Grace Notes

THE BAROQUE OBOE

DONNA REILLY

The baroque oboe most likely evolved from the medieval shawm, a loud, double-reed instrument that first appeared in the 13th century. The shawm enjoyed great popularity throughout the Middle Ages, where it was used in outdoor “bands.” The baroque oboe was probably invented in the French court in the 17th century, where it was called hautbois, meaning, “high wood” or “loud wood.” This new, refined oboe (and its larger cousins) was also used in French outdoor oboe bands, but began to appear in orchestras by the 1670s. Its earliest use was to double the first violin part, but gradually, as the oboe’s color and capability became known, it was used independently. 

The larger sizes were developed to meet the needs of the earlier oboe bands, but seem to have been given Italian names: The alto oboe, or oboe d’amore, was pitched a minor third below the regular oboe, and the tenor oboe, or oboe da caccia, was pitched a fifth below. The latter takes its name from the curved profile of the instrument. In fact, some were made with large brass bells in imitation of hunting horns. A bass or baritone oboe, which was an octave below the others, was used occasionally, but soon replaced by the bassoon in most orchestras. Baroque oboe reeds seem to have been wider and flatter than oboe reeds today. The baroque oboe’s sound is less compact and more plaintive than that of the modern oboe, and has been described as more like the human voice than any other instrument.

Source: Case University College of Arts and Sciences

Left: David Dickey, oboist, frequently performs with Upper Valley Baroque 

Right: Three sizes of oboe (Baroque Oboe, Oboe d’Amore, and Oboe da Caccia)