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90-601: Horace Fitzpatrick writes (reference below): From about 1756 onward the Emperor [in Vienna] and the Austrian nobles kept house bands called Harmonien , usually made of pairs of oboes , horns , bassoons , and after about 1770, clarinets . These wind groups formed part of the household musical staff, and provided serenade for banquets and garden parties. Joseph II kept a crack Harmonie for his private delectation, drawn from

180-402: A tenor saxophone and flute player, Yusef Lateef was among the first (in 1961) to use the oboe as a solo instrument in modern jazz performances and recordings. Composer and double bassist Charles Mingus gave the oboe a brief but prominent role (played by Dick Hafer ) in his composition "I.X. Love" on the 1963 album Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus . With the birth of jazz fusion in

270-566: A "bright and penetrating" voice. The Sprightly Companion , an instruction book published by Henry Playford in 1695, describes the oboe as "Majestical and Stately, and not much Inferior to the Trumpet". In the play Angels in America the sound is described as like "that of a duck if the duck were a songbird". The rich timbre is derived from its conical bore (as opposed to the generally cylindrical bore of flutes and clarinets ). As

360-416: A 'half thing'), as well as an understanding of the psychology of performance. He also has wise words on how to behave in the profession, suggesting instrumentalists 'not to drown out singers, not hold back or press forward in tempo, not publicly censure another's chance mistake, nor ridicule their colleagues'. A list of repertoire and theoretical texts is found at the end of the document, and includes mention of

450-417: A clarinet concerto, very probably for Anton Stadler, a fine three-movement work with a full orchestra complete with Harmonie (including clarinets), trumpets and timpani, in which the tutti sections demonstrate Eybler's fine compositional technique. In the concerto manuscript, two versions of the solo part are written on separate staves: they vary in their technical demands and it seems a player may have found

540-413: A clarinet could be capable of imitating the human voice as it was imitated by you. Indeed, your instrument has so soft and lovely a tone that no one can resist it – and I have one, dear Virtuoso; let me thank you. I heard music for wind instruments today, too, by Herr Mozart, in four movements, viz. four horns, two oboes, two bassoons, two clarinets, two basset horns, a double bass, and at each instrument sat

630-412: A forthcoming method for the clarinet, to be written by Stadler himself. The Musick Plan serves to habilitate Stadler's reputation, at least partially. After his four-year tour he left his wife for a young seamstress, Friederika Kabel, with whom he remained for the rest of his life. No doubt he spent money irresponsibly and continued to incur debts. He died of emaciation and was buried on 17 June 1812 on

720-405: A letter from Constanze to the publisher Johann André suggests that she and others held no high opinion of him. Furthermore, although Theodor Lotz made Stadler's basset clarinets (see below), Stadler later attributed their invention to himself, taking advantage of Lotz's premature death in 1792, only six months after Mozart's. Stadler never paid for the instruments, nor for K 622, which Nissen claims

810-452: A letter to Constanze from October 1791 Mozart writes of completing the final movement of K 622 ('Stadler's Rondo') and Stadler set out on a concert tour that lasted about four years, during which time he visited at least nine cities, performing more than a dozen times: Making use of his status as a Royal Imperial Court Musician from Vienna he presumably also gave lessons. Reviews of Stadler's playing are generally flattering, such as comments in

900-555: A master – oh, what a glorious effect it made – glorious and great, excellent and sublime! Schink here clearly refers to a performance of Mozart's Serenade for thirteen instruments K 361/370a , which probably formed part of Stadler's benefit concert at the National Court Theatre advertised in the Wienerblättchen of 22 March 1784: "Herr Stadler senior, in present service of His Majesty the Emperor, will hold

990-769: A musical concert for his own benefit, at which will be given, among other well chosen pieces, a great wind piece of a very special kind composed by Herr Mozart." Barely more than a week after this first documented performance came the première of Mozart's Piano Quintet K 452 on 1 April, which included parts for both composer and clarinettist. The arrival in Vienna of the Bohemian players Anton David and Vincent Springer proved an important catalyst for Mozart's basset horn writing. They had already generated considerable publicity as early as 1782, when their performance at Ludwigslust 'on largely unknown instruments which they call basset horns'

