Have you ever seen a contrabassoon live? Unusual instruments in the archive
An orchestra is more than violins and trumpets. The archive hides rare guests too – the contrabassoon, the oboe d'amore, the mandolin. A few tips on what to look for.
A symphony orchestra has its regular lineup–but from time to time, an instrument appears that catches even an experienced listener's attention. Here are a few such instruments that will make you say, “I've never seen or heard this instrument before”–and I really want to finally see what it looks like and hear what it sounds like.“
The contrabassoon–the deepest voice in the orchestra. An octave lower than the bassoon, with a deep, slightly growling tone (these days it's often used as an exclusive partner for electronic music–e.g., Acher's opera), which you feel in your gut before you even hear it. Notice when it comes in–usually when the composer needs a solid foundation for the entire orchestra. Take a look at the contrabassoon.
Oboe d'amore–”oboe of love.“ The softer, more velvety cousin of the oboe, somewhere halfway to the English horn. Bach made it famous, and its distinctive, nostalgic timbre continues to color melodies to this day. Check out the oboe d'amore. The mandolin in the orchestra–a surprise on the strings. An instrument we tend to associate with a song sung beneath a balcony sometimes finds its way into the midst of a large orchestra–and immediately sounds like a greeting from another world. Even Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schönberg didn't hesitate to use the mandolin, but when it does sound, few people overlook it. Check out and listen to the mandolin in the orchestra.
How to find them? In the Solos section, the repertoire is organized by instrument–choose yours and discover where it has been featured. Or simply enter the instrument's name into the search bar. Do you have a favorite ”unusual“ instrument that you'd like to hear in the archive? Write to us!
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