heckelphone
Noun: A double-reed woodwind instrument, similar to an oboe but larger and pitched an octave lower, giving it a deeper, more powerful tone. It fills the baritone range in the oboe family.
The word "heckelphone" is used to refer specifically to this musical instrument. It is a countable noun. * The composer included a solo for the heckelphone in the third movement. * Few orchestras have a dedicated heckelphone player.
- The deep, reedy sound of the heckelphone added a unique color to the ensemble.
- He is one of the few musicians who specializes in the heckelphone.
The instrument is named after its German inventor, Wilhelm Heckel. It is sometimes used in specific orchestral works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries to provide a somber or exotic quality.
- Heckelphone is the standard term. There is no common variant spelling.
- Baritone oboe is a general descriptive term for instruments in this range, of which the heckelphone is the most prominent and standardized type.
- Baritone oboe (This is a descriptive synonym, though "heckelphone" refers to the specific German design).
The word "heckelphone" has only one meaning: it refers exclusively to this specific musical instrument. It is not used idiomatically or in other contexts.
- an oboe pitched an octave below the ordinary oboe