Oboe

The oboe is part of the woodwind group of instruments. It requires a player (called the oboist) to blow on two reeds, the sound of which is manipulated down the length of the instrument using keyed holes. Oboes are descended from the shawm which flourished in the Medieval and Renaissance eras. They were a bigger improvement on the older instrument possessing a greater expressive range. During the Baroque era the oboe became extremely popular as a concertante instrument and numerous compositions were written for it. The oboe's distinctive tone enables it to be heard over larger forces of instruments and is often used to tune the orchestra to its correct pitch. With the success of the oboe design a number of variants were created including the oboe d'amore, bass oboe and the cor anglais. A more powerful type of oboe was developed at the turn of the century called the heckelphone but it is rarely used. The oboe is particularly effective in creating a nostalgic, haunting type of sound.