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1080-412: A number of works have so far been identified, including Variations on different favourite themes and ten variations on You must not take amiss with me . A possible candidate for the other clarinet work might be another of Stadler's compositions, or perhaps a B-flat major Concerto attributed to Joseph Michl. The "two more tones than the normal clarinet [the compass of which ends at low e ]" mentioned in

1170-567: A particularly poignant or emotional scene. An example is the 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July . One of the most prominent uses of the oboe in a film score is Ennio Morricone 's " Gabriel's Oboe " theme from the 1986 film The Mission . It is featured as a solo instrument in the theme "Across the Stars" from the John Williams score to the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of

1260-448: A perfect fifth lower than the oboe. The oboe d'amore , the alto (or mezzo-soprano) member of the family, is pitched in A, a minor third lower than the oboe. J.S. Bach made extensive use of both the oboe d'amore as well as the taille and oboe da caccia , Baroque antecedents of the cor anglais. Less common is the bass oboe (also called baritone oboe), which sounds one octave lower than the oboe. Delius , Strauss and Holst scored for

1350-529: A position in the Wallerstein orchestra (6 November 1781), Anton himself writes that they 'can also play a little violin and viol'. In the same letter he stated that both he and his brother 'could supplement orchestral skills with duets, concertos, wind octets and basset horn trios', the latter together with Raymund Griesbacher. A concert on 21 March 1773 at the Kärntnertortheater, of which

1440-437: A programme survived, appears to mark the first public appearance of the two brothers in Vienna; further recorded appearances include a concert on 19 December 1775 and two concerts (12 and 14 March 1780) in which they took part in a concerto for five winds by Joseph Starzer. Pamela Poulin writes: Until 1782 Anton and Johann held various positions. According to the open account books of the imperial court of 1779 they were hired by

1530-413: A regular oboe whose bore was gradually narrowed, and the instrument became outfitted with several keys, among them those for the notes D ♯ , F, and G ♯ . A key similar to the modern octave key was also added called the "slur key", though it was at first used more like the "flick" keys on the modern German bassoon . Only later did French instrument makers redesign the octave key to be used in

1620-434: A result, oboes are easier to hear over other instruments in large ensembles due to its penetrating sound. The highest note is a semitone lower than the nominally highest note of the B ♭ clarinet . Since the clarinet has a wider range, the lowest note of the B ♭ clarinet is significantly deeper (a minor sixth) than the lowest note of the oboe. Music for the standard oboe is written in concert pitch (i.e., it

1710-474: A significant effect on the sound. Variations in cane and other construction materials, the age of the reed, and differences in scrape and length all affect the pitch. German and French reeds, for instance, differ in many ways, causing the sound to vary accordingly. Weather conditions such as temperature and humidity also affect the pitch. Skilled oboists adjust their embouchure to compensate for these factors. Subtle manipulation of embouchure and air pressure allows

1800-493: A sufficient air pressure, causing it to vibrate with the air column. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as "bright". When the word oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the soprano member rather than other instruments of the family, such as the bass oboe , the cor anglais (English horn), or oboe d'amore . Today, the oboe is commonly used as orchestral or solo instrument in symphony orchestras , concert bands and chamber ensembles. The oboe

1890-573: A teenager traveling in Italy, he wrote the early Divertimenti K. 186 and K. 166 (1773); see Divertimenti for ten winds (Mozart) . He wrote further divertimenti between 1775 and 1777, while working at the Salzburg court (K. 213, 240, 252, 253, 270). Some time after his move to Vienna (1781), Mozart wrote his most extended work for Harmonie, the Serenade in B flat, K. 361 (a.k.a. Gran Partita ). This

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1980-400: A way that the sound remains clear and continuous throughout the frequency change (a quality also called legato and often called for in the oboe repertoire). The standard oboe has several siblings of various sizes and playing ranges. The most widely known and used today is the cor anglais (English horn) the tenor (or alto) member of the family. A transposing instrument ; it is pitched in F,

2070-451: A whole wind section, thanks to the recent reinstatement of these instruments in the musical establishment of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II . The 18th-century German expression "auf Harmonie setzen" ( lit. : set onto Harmonie) means arranging a piece of music for performance by a Harmonie. For instance Der Messias , Mozart 's arrangement of Handel 's Messiah , included that several movements became " auf Harmonie gesetzt ". During

