Introducing the Oboe d'amore

"It can conjure up any emotions you might associate with love be that melancholy, calm, content or even rustic happiness."
OAE oboe Alexandra Bellamy introduces the oboe d'amore; the alto member of the oboe family.
Definition: ‘Obbligato’
Bach included many ‘obbligato’ arias in his works. The Italian word ‘obbligato’ means literally ‘obligatory’ or ‘fixed’. In Bach’s music, the instrumental solo in the aria was indispensable and practically equal to the voice part, shared much of its thematic material and usually began and ended the aria.
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[@freedemonhugs]

this instrument sounds really nice but it looks like a giant pepper grinder

[@bobcharlie2337]

Or like the world's fanciest recorder. It is a lovely instrument.

[@robbedoeslegrand236]

@The Tired Horizon Make shure you clean it really well, otherwise the orchestra will start sneezing when you start playing.

[@Fmajor7]

Bob Charlie that'd the great contrabass by Paetzold 🤩

[@AidanMmusic96]

This should definitely be a thing: writing for instruments but using quirky descriptions to name them.

[@firelunamoon]

@@AidanMmusic96 Concerto for pepper grinder oboe :D

[@yugandali]

I'm older than the internet, so I really appreciate this kind of video. Before, you might be able to find a book with information about an obscure instrument like this, but probably not; even if you did, you might have a picture to look at and imagine. Now we can see and hear this beautiful instrument. Thanks to Ms Bellamy and thanks to the internet.

[@CurtisBooksMusic]

Great phrasing and circular breathing Ms Bellamy

[@alexandrabellamy609]

Thank you! No circular breathing though actually just a long breath..

[@TheMarkEH]

It is a privilege to be able to listen to this virtuoso musician demonstrate the Oboe d'amore and to hear her informative tutorial. Thank you for taking the trouble to create this video, I enjoyed it.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Bach wrote music for the Oboe D'amore aka Baroque Alto Oboe (or in Bret Newton Terms Mezzo-Soprano Oboe) because what it does, is it puts the music into a much easier key. The Music for all members of the Oboe Family is written based on the Fingerings (really important thing to keep in mind) so that way an Oboist can become an instant Multi-instrumentalist by having Oboes in a whole variety of Keys.

[@saidtoshimaru1832]

D' amore indeed.

[@cybmeister1032]

🌹💜🎵🎨

[@Ocelot2000]

Every piece I write for full orchestra has the d’Amore in it. Beautifully played on that ancient style instrument.

[@idraote]

I'm bewitched. Never knew this instrument even existed, but I must say I love it already. I like the oboe, but this is even better. Soft, mellow, warm, even seductive. It probably hasn't got that much of a projection, but I don't see that as important. It's also quite beautiful to look at, the near lack of keys only adds to its charm, but it's the sound that is mesmerising. I'd love to own one (don't know whether I could afford it, though). Many thanks to the lady who demonstrated it so well.

[@Jared_De_Leon]

I wish the Clarinet D'amour received the same amount of attention, it's one of the only D'amour instruments that never really caught on.

[@EvanThee]

Your solo at the beginning gave me goosebumps

[@ProactiveYellow]

Seeing oboes of any sort without all the keywork is always strange as a modern orchestra member (F Horn). This sound is a wonderful blend between the soprano oboe and Cor anglais, and it seems a beautiful color.

[@blueeyedbehr]

the key noise can sometimes be distracting, so i like the historic instrument better for that reason.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@blueeyedbehr That would be unless they oiled the keys.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

it's what we call a mezzo-soprano Oboe in Bret Newton terms. English Horn is basically an F Alto Oboe.

[@AvGeekW159]

This makes me want a Flute d'amore video. Videos are so rare so one from the OAE woukd be the magnum corpus of existing literature.

[@repeatdefender6032]

beautiful! oboe and bassoon are my favorite woodwinds, i got to play the bassoon in high school concert band and i loved it. i’ve always wanted to buy one but other instruments keep being more necessary and I could never afford one.

