Oboe ensembles in the 17th and 18th centuries – the origin, development and repertoire

Journal Title: Notes Muzyczny - Year 2014, Vol 2, Issue 2

Abstract

The article describes the history of oboe ensembles, which can be perceived as a relatively unknown link between the traditions of Renaissance wind ensembles and the Harmoniemusik type ensembles. It is oboe ensembles that we should search for the origins of Europe’s military wind ensembles in. Today the sound of a baroque oboe is associated with particularly expressive and lyrical solo parts in Bach’s cantatas. Playing unisono with the violin, oboe is responsible for the tone of tutti characteristic for a baroque orchestra. There are also virtuoso concertos and sonatas. However, we never associate oboe with the army in any way. This role, forgotten today, as well as other functions clarinet had in the 18th century, has been taken over by clarinet throughout history. The article presents the origin, way of functioning and development of oboe ensembles and the music they performed. The period described here almost fully coincides with the Baroque era – i.e., from the second half of the 17th century, when the ensembles were being created, until the middle of the 18th century, when clarinets began to replace oboes. In The origin the author presents the sources and old traditions of reed wind ensembles. The development of oboe ensembles gives a general description of the ensembles, their line-ups and the functions they performed in the army, on royal and prince courts, manor houses, as well as in cities. The Repertoire describes the music performed by oboe ensembles depending on the place they were used. Jan Hutek listed only a few specific compositions here. The chapter does not include a list of all known pieces for these ensembles. This task was fulfilled by Bruce Haynes, the author of the fundamental publication entitled Music for oboe, 1650–1800: a bibliography. There are also some historical illustrations of baroque oboe ensembles. Oboists playing contemporary instruments do not perform works originally written for this line-up type or they perform them very rarely. The article was written as its author thinks that for oboists, especially the ones performing early music, learning about this part of history of their instrument is necessary.<br/><br/>

Authors and Affiliations

Jan Hutek

Keywords

Related Articles

Sztuka preludiowania na flecie poprzecznym w XVIII wieku we Francji

In the 18th century, there were two types of preludes. The first type was a part of a music piece (written by a composer) at its very beginning, with a diversified construction (e.g. prélude in French suites or prelude t...

Laboratorium IV

Laboratorium IV<br/><br/>

Church songs in the 21st century. An introduction to their evaluation from artistic, liturgical and hymnological perspectives

Since new religious songs were written in 1960s, the field of hymnology has not succeeded in creating an appropriate way how they should be classified and studied as they are usually analysed in reference to a classical...

Muzyczne portrety kobiet w twórczości klawesynowej François Couperina

Styl francuski do dziś ma szczególne miejsce w rozwoju muzyki klawesynowej. Pośród wielu znakomitych kompozytorów z tego okresu wyróżnia się niewątpliwie mistrz miniatury ilustracyjnej François Couperin, zwany przez wspó...

Suita barokowa jako schemat konstrukcyjny powieści Jonathana Littella "Łaskawe"

Uhonorowana prestiżowymi nagrodami powieść Jonathana Littella Łaskawe jest interesującą próbą opowiedzenia o drugiej wojnie światowej i Zagładzie z pozycji esesmana. Autor kreuje narratora pierwszoosobowego, który z defi...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP518015
  • DOI -
  • Views 56
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Jan Hutek (2014). Oboe ensembles in the 17th and 18th centuries – the origin, development and repertoire. Notes Muzyczny, 2(2), 38-54. https://www.europub.co.uk/articles/-A-518015