2160-460: A wider internal bore, a shorter and broader reed and the fingering-system is very different from the conservatoire oboe. In The Oboe , Geoffrey Burgess and Bruce Haynes write "The differences are most clearly marked in the middle register, which is reedier and more pungent, and the upper register, which is richer in harmonics on the Viennese oboe". Guntram Wolf describes them: "From the concept of

2250-406: Is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument . Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, measures roughly 65 cm ( 25 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) long and has metal keys , a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed at

2340-417: Is especially used in classical music , film music , some genres of folk music , and is occasionally heard in jazz , rock , pop , and popular music . The oboe is widely recognized as the instrument that tunes the orchestra with its distinctive 'A'. A musician who plays the oboe is called an oboist. In comparison to other modern woodwind instruments , the soprano oboe is sometimes referred to as having

2430-403: Is for an amplified wind ensemble of 13 instruments (two oboes, two clarinets, two basset horns, four (French) horns, two bassoons, and a string bass). His E flat serenade of 1781, K. 375 , is written for a Harmonie consisting of clarinets, bassoons and horns, curiously mismatching what the new Emperor had arranged as his Harmonie; Hellyer suggests Mozart, who was seeking a job at court at the time,

2520-489: Is inextricably linked to Mozart's compositions for these two instruments. Stadler was born in 1753 in a small town near Vienna; in 1756 his family moved into the city where his brother Johann was born. Even though both became famous as clarinet and basset horn players, the Journal des Luxus und der Moden described Anton in 1801 as 'a great artist on many wind instruments', and in a letter to Ignatz von Beecke, applying for

2610-504: Is inserted into the reed socket at the top of the instrument. The commonly accepted range for the oboe extends from B ♭ 3 to about G 6 , over two and a half octaves, though its common tessitura lies from C 4 to E ♭ 6 . Some student oboes do not have a B ♭ key and only extend down to B 3 . A modern oboe with the "full conservatoire" ("conservatory" in the US) or Gillet key system has 45 pieces of keywork, with

2700-462: Is not a transposing instrument ), and the instrument has a soprano range, usually from B ♭ 3 to G 6 . Orchestras tune to a concert A played by the first oboe. According to the League of American Orchestras, this is done because the pitch is secure and its penetrating sound makes it ideal for tuning. The pitch of the oboe is affected by the way in which the reed is made. The reed has

2790-576: Is preserved in the National Hungarian Library in Budapest). The document, based on a set of questions provided by the count, recommends a rigorous education, combining performance, music theory and composition with schooling in a broad range of subjects. Examples of Stadler's priorities include study of the violin, singing and piano (also requiring students to learn to tune a piano), a 'general education' (because otherwise one becomes

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2880-551: The Paul Winter Consort and later Oregon . The 1980s saw an increasing number of oboists try their hand at non-classical work, and many players of note have recorded and performed alternative music on oboe. Some present-day jazz groups influenced by classical music, such as the Maria Schneider Orchestra, feature the oboe. Indie singer-songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens , having studied

2970-643: The Wiener Philharmoniker instrumentarium. This oboe was developed further in the 19th century by the Triébert family of Paris. Using the Boehm flute as a source of ideas for key work, Guillaume Triébert and his sons, Charles and Frederic, devised a series of increasingly complex yet functional key systems. A variant form using large tone holes, the Boehm system oboe, was never in common use, though it

3060-506: The hautbois are obscure, as are the inventors. Circumstantial evidence, such as the statement by the flautist composer Michel de la Barre in his Memoire , points to members of the Philidor (Filidor) and Hotteterre families. The instrument may in fact have had multiple inventors. The hautbois quickly spread throughout Europe, including Great Britain, where it was called hautboy , hoboy , hautboit , howboye , and similar variants of

3150-521: The scientific pitch notation system), though some German and Austrian oboes are capable of playing one half-step lower. Several Classical-era composers wrote concertos for oboe. Mozart composed both the solo concerto in C major K. 314/285d and the lost original of Sinfonia Concertante in E ♭ major K. 297b, as well as a fragment of F major concerto K. 417f. Haydn wrote both the Sinfonia Concertante in B ♭ Hob. I:105 and

3240-492: The Berlin Musikalisches Wochenblatt of 1792, where he is described as 'brilliant and accomplished; he also has acquired a precision which shows his confidence'. By 1796 Stadler had returned to Vienna, taking up his post alongside his brother, and starting composing works for basset horn and clarinet, a number of which were published. In 1798 the Viennese composer Joseph Leopold Eybler complete

