Getting the right sound on the oboe is an important part of an oboe-player's skill. It's not only getting the sound, it's knowing what kind of sound you want. To some extent this depends on what kind of music you are playing and whether you are a soloist or part of an ensemble. If you are playing one note in a chord being played by other wind instruments, maybe in an orchestral piece or a wind quintet, it is important to blend the sound with the other instruments as much as possible.
Obviously, an oboe will never sound the same as a flute or a clarinet, so the blend of wind instruments in an ensemble will never match the unity of a string quartet. But this contrast can be used by composers to advantage, because individual melodic strands can be picked out more clearly using wind instruments, something that is much harder to achieve between, say, first and second violins.
Emma Feilding talks about the sounds and moods she aims to produce.
