Woodwinds · Oboe family
Cor Anglais
The alto oboe in F, with a pear-shaped bell and a bent metal crook. Darker and more melancholy than the oboe. Also called English horn.
- Section
- Woodwinds
- Family
- Oboe family
- Classification
- Aerophone · double reed
- Transposition
- In F, written a perfect 5th higher
- Clefs
- Treble
- Sounding range
- E3 – C6
Parts of the cor anglais
Photo: Hustvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Labels added by Musicians Tools.
Range
C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8
Written B3 to G6. Some players reach written A6. Playback uses a neutral tone, not the instrument's own sound.
Writing for the cor anglais
- Written a perfect fifth higher than it sounds, in treble clef.
- Usually played by an oboist; leave time to switch instruments.
- The middle register is the most characteristic: dark, veiled and vocal.
- Long, slow solos are its strength; the highest notes are thin.
History
The cor anglais developed in the early 18th century from the oboe da caccia. The name means “English horn”, although it is neither English nor a horn; its origin is disputed. Romantic composers made it the voice of distance and longing.
Listen
Key works featuring the cor anglais. Each link opens a YouTube search, so you can pick the recording you like.
- Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, Largo
- Sibelius – The Swan of Tuonela
- Wagner – Tristan und Isolde, Act 3 (shepherd's tune)
- Rossini – William Tell Overture
Useful tools
Oboe family
Also in the family (pages coming):Oboe d'amoreHeckelphone
Ancestors:Oboe da caccia