[@lucyf9034]

That was lovely. Thank you!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

On most Modern Oboes the lowest note is a Bb, although they now make Oboes that can play one more note lower than that down to Low A (eventually they could extend that down to Low F).

[@paulobarbosa3638]

Ritmo é o elemento que se baseia na realidade ordenada do tempo.

[@LendallPitts]

Spectacular playing!

[@dimitreze]

did Bach play the Oboe? or he just wrote the melody knowing how it would work?

[@alexandrabellamy609]

Bach didn’t play the oboe, he was a viola and keyboard player. But it seems he had a very good understanding of the instrument - his oboe parts are lovely to play!

[@elleboman8465]

He did not play it (as far as I know), but like most great composers Bach had a deep understanding of the advantages and limitations of all the instruments of his era, not only in terms of sound quality but also of the actual mechanics, good/bad keys, good/bad notes and leaps (a big deal for us double reed players), and tons of other subtle performance details.

[@FictionWriter95]

I'm a composer, and one of the things that I spend the most time doing while preparing to work on a new piece is studying the instruments I'm working with. I have two orchestration manuals within arms' reach at all times whenever I'm working, plus the Internet is always available. After a while of this sort of intensive study, you develop a level of intuition about what instruments are best suited for what melody. For instance, I know to (usually) not give stratospheric parts to the clarinet, because A) even the best players have some difficulty getting those notes out without a harsh squeaking sound, and B) they sound quite shrill even when played correctly. Now take that, and add in the fact that Bach was totally immersed in music, even as a child; the Bach's were a musical family, so much so that, in the region of Germany where he and most of his family lived, the word "Bach" became synonymous with "musician". Bach didn't play the oboe himself, but he might as well have, given how much theoretical study and practical experience he must have had with it.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

3:23 Wer Sitzt (essentially Qui Sedes in German) from Bach's B Minor Mass is in that Key. The Key of B Minor used to be a much Harder Key for the C Soprano Oboe because they didn't have enough Keys to provide easier fingerings for notes like G Sharp and A Sharp. On the A Mezzo-soprano Oboe, it becomes D Minor, a much easier Key.

[@AnishProductions]

Oh my God she sounds amazing 💓 such a clear and singing approach

[@chzx1996]

it has very elegant sound

[@MyItalianCircle]

Un bellissimo suono caldo. Grazie per questo video!

[@HaliPuppeh]

Absolutely beautiful playing, Ms. Bellamy. Thank you for opening my eyes as a composer to a new instrument with one of the most beautiful sounds.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

She has such a nice way of explaining things. Nice.

[@robloxmaniacdanceandshake7871]

Everyone loves the oboe.....One modern group is called 'One Alternative' from Pennsylvania.... a great jazz trio........

[@GabrielVelasco]

Fantastic tone. I'm pretty good at identifying instruments when I hear them, but it would have taken me some time to identify this as even a double reed instrument, let alone an oboe, if I had just heard a sound clip of it. Very, very nice.

[@alexandrabellamy609]

Thank you!

[@ilovebartok]

So interesting. Thank you for this.

[@danyelnicholas]

Thank you. I don’t quite understand though why we have to see so much green screen rather than the bell of this rare and beautiful instrument.

[@vilsa6576]

I play the oboe and this looks really cool! And hopefully I can play as good as you one day!

[@aaronscott5882]

An absolutely awesome instrument played amazingly!

[@Guuzaka]

The oboe of love sounds lovely. 💚🎵 I know, lame comment. 🤣😂

[@JaneDoe-ci3gj]

What a lovely comment that the oboe of love is lovely😘

[@britainonabudget]

Oh, thank you so much! I played the Quia Respexit on a modern oboe for a recital and it is such a treat to hear you play it so beautifully on such a magnificent instrument. Do you shape the reed differently or is it quite similar to the treble?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

It's the same Reed just slightly bigger

[@phwbooth]

Most interesting, ma'am. Hats off to Herr Gleditsch, say I!

