The oboe d'amore (literally: oboe of love), a woodwind instrument, is a somewhat obsolete variant of the far more common oboe. Basically, the oboe d'amore is an alto oboe. It uses a double reed, but instead of being connected to a staple, which is inserted directly into the instrument on the standard oboe, it is attached to a curved metal "crook" which extends extends from the top of the instrument. The oboe d'amore is slightly longer than the standard oboe, and as such, produces a lower, more mellow tone. Also, the bell flares out somewhat at end end, giving it a more bulbous appearance, which also contributes to the mellow aspect of the tone. The instrument is pitched a minor third lower than concert pitch (in A).
Most notably, it is associated with the works of Baroque masters such as Bach and Handel. Nearly forgotten about after the 18th century, it has again been revived in the 20th century and used by composers such as Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss.