Construction
The oboe da caccia has a leather-covered wooden body terminating in a brass bell similar to a horn bell. There are typically two brass keys, E-flat and C. The E-flat key is typically repeated for the left hand. There are usually two "doubled" fingerholes, G/A-flat and F/F#, similar to the soprano baroque oboe. The construction differs from that of all other woodwinds. The bore and outward profiles are first created on the lathe, then a series of saw kerfs are made through the bore from the side, which become the inner curve. Then the instrument is bent over steam and a slat glued onto the inside curve to fix it. Any remaining lacunae in the kerfs are filled and the curved section is covered with leather. The da caccia is played with a double reed; the sound is very mellow and supple.
The oboe da caccia stands in a rather unusual relationship to the rest of the oboe family. It cannot rightly be called the precursor of the English horn (the predominant name in North America and German-speaking countries) or cor anglais (the name used in England and France), because it has nothing to do with this instrument except its register. The English horn has an egg-shaped bell, whereas the da caccia has a flared brass one. The evolution of the English horn is complex and more likely traceable through the taille (see above) and the oboe d'amore, both of which had bulbous bells. The da caccia sounds like none of the foregoing, per se, and no other instrument may legitimately substitute for it—although the English horn is routinely substituted for both the oboe d'amore and oboe da caccia in performances with modern instruments.
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