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The Oboe, the most prominent and historically the most important member of the woodwind family of instruments is a double-reed instrument that is descended from the earlier and coarser shawm. Its name is anglicised as an Italian version of the French word hautbois (high wood), stemming from its earlier association with louder, outdoor music. The first half of the eighteenth century, with the rise of the solo concerto, brought a number of such works for the oboe, reflecting the various technical changes in the form of the instrument, slightly extending its range and making it very much more flexible and responsive than the cruder shawm of the streets. |