|
Historical
outline of individual instruments
Woodwinds
Oboe (European treble oboe)
17th century
- An earlier term for
oboe was ‘hautboy’, which now refers to a two-key or
three-key oboe used during the mid-17th to the early 19th centuries.
- Around 1660, the oboe
was created in the French court.
Mid-18th century
(1730-1770)
- The hautboys at this
time had a common trait – a distinctly narrow bore.
- During this time, the
musical relationship between hautboys and violins changed. Previousy,
hautboys doubled the violin part in tutti passages. By the mid-18th
century, composers gave the winds a different function than the
violins, namely a harmonic role. Hautboy parts became simpler, while
violin parts become more complex. By the Classical period, hautboys
and violins fulfilled different functions.
- Italian virtuosos dominated
performance on hautboys throughout France, Germany, and England.
Late 18th century
(1770-1800)
- By the 1770s, the new
“Classical” hautboy differed from earlier models. It
featured a smaller bore, thinner walls, and smaller tone holes.
The tone of the Classical hautboy was narrower, more focused, and
softer in the higher register. However, as high notes could be played
more easily, hautboy solos featured higher passagework.
- In the orchestra, the
predominant role of hautboys diminished as clarinets became more
visible. The growing interest in individual instrumental tone colors
meant that attention towards the different wind instruments became
more balanced.
- Compositional writing
challenged performers to play in ways that would not have been possible
on earlier instruments.
- The adaptation of key
systems was a major turning point in the oboe’s history, and
marked a significant separation from the earlier hautboys. By the
1780s, additional keys helped performers avoid cross-fingerings,
and key systems became more readily accepted. Fingerings altered
not only playing technique but also tone color.
Early to mid-19th
century
- During the 19th century,
significant changes occurred. Technical and musical demands increased
along with structural changes to the instrument. These changes consequently
influenced pitch, intonation, timbre, power, registral balance,
and musical character. The oboe could not compete with the growing
dynamic power of the brass and strings in the orchestra, but instead
became known for its cantabile sound and pastoral associations.
- Compared to other instruments,
the oboe was one of the last instruments to adopt additional keywork,
perhaps because the instrument was flexible enough for players to
manage its limitations.
- The making of oboes
centered in France and Germany, and each place made slightly different
instruments. By the 1840’s, two schools of modern oboes emerged
– (1) on the one hand, the French oboe with a brilliant tone,
and (2) the German oboe with a darker and more easily blended tone.
Both had nearly identical keywork. Other countries in Europe usually
favored one of these schools - Italy and England adopted the German
school until the French school dominated the scene around mid-century.
- The order in which
keys were added is difficult to track. Germans added the first keys,
and the French were more cautious. The Italians used the two-key
oboe longer than anywhere else. Between 1800 and 1825, eight keys
were added, and the instrument became capable of playing chromatically.
The first additional keys: (1) extended the range, (2) modified
the tuning of some notes, (3) provided alternatives to cross-fingerings,
(4) improved high notes, (5) improved trills, (6) expanded the range
of tonalities the instrument could manage. The emerging romantic
aesthetic was evenness of tone, which the keywork helped players
achieve.
- The tradition of tuning
instruments to the oboe was documented from the beginning of the
19th century. Unlike other winds, the oboe was less affected by
pitch variations due to temperature changes (according to Vogt and
Fétis).
Late 19th century
- In 1872, the Conservatoire-system
oboe was invented, marking the final stage of development of the
modern French oboe. The range extended further; the bell lengthened;
fingerings were simplified; and additional keys made it possible
to play trills on any note.
- In 1881/1882, the Paris
Conservatoire adopted this model as the official oboe. It still
took some time for this Conservatoire system to become the international
standard.
- During the 19th century,
reeds became narrower and thinner.
- Most orchestras during
this time featured two oboes.
20th century
- Richard Strauss was
enthusiastic about the Conservatoire-system model for the evenness
of tone, ease of playing in extreme ranges, and ability to blend
with other instruments. It was partly due to his enthusiasm that
the French oboe was adopted in Germany by the 1920’s. On the
other hand, Vienna resisted the French influence longer.
- Since World War II,
the French Conservatoire-system oboe has been the most common model,
and is now the international standard of keywork.
- The use of vibrato started
in France during the last decade of the 19th century. It may have
been used to compensate for the loss of resonance because of the
narrow bore in the Conservatoire-system oboe. It wasn’t until
well into the 20th century that vibrato was widely accepted. And
by the end of the 20th century, a constant vibrato was acceptable.
- Marcel Tabuteau (1887-1966,
French) was principal oboist in the Philadelphia Orchestra under
Stokowski and Ormandy. His influence helped established the “American”
way of playing as different from the European style. The American
tone results from reeds with more bark scraped from the cane, and
players hold the oboe closer to the body.
- During the 20th century,
new playing techniques developed (e.g. glissandos, quarter-tones,
microtonal effects, timbral trills, and double- triple- and flutter-tonguing).
By the 1970’s, circular breathing became a standard technique,
although a few players used the technique beforehand.
- During the 1970’s,
musicians revived interest in historical oboes, mostly with the
hautboy but also with other 19th century models.
Orchestra-History
Early
History • Classical
period • Romantic
period • 20th
century to present
Repertoire
Classical
period • Romantic period
• 20th century to present
|
