heckelphone

The heckelphone was developed in 1904 by Wilhelm Heckel at the request of Richard Wagner, who desired a powerful double-reed instrument that could project over a full orchestra. Pitched in C, one octave below the oboe, it produces a remarkably full, dark tone that sits between the oboe and bassoon in character, with greater volume and projection than the English horn. Only about 165 heckelphones have ever been made, making it one of the rarest orchestral instruments. Richard Strauss wrote prominently for it in Salome and Elektra, and it appears in works by Hindemith and Delius. Its rarity means that parts written for heckelphone are often played on bass oboe or English horn, though neither truly replicates its distinctive sonority.