = wolf ).
Solos
The baritone oboe was rarely used as a solo instrument. The only solo for baritone oboe so far is The East Coast by the English composer Gavin Bryars . He wrote the work in 1994 for the Canadian oboist Lawrence Cherney , who owns a F. Lorée baritone oboe.
Robert Moran wrote the piece Survivor From Darmstadt , for nine amplified bass oboes. It was commissioned by oboist Nora Post and premiered in 1984 .
There is also at least one sonata for baritone oboe and piano by Simon Zaleski .
In Gustav Holst's The Planets the instrument is used for special effects that cannot be achieved with any other instrument. From matt sections to chromatic "explosions", the player is challenged a lot. The bass oboe also has distinctive sections in the first interlude of Sir Michael Tippett's Triple Concerto. Another important solo can be found in Thomas Adès Asyla's second movement .
With the improved construction of the baritone oboe, it is also possible to perform quartets with oboe, cor anglais, tenor oboe, bassoon (or another bass instrument such as cello). Romantic string quartets can even be adapted in this line-up.
Manufacturer
The instrument was repeatedly produced by different manufacturers. Lorée was the first to publish the instrument and is still a leader in manufacturing. Other notable manufacturers are Marigaux , Rigoutat , Fossati and, since 2011, the Mönnig brothers in cooperation with Ludwig Frank from Frank & Meyer Berlin. Mostly it is only made to order, the price often exceeds that of an expensive English horn.
Occasionally double bass oboes were also made. But these were never so successful because they are in the same register as the much better known bassoon.
See also
Web links
- Page about baritone oboes by Rigoutat
- Baritone oboes with F. Lorée
- Lupophon by Guntram Wolf
- Bass oboe by Gebr. Mönnig "Model Ludwig Frank"
Audio samples
- Baritone oboe audio files (Christopher Raphael)
Individual evidence
- ↑ - The new bass oboe ( Memento of the original from June 10, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