3330-489: The Classical era. The Wiener oboe (Viennese oboe) is a type of modern oboe that retains the essential bore and tonal characteristics of the historical oboe. The Akademiemodel Wiener Oboe, first developed in the late 19th century by Josef Hajek from earlier instruments by C. T. Golde of Dresden (1803–73), is now made by several makers such as André Constantinides, Karl Rado, Guntram Wolf , Christian Rauch and Yamaha. It has

3420-662: The Clones . The oboe is also featured as a solo instrument in the "Love Theme" in Nino Rota 's score to The Godfather (1972). Anton Stadler Anton Paul Stadler (28 June 1753, in Bruck an der Leitha – 15 June 1812, in Vienna ) was an Austrian clarinet and basset horn player for whom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote, amongst others, both his Clarinet Quintet (K 581) and Clarinet Concerto (K 622). Stadler's name

3510-469: The French name. It was the main melody instrument in early military bands, until it was succeeded by the clarinet . The standard Baroque oboe is generally made of boxwood and has three keys : a "great" key and two side keys (the side key is often doubled to facilitate use of either the right or left hand on the bottom holes). In order to produce higher pitches, the player has to " overblow ", or increase

3600-658: The Greek aulos and Roman tibia . Nearly lost in the West during the Dark Ages, the oboe reappeared with the Arabic zurna in the 13th century, evolving through European bagpipes and finally becoming the French hautbois in the 17th century, which is when modern oboe history truly began. In English, prior to 1770, the standard instrument was called a hautbois , hoboy , or French hoboy ( / ˈ h oʊ b ɔɪ / HOH -boy ). This

3690-591: The Harmonie can be traced with the accession of Joseph II to the throne of the Austrian Empire in 1780. Joseph expanded music-making at his court in a number of ways, including the introduction of a Harmonie, as noted above. This Harmonie consisted of eight players, with two clarinets added to the traditional two oboes, two horns, and two bassoons. Other nobles then followed the Emperor's lead. The Emperor's Harmonie included some distinguished players, notably

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3780-447: The Harmonie generally had an aristocratic patron, the same music was sometimes also played by street musicians. A letter by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to his father Leopold (3 November 1781) noted that street musicians had serenaded him with his own composition, the wind serenade K. 375 . In English, the word "Harmonie" exists only as a technical term of historical musicology. In other European languages, such as Dutch, French and German,

3870-527: The Hon. Brother Locz [ sic ] will play the great octave bassoon'; Stadler's Partita is no longer extant. Significantly, Mozart wrote nothing further for the basset horn after this concert until 1788, when he produced a piano concerto fragment (K 537b) and the Canzonetta K 549. Mozart's Clarinet Trio K 498 was written for the pianist Francesca von Jacquin and must have been first played at the family house, with

3960-591: The Italian müsa and zampogna or Breton biniou . David Stock 's concerto "Oborama" features the Oboe and its other members as a soloist, the instrument changing in each movement. (ex. Oboe D'amore in movement 3 and Bass Oboe in movement 4) The oboe remains uncommon in jazz music, but there have been notable uses of the instrument. Some early bands in the 1920s and '30s, most notably that of Paul Whiteman , included it for coloristic purposes. Most often in this era it

4050-616: The Palm Tree and Three Eagles lodges of the Viennese Masonic order, and on 17 November Mozart's most important piece of Masonic music, the Maurerische Trauermusik K 477/479a, was performed during a Lodge of Sorrows for the deaths of two Brothers, Georg August, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and Franz, Count Esterhazy of Galántha. For this piece Mozart used an extraordinary and fortuitous collection of musicians:

4140-693: The air stream to reach the next harmonic. Notable oboe-makers of the period are the Germans Jacob Denner and J.H. Eichentopf, and the English Thomas Stanesby (died 1734) and his son Thomas Jr (died 1754). The range for the Baroque oboe comfortably extends from C 4 to D 6 . In the mid-20th century, with the resurgence of interest in early music , a few makers began producing copies to specifications taken from surviving historical instruments. The Classical period brought

