Heckelphone

The Heckelphone is a woodwind instrument with a double reed and kugelartigem bell.

This musical instrument is a development of Bassettoboe. The Heckelphone sounds an octave lower than the oboe and is played by some oboist as a side instrument.

In 1904, the Heckelphone was first made ​​by the construction company Wilhelm Heckel Bassoon GmbH in Wiesbaden- Biebrich, after which it is named. Supposedly, the development of Heckelphons of Richard Wagner had been suggested, which, however, did not live to the manufacture of the instrument. Richard Strauss was also greatly interested in the development of Heckelphons and used it in some of his works, for example in the operas Salome and Elektra as well as in his Alpine Symphony. The baritone (also called bass oboe ) has a similar sound character, so that both instruments are also used mutually for each other.

Paul Hindemith wrote a trio for 1928 Heckelphone, Viola and Piano, Op 47 for the same occupation Graham Waterhouse Four epigraphs composed after Escher ( 1995). Hans Werner Henze used the instrument in an orchestra works, Wolfgang Rihm in the Passion setting Deus passage. Solo concerts there by Hans Mielenz (Concerto for Orchestra, Op Heckelphone and 60, composed in 1959 ) and Michael Denhoff ( Tableaux sombres for Heckelphone and Orchestra, Op 60, originated in 1990 ). Furthermore composed of contemporary composer Roland Vossebrecker (* 1965) specifically for the Heckelphone chamber music works such as: First Trio for Oboe, Heckelphone and piano (2006 ) For Heckelphone and piano (2009), Second Trio for Oboe, Heckelphone and Piano ( 2009).

Well-known example is Heckelphonist Albrecht Bode, he devoted himself intensively to the Heckelphone since 2005, with which it occurs in numerous orchestras and internationally ( uA Deutsches Symphonie -Orchester Berlin, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival, London Proms, Opera Valencia).

In addition to the Heckelphone in C instruments were also in F ( Pikkoloheckelphon ) and It ( Terzheckelphon ) built, which have, however, not enforced.