During a pleasant visit with Dan Stolper in Michigan in November, 1983, he asked me to write a few lines about the oboe playing in Norway. I think I can best do that by addressing the various subjects we discussed in turn.
As far as instruments, we use everything here -- Marigaux, Rigoutat, Dupin, Howarth, Lorée, and Patriccola. For cane, most people use Hauck, some use Leibacher, some Glotin, and some Alliaud. Usually players gouge their own cane.
The competition for jobs here is getting very fierce. Of course one must survive an audition. If, for example, thirty apply for a given job, we have a first round behind a screen where each candidate plays one movement (usually of the Mozart), then for the next round, one usually gets down to between 8-10, where one performs the second and third movements of the set piece plus some of the orchestral repertoire, which has been sent to candidates a week before; from there one can usually bring it down to a finale of three or four players in which they play a piece they've chosen themselves plus more orchestral works and eventually sight reading. If the jury can still not agree or there is a tie in the voting one uses the 3-month trial-in-the-job method. I would think this approach is probably used all over the world by now. We do not use taped auditions at all. It would be most difficult for a U.S. oboist to get a job in Norway, not merely to win the audition but then to get a working permit.
The leading oboe teachers in this area are Erik Nord-Larssen, solo oboe of the Oslo Philharmonic and Alf Nilsson, solo oboe of the Stockholm Philharmonic, also Herr Hammergaard in Denmark.
About reeds -- I don't know how typical mine are but they are the ones I know best! I use a short scrape and thus a thinner gouge (.55 mm in the middle, .36-.38 mm. on the sides after shaping). My reeds are 72 mm. long, using 47 mm. staples, the cane showing over the binding thread about 26 mm. and the length of the scrape 10 1/2-11 mm. I have a "clock" made by Michel which enables me to measure the tip of the reed which I thin to .05 mm. on the sides, .10 mm in the middle. If the tip is correctly made the reed should start vibrating at this point. Then I have to finish the lay and hope I have a reed that will do the job.
My friend and colleague Helen Rosing has helped me put together a short list of Scandinavian oboe music which I hope will be of interest. I am further indebted to Norsk Musikforlag. This list especially as regards Denmark is by no means complete but includes, I think, most of the music which is generally played by oboists here.
Johan Kvandal: Concerto for Oboe and Strings, Op. 46. Norsk Musikforlag.
Finn Mortensen: Sonatina for Oboe and Piano, Op. 15. Norsk Musikforlag.
Oisbein Sommerfeldt: Divertimento for Oboe Solo, Op. 41. Norsk Musikforlag.
Trygve Madsen: Sonata for Oboe and Piano. Musikkhuset A.S.
Erik Hovland: Variations for Oboe and Piano. Norsk Musikforlag.
Erland von Koch: Monolog No. 2 for oboe solo (or English horn). Gehrmans Musikforlag. Stockholm.
Lars Erik Larsson: Gncertino for Oboe and Strings, Op. 45, No. 2. Gehrmans Musikforlag, Stockholm.
Lars Erik Larsson: Aubadefor Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 63. Gehrmans Musikforlag, Stockholm.
Lille Bor Soderlundh: Concertino for Oboe and String Orchestra (1944). Hans Busch's Musikforlag, Stockholm.
Bo Linde: Miniature Suite for Oboe and String Orchestra (or String Quartet) (1956). Hans Busch's Musikforlag, Stockholm.
Bernhard Crusell: Divertimento for Oboe and String Quartet (1775-1838). Peters.
Gunnar de Framerie: Concertino for Oboe (with Strings, Harp and Percussion), Op. 54 (1960). Gehrmans Musikforlag, Stockholm.
Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758): Trio Sonata in GMinor; Nordiska; Concerto for Oboe d'Amore(D Major); Concerto for Oboe (in B-flat Major). These concerti available in microfilm form from Uppsala University.
Jan Carlstedt: Divertimento for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 17 (1962). Radio Prag.
Carl Nielsen: Wind Quintet; Fantasy Piecesfor Oboe and Piano. Wilhelm Hansen.
Finn Höfftings: Dialogues for Oboe and Clarinet. Wilhelm Hansen.