Editors Note: Philip West is a member of the faculty of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he works with wind chamber music. He spends his summers on the faculty of the Aspen Festival in Colorado.
The enrichment of our repertoire is a continuing concern of oboists, and I am glad to be able to report on three works whose first performances I have given and which I can recommend very highly. They are Amazing Grace, variations for solo oboe by John Harbison soon to be published by Schirmer; Songs of Remembrance for mezzo-soprano, alto shawm, English horn, and oboe (one player) by Richard Wernick and published by Theodore Presser, and Jeux by Gilbert Amy published by Universal. The first two works were written for me and I gave the first performances, and the Amy work was given its American premiere by me.
The Harbison work is a virtuosic set of variations on the old American hymn tune, "Amazing Grace," using multiphonic sounds and other devices to simulate polyphonic textures. It has a strong sense of line and exploits the "idea" of grace notes extensively and brilliantly. It has been very successful with audiences. It is a very difficult work.
Songs of Remembrance is a work written for my wife, Jan DeGaetani and me, utilizing my experiences as a shawm player in the New York Pro Musica under the late Noah Greenberg. However, the alto shawm part can be played on English horn if you have no shawm. The Songs are a beautiful and serious work. The first song is in Greek, and calls for alto shawm; the second and third are in Latin, and call for English horn; the fourth, in English, uses oboe. The first and third songs are quite big - loud and with much motion. The second and fourth are very quiet and with unusually long and subtly nuanced lines. The Songs have been warmly received by audiences and are recorded by Nonesuch.
Jeux is called a "piece to assemble" by its composer. The directions published with the piece are not too clear; however, some thought and a hint or two will bring a performance of interest and attractiveness. Jeux is written to be played by one, two, three, or four oboists or in a version with pre-recorded tape (do it yourself) which is the version I have used. The structure of the work allows for greater or lesser amounts of improvisation and has wide aleatoric aspects. Nine "sequences" are provided to be performed in any effective order and to be interrupted by "tropes" at selected times. The "sequences" would be performed at contrasting or complementary moments by the second, third and fourth oboist or by the lone performer against a previously prepared tape (the way in which I have performed the work). Certain other material can be interpolated at places in the work. Although the composer asks for a completely spontaneous performance, this is not practically possible; however, the options for change and variety are very stimulating.
So, here are three works very much in the mainstream of 1970's music, successful with audiences and musically and technically challenging. I recommend them highly.