4230-401: The bore, the Viennese oboe is the last representative of the historical oboes, adapted for the louder, larger orchestra, and fitted with an extensive mechanism. Its great advantage is the ease of speaking, even in the lowest register. It can be played very expressively and blends well with other instruments." The Viennese oboe is, along with the Vienna horn, perhaps the most distinctive member of

4320-544: The chalumeau register is significant in view of Mozart's subsequent exploitation of its idiomatic potential. The earliest documented evidence of Mozart's connection with Stadler dates from a year or two later. The clarinetist's playing evoked the following response in Johann Friedrich Schink's Litterarische Fragmente : My thanks to you, brave virtuoso! I have never heard the like of what you contrived with your instrument. Never should I have thought that

4410-561: The clarinet part was probably intended for Stadler and the contrabassoon part for Theodor Lotz. The initial scoring also included a single basset horn, but two more were added by Mozart, presumably to allow the participation of David and Springer. Stadler and Mozart appeared again at another benefit concert for the Bohemian pair at the Crowned Hope Lodge on 15 December 1785, for which the items included 'A Parthie [suite] composed by Brother Stadler for six wind instruments, for which

4500-752: The clarinet. However, they do exist, and are produced by brands such as Legere. Centuries before the Spanish and Portuguese conquests in the New World, the early version of the chirimía arrived in Europe from the Middle East due to cultural exchanges. The Crusades brought Europeans into contact with the Turko-Arabic zurna . However, the oboe’s roots go back even further, linked to ancient reed instruments like those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as

4590-499: The clarinettist Anton Stadler , who was the inspiration for a number of important works by Mozart. It also included Anton's younger brother Johann , as well as the oboist Johann Went  [ de ] , a composer of over 80 works for Harmonie, and oboist/composer Josef Triebensee . The Harmonie continued as a lively musical tradition until the Napoleonic Wars forced aristocrats to retrench financially, cutting down on

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4680-410: The clarinettist reveals a shared sense of humour; 'Notschibinitschibi' is a combination of two words – 'Notschibi' meaning a poor booby or miser and 'Nitschibi' a young man of follies. Still, much evidence remains to show that Stadler was at best irresponsible, and at worst, conniving. Constanze Mozart 's sister, Sophie Haibel , recounted to Georg Nikolaus von Nissen how Stadler stole from Mozart, and

4770-534: The concert programme can, however, not easily be unambiguously identified. The Lotz basset clarinet must be associated with Mozart's Quintet fragment in B-flat K 516c, 93 bars of a movement which in 1828 Nissen believed to have been originally complete. Basset notes occur only from bar 55, d then occurring 7 times, occasioning notation in the bass clef an octave below pitch, as in Mozart's basset horn writing. Similarly,

4860-475: The court instrument maker Theodor Loz [ sic ]; this instrument has two more tones than the normal clarinet. Stadler's instrument is now known as a basset clarinet , a term coined by Jiři Kratochvil to reflect its kinship with the basset horn and to avoid confusion with the bass clarinet , whose orchestral career developed only during the 19th century. As for the variations advertised in Stadler's 1788 programme,

4950-576: The court on a per-service basis. A concert programme of 12 March identifies the brothers as being in the service of Count Carl of Palm. As of October 1780 Anton was employed by the Piaristen religious order of Maria Treu as a 'manorial musician'. In 1781 Anton was in the service of count Dimitri Galizin. In the same year Kaiser Joseph II designated their services as 'indispensable'. Mozart's first encounter with Stadler may have been around 1781, following his own move to Vienna . In October 1781 he wrote of

5040-526: The family (it is usually pitched in E ♭ or F above the oboe), and the contrabass oboe (typically pitched in C, two octaves deeper than the standard oboe). Folk versions of the oboe, sometimes equipped with extensive keywork, are found throughout Europe. These include the musette (France) and the piston oboe and bombarde ( Brittany ), the piffero and ciaramella (Italy), and the xirimia (also spelled chirimia ) (Spain). Many of these are played in tandem with local forms of bagpipe , particularly with

5130-523: The first performance of the sextet version of his E-flat Serenade K 375 : "The six gentlemen who executed it are poor beggars who, however, play quite well together, particularly the first clarinet and the two horns." On 8 February 1782 the Stadlers were invited to join the orchestra of the Viennese imperial court, and the following year they were members of the emperor's Harmonie , in which Stadler played second clarinet. Stadler's evident preoccupation with

