Oboe d'amore
From AudioLexic
The oboe d'amore is a woodwind instrument. It is a member of the double reed family, very similar to the oboe. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the mezzo-soprano or alto of the oboe family. It is a transposing instrument, sounding a minor third lower than it is notated, i.e. in A. The bell is pear-shaped, similar to that of the larger English horn, and it uses a bocal also similar to an English horn but shorter in length than the English horn's bocal.
The oboe d'amore was invented in the 18th century and was first used by Christoph Graupner in Wie wunderbar ist Gottes Güt. Pieces were frequently written for the oboe d'amore by Johann Sebastian Bach including a concerto, many of his cantatas, and the "In Spiritum Sanctum" movement of his Mass in B minor. Georg Philipp Telemann also employed the oboe d'amore from time to time.
After losing popularity in the late 18th century, the oboe d'amore remained rare for about 100 years, until composers began using it once again at the end of the 19th century, such as Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Frederick Delius, and others. Its most famous modern usage is in "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel.
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