Oboe

The Oboe has a beautiful reedy sound, mysterious and elegant at the same time. This is a tricky instrument which uses a double reed and requires plenty of air pressure and dedicated practice, but the reward is the most beautiful sound of them all, superb for solo passages and can still be heard in the midst of a full 80 piece orchestra. The oboe has a larger cousin called the Cor Anglais (English Horn) which has a more mellow sound and is often given orchestral solos, but this is not an instrument for the beginner. Oboes are rarely used in the fields of popular music (other than in orchestral backings) but the classical repertoire is so large that you will never get bored.

Starting age

• 10 years

Cost

• New approx £900
• 2nd hand approx £650

Hire

• Available from music retailers and in limited numbers from Kent Music stock and schools.

Running costs

• Reeds are the major expense at approx £7 each and needed at regular intervals.

Suitability

• No real limitations although the ability of the player to develop a firm embouchure (lip and cheek muscles) is crucial in producing a good sound.

Where to play

• Good players are few and far between and always in demand.
• Find out more about instrument care and maintenance

Famous Pieces

• Mozart - Oboe Concerto
• Marcello - Oboe Concerto
• Bach - Jesu Joy of Mans' Desiring
• Albinoni - Concertos

Famous Orchestral Solos

• Peter & the Wolf (Prokofiev) - The oboe plays "The Duck"
• Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
• "New World" Symphony (Dvorak) - Cor Anglais theme in slow movement ("Hovis" advertisement)

Famous Performers

• Heinz Holliger - excellent technician and contemporary music player
• Nicholas Daniel - former winner of BBC Young Musicians of the Year
• John Anderson - principal orchestral player but also a soloist