Definition

1. Noun:
   • A double-reed woodwind instrument: The English horn is a musical instrument belonging to the woodwind family. It is similar in construction and fingering to the oboe but is larger and has a lower, more mellow, and melancholic pitch. Its sound is produced by vibrating two reeds tied together.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The solo for the English horn in Dvořák's "New World Symphony" is famous.
  • She is the principal English horn player for the city's symphony orchestra.
  • The composer specified a mournful melody for the English horn in the second movement.

Advanced Usage

• "To play the English horn": This phrase describes the action of performing music on this specific instrument.
  • He learned to play the English horn after mastering the oboe.

Variants and Related Words

• Cor anglais: This is the standard term for the instrument in British English and many other languages. "English horn" is primarily used in American English.
  • The score lists the part for cor anglais.

Synonyms

• Cor anglais: The British English term, directly equivalent.
• Alto oboe: A descriptive term highlighting its relationship to the oboe and its pitch range.

Notes on Meaning

• Despite its name, the English horn is neither English nor a horn. It is believed the name is a corruption of the French phrase (angled horn), referring to its historically curved shape, which was later misunderstood as (English horn). It is a woodwind instrument, not a brass horn.

Noun

1. a double-reed woodwind instrument similar to an oboe but lower in pitch