Cor anglais

The cor anglais, or English horn, is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. It is pitched in F, a fifth lower than the oboe (a C instrument), and is consequently approximately one-third longer. Its pear-shaped bell gives it a somewhat more nasal, covered timbre than that of the oboe, being closer in tone quality to the oboe d'amore. As the oboe is the soprano instrument of the oboe family, the cor anglais is generally regarded as the alto member of the family; the oboe d'amore, pitched between the two in the key of A, is the mezzo-soprano member.

Nomenclature

"Cor anglais" is generally the name of the instrument used in Britain and culturally-affiliated countries; "English horn" is used in the United States.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite its name, the instrument is not thought to be English in origin. A common explanation of the name is that it is a corruption of the French cor anglé, meaning bent horn, although there is no certainty that this is the case. This probable misunderstanding gave birth to another one, the naming of the French horn, which is as French as the cor anglais is English.

Related Topics:
English - French - French horn

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~