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 Oboe da caccia | |
| Woodwind instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.112 (Double-reeded aerophone with keys) |
| Developed | Eighteenth century |
| Related instruments | |
The oboe da caccia (pronounced [ˈɔːboe da (k)ˈkattʃa]; literally "hunting oboe" in Italian), also sometimes referred to as an oboe da silva, is a double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family, pitched a fifth below the oboe and used primarily in the Baroque period of European classical music. It has a curved tube, and in the case of instruments by Eichentopf (and modern copies of same), a brass bell, unusual for an oboe.
Its range is close to that of the cor anglais—that is, from the F below middle C (notated C4 but sounding F3) to the D above the treble staff (notated D6 but sounding G5). The oboe da caccia is thus a transposing instrument in F. The notated range is identical to that of the soprano baroque oboe, and with a good reed, all registers speak very easily. Johann Sebastian Bach tended to favor the middle and lowest registers, however, perhaps because they are the most characteristic ones for this instrument.