Musical Instrument: English Horn

Musical Instrument: English Horn

The English horn also has a second name - alto oboe, and belongs to the instrument of the woodwind group. It was constructed from a hunting oboe by adding a bell to it. At first, the tool was curved in the shape of an arc, but later acquired an elongated appearance.

A modern instrument in its structure really looks like an oboe, but its dimensions are slightly larger and the pear-shaped bell is that you can’t confuse with anything. And the sound is different from his close relative. The English horn sounds softer, with a pleasant thick and full tone. The instrument entered the symphony orchestra in the middle in the middle of the 18th century and since then has become a full participant. The first composer who drew attention to this instrument was K. Gluck, he used it in his opera Orpheus and Eurydice.

In fact, the English horn received its name because of the misinterpretation of the French word anglais. It would be correct to translate this word as "angled". There is another interesting version of the origin of the word English. Presumably, the first versions of the horn looked like pipes, with which angels were usually painted on canvases at that time. Thus, the German word engellisch (angelic) was transformed into englisch (English).