5220-438: The genus Dalbergia , which includes cocobolo , rosewood , and violetwood (also known as kingwood ). Ebony (genus Diospyros ) has also been used. Student model oboes are often made from plastic resin to make the instrument cheaper and more durable. The oboe has an extremely narrow conical bore . It is played with a double reed consisting of two thin blades of cane tied together on a small-diameter metal tube (staple) which

5310-400: The historical period of the Harmonie, the ensemble gradually grew in size. Hellyer (2006) suggests that during the early period, in the 1750s, a Harmonie could consist of just five instruments (two oboes, two horns, and one bassoon), though a second bassoon could be included as well. The Harmonie compositions of Haydn and Mozart (see below) all use at least six instruments. A later expansion of

5400-422: The instrument in school, often includes the instrument in his arrangements and compositions, most frequently in his geographic tone-poems Illinois , Michigan . Peter Gabriel played the oboe while he was a member of Genesis , most prominently on " The Musical Box ". Andy Mackay of Roxy Music plays oboe, sometimes with a Wah-Wah pedal. The oboe is frequently featured in film music, often to underscore

5490-407: The instrument. Similar to the bass oboe is the more powerful heckelphone , which has a wider bore and larger tone than the baritone oboe. Only 165 heckelphones have ever been made. Competent heckelphone players are difficult to find due to the extreme rarity of this particular instrument. The least common of all are the musette (also called oboe musette or piccolo oboe), the sopranino member of

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5580-510: The late 1960s, and its continuous development through the following decade , the oboe became somewhat more prominent, replacing on some occasions the saxophone as the focal point. The oboe was used with great success by the Welsh multi-instrumentalist Karl Jenkins in his work with the groups Nucleus and Soft Machine , and by the American woodwind player Paul McCandless , co-founder of

5670-425: The manner of the modern key (i.e. held open for the upper register, closed for the lower). The narrower bore allows the higher notes to be more easily played, and composers began to use the oboe's upper register more often in their works. Because of this, the oboe's tessitura in the Classical era was somewhat broader than that found in Baroque works. The range for the Classical oboe extends from C 4 to F 6 (using

5760-491: The mid-17th century, when it was called a hautbois . This name was also used for its predecessor, the shawm , from which the basic form of the hautbois was derived. Major differences between the two instruments include the division of the hautbois into three sections, or joints (which allowed for more precise manufacture), and the elimination of the pirouette , the wooden ledge below the reed which allowed players to rest their lips. The exact date and location of origin of

5850-516: The model of their teacher or buying handmade reeds (usually from a professional oboist) and using special tools including gougers , pre-gougers, guillotines, shaper tips, knives, and other tools to make and adjust reeds to their liking. The reed is considered the part of oboe that makes the instrument so difficult because the individual nature of each reed means that it is hard to achieve a consistent sound. Slight variations in temperature, humidity, altitude, weather, and climate can also have an effect on

5940-643: The most sublime music imaginable. A surviving programme for a concert on 20 February 1788 documents an important milestone in the history of Stadler and Mozart, heralding the arrival of a newly extended clarinet. It announces a concert at the Hoftheater at which Herr Stadler the elder, in the service of his majesty the Kaiser, will play a concerto on the Bass-Klarinet and a variation on the Bass-Klarinet , an instrument of new invention and manufacture of

6030-688: The number of musicians they employed. The tradition had been largely abandoned by the mid-1830s. Some of Joseph Haydn's early works, called divertimenti or Feldpartien , were written for the Harmonie of his first full-time employer, Count Morzin around 1760. Haydn became Vice-Kapellmeister for the Prince Paul Anton Esterházy in 1761, which was the same year that the Prince established a six-member Harmonie; Hellyer suggests that some of Haydn's early works for Harmonie were intended for this ensemble. Mozart also wrote for Harmonie. As

6120-440: The oboist to express timbre and dynamics. The oboe uses a double reed, similar to that used for the bassoon. Most professional oboists make their reeds to suit their individual needs. By making their reeds, oboists can precisely control factors such as tone color, intonation, and responsiveness. They can also account for individual embouchure, oral cavity, oboe angle, and air support. Novice oboists rarely make their own reeds, as

