The oboe da caccia (literally "hunting oboe" in Italian) 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 a brass bell, unusual for an oboe.
Its range is close to that of the English horn—that is, from the F below middle C (notated c1 but sounding f) to the G above the treble staff (notated d3 but sounding g2). The...
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The oboe da caccia (literally "hunting oboe" in Italian) 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 a brass bell, unusual for an oboe.
Its range is close to that of the English horn—that is, from the F below middle C (notated c1 but sounding f) to the G above the treble staff (notated d3 but sounding g2). 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. Bach tended to favor the middle and lowest registers, however, perhaps because they are the most characteristic ones for this instrument.
The instrument was likely invented by J.H. Eichentopf of Leipzig, Germany. The first dated reference to the oboe da caccia is 1722, when composer Johann Friedrich Fasch ordered "Waldhautbois" from Leipzig for the court at Zerbst....
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