[@alexandrabellamy609]

Thanks very much! Yes, Gleditsch was obviously a phenomenal player.

[@JaneDoe-ci3gj]

Love this video, love the playing💟🎶 and the knowledge and the graphics!😊👍 Would have been interesting to hear the treble oboe to compare the sound.

[@JesusFriedChrist]

Absolutely delightful

[@tom_szcz_org]

Are d’amore scores written in A like modern clarinets or do you read in C like the treble oboe? Or perhaps maybe in another clef?

[@alexandrabellamy609]

The sound is a third lower than what you’re reading so the d’amore part is transposed a third higher than the other instruments - if it’s in C major then it sounds A major. Sometimes you have to transpose at sight too!

[@tom_szcz_org]

Ok. Thank you very much for your reply. I wondered because I’ve seen Bach scores where the oboe d’amore part was written as sounds without transposition.

[@firelunamoon]

@@alexandrabellamy609 Does that mean the score is sometimes written at pitch and the oboist has to mentally transpose as they play?

[@antoniovidal4616]

@@firelunamoon Yes sometimes, but no big deal. It's just reading in bass cleff but paying attention to the completely different tonalities.

[@louis.croisez]

if you consider the blok flute, the fingering of the soprano is different of the fingering of the alto (for example), so that both instrument were able to read the same score without transposing. So in the case of baroque oboe, the fingering has been kept, but the score of one became incompatible for the other. So, my question is the following : why this choice for the oboe => keeping the same fingering, but obligation to transpose the score ?

[@gavrinmahaffey3656]

Superb playing!

[@donalddodson7365]

Very interesting. Would these original pre-Boehm instruments be harder to play in tune than modern oboes, D'Amores and Cor Anglais? Thank you.

[@the_eternal_student]

I love rustic happiness!

[@cindymarie7777]

I have sleep apnea and I'm looking to learn a double-reed wind instrument to play that has a beautiful sound. What would be easiest to learn?

[@jpsned]

If I had a ton of money I might consider buying my own oboe d'amore. But then I might not want to ever play regular oboe again!

[@ttvomg]

*Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment* Good content

[@the_eternal_student]

When she talks about playing in a different key than the written key or accompanying instruments, is she talking about transposing the fingerings or the actual sounds (I do not play a transposing instrument.)?

[@cateclism316]

A sound like that of a mellow cor anglais.

[@michaelreaper666]

Thanks cool video ..really interesting .. Thanks .. :)

[@sybil-roxanneclemons1333]

Oboetastic & Oborific

[@monarcanarede]

Hello of Brazil! How acquire one these?

[@aaronjorgefridman5662]

Sonido cálido y nostálgico. Hay que ubicarse en su época: el barroco

[@annabel7896]

Yes

[@griffinedwards1404]

Great video but one small quibble: isn't the oboe d'amore the mezzo soprano member of the oboe family, and the English horn the alto member?

[@alexandrabellamy609]

No the English horn is the tenor member of the oboe family. In the baroque period it was known as the oboe da caccia in Germany and the taille in France and England.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@alexandrabellamy609 Actually you're wrong, these days the English Horn is a True Alto Oboe, the Oboe D'amore on the Other hand is a Mezzo-Soprano Oboe cause it sounds like a Mezzo-Soprano (aka Deep Soprano) voice in terms of its range.

[@AidanMmusic96]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 Why are you challenging the video's specialist in this way?