6210-568: The orchestra was that of the Estates Theatre, Stadler travelled to Prague with Mozart, who included two arias with major solos for him: Sesto's "Parto, parto", which has a large basset clarinet solo, and Vitellia's "Non più di fiori", which has a basset horn solo of equal prominence. Although the eloquence of Mozart's clarinet writing for Stadler testifies to a remarkable musical relationship, surviving evidence of their personal friendship remains fragmentary. In any case, Mozart's nickname for

6300-452: The participation of Stadler and the composer himself. It undoubtedly reflects the favourite techniques and idioms of each of the players, including Stadler's proficiency in the chalumeau register, as illustrated by accompaniment figuration and melodic figures including that part of the compass. Mozart's opera La clemenza di Tito (K 621) was first heard in Prague on 6 September 1791. Although

6390-619: The possible additions of a third-octave key and alternate (left little finger) F- or C-key. The keys are usually made of nickel silver , and are silver - or occasionally gold -plated. Besides the full conservatoire system, oboes are also made using the British thumbplate system. Most have "semi-automatic" octave keys, in which the second-octave action closes the first, and some have a fully automatic octave key system, as used on saxophones . Some full-conservatory oboes have finger holes covered with rings rather than plates ("open-holed"), and most of

6480-549: The principal wind players of the Imperial opera . His successor Franz II carried on this practice. According to Haydn biographer Rosemary Hughes: "Feldharmonie" or simply "Harmonie," was the wind band, maintained by most noblemen even when they could not afford a larger orchestra, for performing at hunting parties and other outdoor entertainments. Roger Hellyer, writing in the Grove Dictionary notes that while

6570-422: The process is difficult and time-consuming, and frequently purchase reeds from a music store instead. Commercially available cane reeds are available in several degrees of hardness; a medium reed is very popular, and most beginners use medium-soft reeds. These reeds, like clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon reeds, are made from Arundo donax . As oboists gain more experience, they may start making their own reeds after

6660-586: The professional models have at least the right-hand third key open-holed. Professional oboes used in the UK and Iceland frequently feature conservatoire system combined with a thumb plate. Releasing the thumb plate has the same effect as pressing down the right-hand index-finger key. This produces alternate options which eliminate the necessity for most of the common cross-intervals (intervals where two or more keys need to be released and pressed down simultaneously), as cross-intervals are much more difficult to execute in such

6750-514: The scoring of Mozart's Serenade K 361/370a, in addition to more ritualistic works such as the Adagio K 411/484a. Indeed, the basset horn came to be associated with Masonic ritual, for which its special character was ideally suited, and Anton Stadler was admitted to the 'Zum Palmbaum' ('Palm Tree') lodge on 27 September 1785. On 20 October of that year he and Mozart performed at a benefit concert (to pay for David's and Springer's journey home) organised by

6840-471: The second clarinet part of Ferrando's aria 'Ah lo veggio' from Così fan tutte descends to d on a total of 7 occasions. Mozart's avoidance of the tonic c has led some writers to assume that d and e-flat were the extra notes on Lotz's instrument, but the obvious parallel with the basset horn makes c and d much more likely: Robert D. Levin reconstructed K 516c and believes that the missing portion must have contained several examples of low c . It

6930-441: The serenade type." At the banquet in the finale of Don Giovanni , Mozart has a "Harmonie" perform parts from Una cosa rara by Vicente Martín y Soler , I due litiganti by Giuseppe Sarti and the aria " Non più andrai " from his own The Marriage of Figaro . The scoring is for the full eight-part Harmonie, two each of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns. Oboe The oboe ( / ˈ oʊ b oʊ / OH -boh )

7020-541: The sound of the reed, as well as minute changes in the physique of the reed. Oboists often prepare several reeds to achieve a consistent sound, as well as to prepare for environmental factors such as chipping of a reed or other hazards. Oboists may have different preferred methods for soaking their reeds to produce optimal sounds; the most preferred method tends to be to soak the oboe reed in water before playing. Plastic oboe reeds are rarely used, and are less readily available than plastic reeds for other instruments, such as

7110-464: The spurious concerto in C major Hob. VIIg:C1. Beethoven wrote the F major concerto, Hess 12, of which only sketches survive, though the second movement was reconstructed in the late 20th century). Numerous other composers including Johann Christian Bach , Johann Christian Fischer , Jan Antonín Koželuh , and Ludwig August Lebrun also composed pieces for the oboe. Many solos exist for the regular oboe in chamber, symphonic, and operatic compositions from

