What kind of musical instrument is a heckelphone?
heckelphone, also spelled Heckelphon, double-reed woodwind instrument resembling the baritone oboe. It was perfected by Wilhelm Heckel in 1904 as a result of a request from the composer Richard Wagner about 20 years earlier for a low-register instrument combining the qualities of the oboe and the alphorn.
How many heckelphone exist?
For all its potential in adding weight to the lower registers of the woodwind section, the heckelphone remains a rarity on the orchestral scene—only about 150 heckelphones have been produced, of which around 100 are believed to be extant—and is seldom carried on the regular roster of professional orchestras.
Who invented the heckelphone?
A relative of the oboe, the heckelphone is a double reed instrument invented in the early 1900s by German instrument maker Wilhelm Heckel. It was intended to fill the gap between the cor anglais (English horn) and the bassoon.
Where is the heckelphone from?
This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The piccolo heckelphone is a very rare woodwind instrument invented in 1904 by the firm of Wilhelm Heckel in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Germany.
What is bass oboe?
The bass oboe or baritone oboe (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the tenor oboe) is a double reed instrument in the woodwind family.
How does a lute sound?
While the essential design of the instrument (six pairs of strings tuned in fourths, with a third in the middle) is similar to that of the modern guitar, the sound is very different: low-tension gut-stringing and the peculiar resonance of its pear-shaped body give the sound of the lute a delicacy and richness which …
What is a Thelarr?
A thelarr was a simple wind instrument cut from a reed. It was considered a rustic longhorn.
What are big oboes called?
The cor anglais is a larger relative of the oboe, lower in pitch and is often featured for its more resonant, melancholy tone.
What is the loudest musical instrument?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the loudest (and largest) instrument in the world is the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ. This pipe organ was built by the Midmer-Losh Organ Company, and is housed in the Main Auditorium of the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
What kind of instrument is the heckelphone?
Heckelphone, also spelled Heckelphon, double-reed woodwindinstrument resembling the baritone oboe. It was perfected by Wilhelm Heckel in 1904 as a result of a request from the composer Richard Wagnerabout 20 years earlier for a low-register instrument combining the qualities of the oboe and the alphorn.
What makes a heckelphone different from an oboe?
General characteristics. The heckelphone is a double reed instrument of the oboe family, but with a wider bore and hence a heavier and more penetrating tone. It is pitched an octave below the oboe and furnished with an additional semitone taking its range down to A. It was intended to provide a broad oboe-like sound in the middle register…
What does a muting bell on a heckelphone do?
An alternate second bell, called a “muting” bell, is also available, which serves to muffle the instrument for playing in a small ensemble. This arrangement is unique among double-reed instruments.
Who are some famous people who play the heckelphone?
Competent players are thus rare. The most prominent American heckelphone players now are Mark Perchanok and Andrew Shreeves, both of New York City. Shreeves plays regularly with the Metropolitan Opera while Perchanok has performed many new and older compositions for the instrument and has recorded with the Paul Winter Consort.