[@scottblair3719]

CircuitsAndStrings 2 Mr Stern, I think I’d trust the actual expert. You can’t compare baroque instruments to modern ones. Within the context of an ensemble using period instruments the d’amore definitely serves as the alto. The English horn isn’t even an option as it’s anachronistic.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@scottblair3719 Bret Newton has relabeled the English Horn as a True F Alto Oboe, Oboe D'amore as a Mezzo-Soprano Oboe, Bass Oboe as the True Tenor Oboe (The Tenor Range is only an Octave below the Soprano Range) etc. That statement is now 18.5 years out of date

[@qwyyfluut]

Sounds like they overstate the sound constrasts between aerophones in A/Bb & C. Unless the bore breadth (innuendo intended) is noticeably different, there's very little difference in sound.

[@romulomello4755]

this would sound great accompanying a treble oboe

[@vivianbelissima]

mereviglioso

[@mattkim9024]

This is so interesting channel but why the subscribers don't get higher?

[@phlarrdboi]

help! i have no idea what was the point of the cut-away at 05:26 throw me a bone here, OAE!

[@helenasantana6483]

The 40 years of glory

[@rv706]

The final "e" in "d'amore" is not mute. It's Italian, not French. -- And, by the way, if "oboe d'amore" is understood as an Italian phrase (which it is), also the final "e" in "oboe" is pronounced: it.forvo.com/search/oboe/it/

[@JaxonBurn]

She actually is saying the “e” in “d’amore”, she’s just saying it quite quickly. You can hear it clearly at 2:30. She is, however, using the standard English pronunciation of Oboe, which I think is fine given that she is speaking, and is herself, English.

[@rv706]

@@JaxonBurn: I see, fair enough.. :)

[@pbl6888]

I'm not sure that "d'amore" has anything to do with love (although this instrument has a lovely sound). I believe "d'amore" comes from "da more" through a linguistic distorsion, "da more" meaning moorish, relating to its pear shaped bell.

[@Mr-Prasguerman]

SOPRAN BASSOON ?!?!

[@manoloramirez6456]

How much does that instrument cost

[@squeakD]

If Kenny G was alive in the 18th century, this would have been his instrument :-)

[@romulomello4755]

do all instruments have a "d'amore" version???? even clarinet has it

[@letsgobruins4977]

It sounds like a small bassoon

[@elleboman8465]

Yes! It sounds like there's a bassoon in the next room, playing along!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@elleboman8465 However it has a Mezzo-Soprano Voice so it's a Mezzo-Soprano Oboe.

[@johnwalters1341]

Ravel's Bolero has an oboe d'amore part.

[@magisterhpp]

It sounds like (the old) Dresden transposed in music.

[@phlarrdboi]

in this series they use bare vocab that is basically jargon like venting hole? this of course has a venting hole, which is waht makes the difference. Great. Thanks. Glad I gave u my advertising revenue clicks.

[@lapislazers2373]

I've played an oboe d'amore made by Loree. looks nothing like the one seen here

[@elcasettedelosmelofilos6652]

I looks like those snake charming instruments😂

[@TheSaltydog07]

Crossword puzzle word

[@Questchaun]

Do you have to make that face when you play it?

[@alexandrabellamy609]

Haha! It’s hard to look good playing the oboe!

[@fdarchives_]

We make strange faces when we puff on a blunt and there ain't no talent in that.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@alexandrabellamy609 Ok, so the Oboe D'amore is basically a Mezzo-Soprano Oboe cause it's a Mezzo Range. The English Horn isn't a Horn, it's an Alto Oboe in F. The Bass Oboe isn't a Bass voice it's a Tenor Oboe, then we come to the Contralto Oboe in F so it's a Baritone Oboe, next up the True Bass Oboe, the Sub-Bass, and finally the Subcontrabass Oboe. The members of the Oboe family by standard voice names are Sopranino, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Sub-Bass, & Contrabass. Naming the instruments by their range compared to a Choir Voice is rather interesting so we use standard names.

[@organist1982]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 I agree, except I've never heard of the contralto in F or the subcontrabass. Have these actually existed?

[@pauldavies8535]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 wrong

[@gojewla]

That’s more like an oboe deteste.

[@ttvomg]

*Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment* Good content