7200-478: The term may also refer to a modern wind band . The expression HaFaBra  [ nl ] , used in Dutch, is the abbreviation and contraction of " Ha rmonie" ( concert band ), " Fa nfare" ( fanfare band and/or fanfare orchestra , usually with a marching band connotation) and " Bra ssband" ( brass band ), an umbrella term for all types of wind bands, including the types with additional non-wind instruments such as

7290-457: The typical battery of a marching band. The aristocrats who employed a Harmonie would often also maintain a small orchestra, numerically dominated by, or consisting entirely of, the string section . When members of the Harmonie participated in performances with such orchestras, it became possible for the composer to enrich the musical texture with wind parts, without increasing the payroll cost of his patron. Thus, "Harmonie" came also to designate

7380-563: The upper line too difficult (most of the passage work lies in the extreme high register, up to a ) and persuaded the composer to make a simplified version. Stadler was invited by a Hungarian count, Georg Festitics, to help organize a school of music in Keszthely near the Plattensee . The result, Stadler's 50-page Musick Plan of 1800, represents a thoughtful and organized side of Stadler one might not have suspected to exist (the original

7470-464: The wind section of a small orchestra. Of this practice, Fitzpatrick writes, "It was [Franz II's Harmonie ] who made up the wind section in Beethoven 's orchestra of 1800 [at the premiere of the composer's First Symphony ]." Joseph Haydn 's Mass in B flat major, ( H. 22/14, 1802) is nicknamed the " Harmoniemesse ", because (unlike the other masses Haydn wrote during this time) it includes parts for

7560-532: Was borrowed from the French name, hautbois [obwɑ] , which is a compound word made up of haut ("high", "loud") and bois ("wood", "woodwind"). The French word means 'high-pitched woodwind' in English. The spelling of oboe was adopted into English c.  1770 from the Italian oboè , a transliteration of the 17th-century pronunciation of the French name. The regular oboe first appeared in

7650-441: Was cited by C.F. Cramer the following year. Mozart's espousal of the basset horn really began in earnest in late 1783 when he produced over a period of two years thirteen works for that instrument: The latter dates from the end of 1785. This remarkable activity was undoubtedly brought about by the availability of four excellent clarinet and basset horn players – the Stadlers, David and Springer – who in combination must have inspired

7740-423: Was commissioned from Mozart. It is distressing to see to what extent Mozart involved Stadler in his personal life and finances, considering how often the composer himself was in debt. In the end, though, there can be no doubt that Stadler's character struck a chord deep in Mozart, who was very fond of him. For this we must be grateful: Mozart's close friendship with Stadler and Lotz have given clarinettists some of

7830-523: Was for this extended clarinet that the Clarinet Concerto and possibly the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings were written. A concerto in D major for basset clarinet was written for Stadler by Franz Xaver Süssmayr , which remains as two incomplete manuscripts. It is now thought that the clarinet concerti by Joseph Leopold Eybler and Leopold Kozeluch were also written for Anton Stadler. In

7920-415: Was misinformed. Mozart later revised the work to include two oboe parts. Perhaps the weightiest of all music for Harmonie is Mozart's Serenade No. 12 for winds in C minor , K. 388, written in 1782 for Joseph II's eight-player Harmonie. Hellyer calls it "a curiously sombre and powerful work which often conveys a mood of dramatic intensity totally alien to the informal background music normally associated with

8010-625: Was used for dance band music, but occasionally oboists may be heard used in a similar manner to a saxophone for solos. Most of the time these oboists were already playing with the band or orchestra on a different woodwind instrument. The multi-instrumentalist Garvin Bushell (1902–1991) played the oboe in jazz bands as early as 1924 and used the instrument throughout his career, eventually recording with John Coltrane in 1961. Gil Evans featured oboe in sections of his famous Sketches of Spain collaboration with trumpeter Miles Davis . Though primarily

8100-502: Was used in some military bands in Europe into the 20th century. F. Lorée of Paris made further developments to the modern instrument. Minor improvements to the bore and key work have continued through the 20th century, but there has been no fundamental change to the general characteristics of the instrument for several decades. The modern standard oboe is most commonly made from grenadilla , also known as African blackwood, although some manufacturers also make oboes out of other species of

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