Oboe d'Amore

Like the oboe and the English horn, the oboe d’amore (hautbois d’amour/oboe of love) is a double-reed woodwind instrument, covering the mezzo soprano register. The term “d’amore” dates from the Renaissance period and is based on the instrument’s warm, lyrical, and mellow sound character that is more comparable with the French horn than the oboe. The instrument is slightly larger (longer) than the oboe and has a distinctive, pear-shaped bell. Although it was commonly used in the Baroque era, the instrument was gradually displaced by the English horn and the oboe.