Editor's Note: Graham Powning has been principal oboist of the Sydney Opera House orchestra since 1972, and has been lecturer in oboe at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music (from which he graduated in 1970) since 1971. He was born in Sydney in 1949. In addition to his orchestral duties and his teaching, he regularly broadcasts solo recitals and chamber music for Australian Broadcasting and he composes prolifically for the oboe and other wind instruments.
Making a survey of Australian composition for oboe is not an easy task, because so few pieces are published, performed, or broadcast. Most of the works have never received a first hearing, and are, probably lying on dusty shelves in capital cities around this vast continent. Since the end of World War II, Australian composers have been inspired mainly by the world-renowned talents of local performers such as Jiri Tancibudek and the late Ian Wilson plus visits by the eminent English oboist, Lady Barbirolli.
In order to make some sort of starting point, one could not go past the enormous output of the "father-figure" of Australian composers, Alfred Hill (1870-1960). His sonata in F major, for oboe and piano, is dedicated to Lady Barbirolli, and is an arrangement of a sonata that he composed in 1936 for violin, viola, cello, or clarinet. As the title page suggests, the specific requirements of good oboe writing were not fully taken into account. In the first place, the performer would need the stamina of a marathon runner to last the seventeen minutes of surging phrases and expansive episodes. Rests are very scarce, and relentless motific development soon induces embouchure fatigue. The main criticism of this work is that it has been conceived on too grand a scale--maybe a few discreet cuts could make it more appealing to performers. Structurally, the sonata is sound, and clearly shows the influence that Brahms had upon the young composer studying in Leipzig during the 1880's.
Alfred Hill's wife, Mirrie, is also a well-known figure in Australian musical creativity. Over the years she has written many pieces for woodwind instruments, mainly of an elementary nature to satisfy examination requirements. One short unaccompanied piece, however, is undoubtedly a gem. It is called Prelude, and is harmonically very interesting. Chromatic excursions evolve around a central E minor tonality whilst diverse motifs of a rather petulant character endow the piece with charm and variation. This is a most effective piece to perform, and shows all aspects of the oboe to advantage.
Margaret Sutherland (born 1897) is another senior figure in Australian composition. Being based in Melbourne, she inevitably came in contact with the artistry of Jiri Tancibudek, who recorded and performed many of her works. Her sonatina for oboe or violin and piano, is published by Kurrajong press, and is therefore readily available. The two outer movements are quite sprightly in nature, while the middle movement is a slow cantilena. Unfortunately, many passages do not lie very well under the fingers, and there is a great deal of use made of a register which is not exactly renowned for its attractive qualities--the extreme low notes, especially low B-flat's. The following example might sound quite effective on the G string of a violin, but many people have been turned away from performing it on the oboe.
One very pleasant work by this composer is a trio for oboe and two violins, which is skillfully written. Unfortunately, it is still only available in manuscript, and score form at that. A major piece is the Concertante for oboe and string orchestra, which contains four contrasting movements. Rhapsodic figures for the oboe abound in the work, and the balance between soloist and orchestra is always kept evenly poised.
Miriam Hyde (born 1913) is responsible for producing two very worthwhile pieces for oboe and piano, called Nightfall and Merrymaking. They were dedicated to Jiri Tancibudek, and in 1955 they won the A.P.R.A.-A.B.C. competition. The first piece is very dreamlike because of the nebulous harmonies which show the influence of Debussy. The second is like a scherzo in temperament, and after passing through many varied keys, a final reference is made to the broad theme of the first piece. It should be noted that the technical demands made upon the pianist are very high, and quite a reasonable amount of time should be set aside for rehearsing an ending which is quite tricky.
Undoubtedly, the greatest contributor to Australian oboe music is a man called Franz Holford, who resides in Sydney. His output over the past thirty years has been quite large, but unfortunately, many of his pieces have not been published or even received a first hearing, because of the high standards he has set himself, and his overwhelming modesty. My favorite piece is called "Summer Madrigal" which is dedicated to Lady Barbirolli. It consists of a cantabile melody on the oboe, over a rippling piano accompaniment, and towards the end of the piece there are some rhapsodic passages which soar effortlessly. A "Dance for a gnome" is dedicated to Jiri Tancibudek, and is a very impish piece, full of buoyant rhythms and humorous devices. "Pastorale" is dedicated to Lady Barbirolli and owes a great deal to the English "pastoral" school of composition. Some interesting echo effects are required, especially with respect to the question and answer routine used throughout. Coupled to this beautiful dialogue, is a rather flippant piece called "Goblin," which is dedicated to Leon Goossens. Good humour pervades this piece entirely, and is recommended as an ideal "encore" for the end of a recital. Three pieces were composed for Mary Murdoch, an English oboist who did some work in Sydney during the late 1950's. "Slumber Song" and "Dreamland," are nothing more than simple melodies with rich accompaniment, whilst "Arabesque" is a very elegant opus, with a contrasting middle section, and a final cadenza.
In 1974, I was fortunate enough to become the recipient of two pieces by this local composer. "Giga" is a light-hearted version of the familiar eighteenth century dance, and "Sarabande" is a respectful tribute to the stateliness of its Baroque forbear. Both these pieces are notable for their grace, charm and wit, thus making them welcome additions to one's repertoire.
At least four full-length sonatas have been composed by Franz Holford. As far as I know, the first two are in the care of Lady Barbirolli, the third has been recorded but the manuscript mislaid, and the fourth has fortunately been published. His fourth sonata is dedicated to Ian Wilson, and was included in many of his recitals. The first movement is very energetic, with irregular rhythmic patterns being interspersed by broad cantabile sections. The slow movement, entitled "Late Autumn" is one of the best written pieces I know for oboe. Over rather static chords in the piano, the oboe has the following rhapsodic passages, which give the performer ample opportunity to reveal how expressively he can mould a phrase.
The finale is more of a nightmare for the accompanist than the oboist, however a simple theme is seen in many guises and ultimately leads to a brilliant Presto section, which brings the work to a spectacular finish. Every facet of this sonata is well planned. The duration is about eight minutes, and generally every aspect of oboe playing is exploited.
As for the younger breed of composers, a standard arrangement seems to exist. This consists of a notable performer demonstrating modern devices (e.g. Bartolozzi chords) to one of these aspiring composers, in the hope that they will be some day used in a work. Composers such as Larry Stisky, Nigel Butterley, Richard Meale, and Felix Werden have all written pieces for oboe, but usually symbols are used to denote a chord or glissando. The results, of course, vary a great deal from player to player, and bring into serious question the use of aleatoric techniques. This, however, is a world phenomenon, and with recent visits to Australia by Heinz Holliger, as well as other notable performers, contemporary ideas have now been made known to the inhabitants of this once isolated continent. Australian oboists are now ready to contribute to the development of this particular field of musical research, and assume a firm place in the vanguard of future activities.