Heckelphon

As Printed on a Score

Printed in full as Heckelphon (or Heckelphone) over its own staff, abbreviated Heck. or Heckelph. on later systems. The part is written in treble clef an octave above the sound, like the bass oboe’s. Because few orchestras own one, performances sometimes substitute a bass oboe.

Abbreviations: Heck., Heckelph.

Also spelled: Heckelphone

How Composers Use It

A wide-bored baritone oboe, sounding an octave below the oboe down to about A2, with a fuller, more powerful tone than the bass oboe. Strauss gave it weight in Salome, Elektra and the Alpine Symphony, and Hindemith wrote a trio featuring it. Write it as the bass of the double reeds or as a dark solo color, and check availability before you score it, since instruments are rare.

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