OBAH — Plucked Strings. Africa. A triangular frame of wood with one corner inserted in a gourd and furnished with fiber strings. The gourd is held against the body when the instrument is played.
OBOE — Double-beating Reed. Europe. The name comes through the old English hoboe, from the French form hautbois, which signifies a wooden instrument with a high pitch. The tube is conical with a small bell at the lower extremity, and is fitted with a double reed mouthpiece. The reeds are fastened with silk thread to the brass staple which is inserted in the end of the instrument. The compass is two octaves and a half, with B below middle C as the lowest note. Some instruments have the lower B flat also. Keys closing holes near the end of the tube extend the compass by three notes. This instrument requires much less breath for blowing than does any of the other wind instruments, and rests found in scores are intended to allow the performer to exhale naturally, rather than to inhale. The oboe does not transpose.
It has an individual function in giving the pitch to the entire orchestra. This dates from the time of Handel, when the oboe was the most difficult instrument to tune in the orchestra. Now the clarinet, which has since come into use, might better do that work as it is even less tunable. The oboe can depict a variety of emotions, and its versatility and acute tone have caused it to find favor among orchestral composers. Extremely high or low notes have a rather harsh quality. The loud tones are piercing, yet the naturally gentle voice can tell of tenderness, innocence and pastoral scenes, and grief and pathos are characteristic emotions, although gaiety, when required, can be expressed.
OBOE DA CACCIA — Double-beating Reed. Europe. Old name for cor anglais. See cor anglais.
OBOE D' AMORE — Double-beating Reed. Europe. Oboe in A, a third lower than the ordinary oboe. It has a compass of a little over two octaves, and transposes a third lower. Its passing out of use is deplored by some writers because of its gentle, mellow voice. Bach recognized its good qualities, and made frequent use of the oboe d'amore. See oboe.
OCARINA - Whistle. Europe. A small, earthenware vessel with an egg-shaped body and nine or ten finger-holes. On one side is a projection to be used as a mouthpiece. It has no bell. The ocarina resembles a flageolet in tone and its fingering is like that of the flageolet. A set of them comprises bass in G, tenor in G, alto in C, soprano in G and high soprano in C. These are the modern representatives of the ancient Chinese hsüan, supposed to have been invented 3000 B. C. They have no value musically, but are interesting from their tonal individuality due to their peculiar cavity and the absence of a bell.
OCHINGUFU --- Sonorous Substances. Africa. This primitive instrument has a wooden body in the form of a deep box with an open top. It is struck with two beaters.
OCTAVE SPINET—Plucked Strings. Europe. A spinet tuned an octave above the ordinary pitch. These instruments were small and a place was often designed for them in the case of the ordinary spinet. They could be played alone, nevertheless. It is thought that their use with the larger instrument made the performance more brilliant.
O-DAIKO — Vibrating Membranes. Japan. A drum having a diameter of about two feet, used occasionally in temple services. It rests on a black lacquer stand and its surface is elaborately decorated with gold clouds or colored dragons. It is provided with handles as it sometimes appears in processions. It came from China.
OHOTNITCHIYEROG — See Russian horn.
OLIPHANT HORN — Cup Mouthpiece. Europe. A hunting horn made of elephant tusk and hence its name. Some examples are highly carved.
OLUMBENDO — Vertical Flute. Africa. A vertical flute of the north coast.
OMBI — Plucked Strings. Africa. The native harp of the Bakalai, a tribe near the equator. It is also popular among the tribes of the west coast. The body is box-like and over its open side is stretched a piece of skin, sometimes an elephant's ear, sometimes a snake skin. A long curved
neck of small circumference extends from one end of the body outward and upward. Fiber strings are stretched from the neck to a bridge, generally located within the sound-box.
ONION FLUTE Or FLUTE EUNUQUE — Vibrating Membranes. Europe. This consists of a conical tube of wood, the hole having at one end a covering of membrane over which is placed a perforated bulb. The instrument is played by humming into this hole. The name is due to the fact that in medieval times onion skin was often used in place of membrane. The childish method of humming upon a comb covered with paper has the principle of the onion flute.
OOMPOOCHAWA — Sonorous Substances. Africa. A zanze of the Ashantee tribe. See zanze.
OPHICLEIDE — Cup Mouthpiece. Europe. A brass instrument, the bass of the trumpet family, in existence during the Nineteenth Century and now obsolete. The application of keys made it an improvement upon the serpent. It was bent upon itself.
The etymology of the name is a combination of the Greek words for snake and door-key. It was invented in 1790 by Frichot, a Frenchman who had adopted London as a residence. Its disuse may be largely attributed to the fact that its peculiar quality of tone did not blend with the other instruments of the orchestra.
Spontini first introduced it into the operatic score, that of " Olympie " in 1819. Mendelssohn wrote parts for it in several pieces. A family consisted of bass in C, tenor in E flat, alto in E flat, soprano in B flat. It may be considered as the last representation of the side-hole principle in cup mouthpiece instruments. The compass was great, but always varied, for in its short life it underwent many changes and additions. In its completed form, it possessed as many as twelve keys.
ORCHESTRAL HORN — See French horn.
ORCHESTRINA DI CAMERA — Europe. Invented early in the Nineteenth Century by W. E. Evans of London. It consisted of a series of instruments built somewhat upon the principle of the harmonium. They were designed as their name signifies to act as a substitute for parts of the orchestra. They were placed upon a standard and were played by a keyboard operating upon a bellows. The bellows admitted air to pipes fitted with reeds so shaped and placed as to imitate almost perfectly the clarinet, flute, and numerous other wind instruments. Even the transposing instruments were provided with a shifting keyboard to render their use less complex. In addition to supplying vacancies in small orchestras, the inventor designed them to be used in duets or trios with other instruments.
ORGANISTRUM — A name applied to the hurdy gurdy in the Ninth Century.
ORGANO-PIANO — Europe. An instrument, in the up-right case of which was contained the workings of both an organ and a pianoforte. By means of stops the performer could control each instrument separately or in conjunction. The keys communicated with the hammers of the pianoforte action in much the usual way. The action of the organ was below the pianoforte action and the bellows were actuated by treadles. The valves were lifted by means of forks extending from the backs of the keys which communicated the motion through various methods. The instrument was of no practical use.
ORPHARION — See pandore.
ORPHICA — Bowed Strings. Europe. A clavier, which was in use during the latter part of the Eighteenth and earlier part of the Nineteenth Century. It was the invention of August Röllig in 1795. In form it was a recumbent harp attached to a box containing keys and mechanism. It was a portable affair and the celebrated Mary Cosway is painted as playing upon an orphica which she holds upon her lap. The instrument is fastened to her waist with a sash. It somewhat resembled a hurdy gurdy in that the strings were sounded by means of a bow placed within the instrument and worked automatically. Power was conveyed to the bow by means of pedals. For a further idea refer to piano-violin.
OSOBUKI — Vertical Flute. Japan. Bamboo or metal flute with side holes, and about a foot in length. The name is also applied to a short whistle not having finger-holes.
Ovo — Sonorous Substances. Japan. A temple instrument of wood carved to represent a recumbent tiger having a serrated back. A broom or a stalk of bamboo split into shreds is rubbed along the back at certain points in the ceremonies. The oyo resembles the Chinese vu. See yu.
OZEE — Vibrating Membranes. Burmah. A hand drum with a shell of wood shaped like a goblet and having heads of skin braced with strips of the same material.
