Woodwind instrument | |
---|---|
Classification | |
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.112-71 (Double reed aerophone with keys) |
Developed | about 1720 from the oboe da caccia |
Playing range | |
|
|
Related instruments | |
The cor anglais (UK /ˌkɔːr ˈɒŋɡleɪ/, US /ˌkɔːr ɑːŋˈɡleɪ/ or original French: [kɔʁ ɑ̃ɡlɛ];plural: cors anglais) or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe.
The cor anglais is a transposing instrument pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe (a C instrument). This means that music for the cor anglais is written a perfect fifth higher than the instrument actually sounds. The fingering and playing technique used for the cor anglais are essentially the same as those of the oboe and oboists typically double on the cor anglais when required. The cor anglais normally lacks the lowest B♭ key found on most oboes and so its sounding range stretches from E3 (written B♮) below middle C to C6 two octaves above middle C.