The cor anglais (French for "English horn") is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe, and is therefore a transposing instrument. Despite its name, it is neither English nor a horn; the name is believed to be a corruption of cor anglé (angled horn) or cor à l'anglaise (horn in the English style, possibly referring to a type of hunting horn or a folk instrument).
Characteristics
Construction
The cor anglais is similar in construction to the oboe but is larger, measuring approximately 80–85 cm (31–33 inches) in length. It typically features a slightly bent metal tube called a bocal or crook, onto which the double reed is affixed. The instrument also has a distinctive pear-shaped bell (called an amphora or Liebesfuss) which contributes significantly to its characteristic timbre.
Sound and Range
The tone of the cor anglais is generally described as more mellow, melancholic, and less incisive than that of the oboe, with a rich, veiled, and often poignant quality. Its playable range extends from the E below middle C (E3) to the G or A two octaves above (G5 or A5), though the highest notes are less commonly used in orchestral writing due to their comparative difficulty and less characteristic tone.
Transposition
Music for the cor anglais is written a perfect fifth higher than it sounds. For example, a written C will sound as an F a perfect fifth below.
History and Development
The instrument evolved from the oboe da caccia and similar alto oboes of the Baroque era. Its modern form with the bent crook and pear-shaped bell began to emerge in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, notably through the work of instrument makers like Brod and Triébert. Its adoption into the symphony orchestra became more widespread in the Romantic period.
Repertoire
The cor anglais is a standard member of the modern symphony orchestra, often appearing in pairs with the oboes or as a solo voice. It is also used in chamber music and occasionally as a solo instrument. Notable examples of its use in orchestral literature include:
- Hector Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture (prominent solo)
- Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" (second movement solo)
- Jean Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela (primary solo voice)
- Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major (second movement solo)
- Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Act III shepherd's pipe solo)
- Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
- Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
Its distinctive voice lends itself particularly well to passages of introspective, pastoral, or melancholic character.