Three works for solo oboe have recently come to my attention and are deserving of comment.
The first, 3 Moods, was written for the late Janet Craxton by Michael Berkeley and was published by Oxford University Press in 1982. The range in each of the three movements never exceeds high E. The first is moderate in tempo and exploits legato playing in both scales and chords. The second is free and, although marked at a faster metronomic speed than number one, actually comes out sounding slower due to the larger note values. The third exploits articulating repeated 16th's throughout and is a good test of the oboist's ability to tongue low C's and D-flat's. This reviewer feels it to be a good piece worthy of a place on any program by a fine oboist.
Sunnyside was written in 1982 by Pierre-Petit and is published by A. Leduc. Dedicated to Pierre Pierlot, the great oboist- teacher of France, this work was a contest piece for the international competition of the Guild of Solo Artists in the same year. This is a most demanding work of 6-7 minutes duration. Consisting of free, dramatic opening passages, legato and lyrical sections, and medium speed articulated phrases, the piece comes to a dramatic climax with a stunning section which alternates between double-tongued 32nd notes and single-tongued 16th notes. The slow, dramatic opening is recalled briefly as the piece closes very quietly on a sustained high B. Although very difficult, this work could provide a wonderful display vehicle for the virtuoso performer.
The third and final work for solo oboe is titled Three Pieces and was written by Alan Richardson. Dedicated to his wife, the late Janet Craxton, the piece was published by Nova Music in 1981. The first piece, in common rhythm throughout, is characterized by very fast running slurred 16th note scalic passages, contrasted with runn ing articulated triplet 8th note passages consisting of both very wide and very narrow leaps. All in all this is a most challenging and virtuosic display piece. Piece two is marked "mesto" and is free, without measure. Basically the slow movement of the three, here the upper range of the oboe is exploited, with a rather high tessitura throughout. Note values are basically quite long giving good opportunity to explore the expressive and rubato abilities of the player. The third movement is a fast gigue characterized by running eighths and irregular phrase lengths and gives a chance for a happy ending to a very fine set of pieces for solo oboe. This reviewer highly recommends all three of these works as fine additions, in a more standard language, to the growing list of music for oboe alone.
Music for oboe and other wind or string instruments is an important area often overlooked by the oboists. Seven works will be discussed. The first, Duetto, was written by the Italian composer and violinist Angelo Morigi and is scored for oboe and bassoon. A typical work of the Rococo -Classical period, Duetto consists of three movements: slow, fast, minuet. The bassoon is never considered only as an accompanying instrument but participates fully, being an equal soloist with the oboe throughout all three movements. This demanding work was edited in a clean performing edition by H. Voxman and is published by Nova Music, catalog #210. Trio Sonata in G for flute, oboe, and continue, was written by J. C. Richter, "court Pantaleonist" in Dresden in the early 18th century. Published by Nova Music, we again find an excellent performing edition by H. Voxman with the basso continuo realized by Robert Block. In typical early 18th century trio sonata style we find four movements: slow, fast, slow, fast. There is much imitative writing as well as writing in parallel thirds for the solo voices. In the opinion of this writer Trio Sonata in G would work equally well for two oboes and continuo with bassoon reinforcing the keyboard left hand part. All in all this is an attractive work of medium difficulty which would give both players opportunities for ornamenting the solo voices.
A recent edition of an arrangement of the F. J. Haydn String quartet in F (Op. 5015) was published by Nova Music. The editor, Himie Voxman, gives some information in the preface which states that the present version may have come from a student of the famous 18th century oboist and composer Josef Fiala. Whatever the case, this version is for violin, oboe, English horn (or viola) and cello. The work is in four movements: fast, slow, minuet, fast, and in all movements there is a wonderful thematic interplay between all four instruments. Although the oboe is set in the score and second violin position it is clear that the oboe is a soloist throughout. The version using both oboe and English horn is an aural treat with equal double reeds and strings, a rare combination. This writer feels this to be a strong work with an unusual instrumental combination which would make a pleasant addition to the recital repertoire of today's oboe soloist.
A thoroughly delightful anthology titled Music From the Court of the Sun King has recently been published by Nova Music. Edited by Jesse
Read, this collection of music for two oboes, English horn, and bassoon, contains music by six composers of the late 17th early 18th centuries: Pez, Dornel, Lully, Lame, Krieger, and Paiseble. The oboe ensemble, as explained by the editor in his excellent preface, forms a link between the earlier Stadtpfeifer (city bands of the 16th and 17th centuries) and the more established Harmoniemusik of the late 18th and early 19th centuries that played the divertimenti, serenades, and partitas of such composers as Mozart, Haydn, Fiala, and Krommer. This is a wonderful collection, in a carefully edited copy, of a few of the better works from the vast repertoire of music for "oboe quartet" from this time period. The pieces are enjoyable to play and serve as excellent recital material as well. The edition is available with parts and score.
Variationer och fuga (Variations and fugue), written for flute and oboe in 1975 by Lennart Hedwall, was recently published by Wilhelm Hansen (available in the United States through Magnamusic-Baton). The original theme, alternated between flute and oboe, is first stated with an eighth-note, quarter-note accompaniment in the opposing voice. There follow five short variations and a concluding fugue, the total piece lasting about seven minutes. Range for the oboe is normal, ascending to high D, and occasionally to an F with a couple high F-sharps shown in for good measure. Range for flute is moderate (high G) with one high A. Although this writer feels that the flute-oboe duo is not the best combination (for a variety of reasons, among them dynamic and tone color variety) this would appear to be a work worth exploring for its compositional interest.
Music for reed trio, Trio d'anches, or wind trio has a rather short history. Basically a product of the 20th century, most of the music for this wonderfully expressive combination of oboe, clarinet, and bassoon comes from the 1930-1940 era when Louise Dyer-Hanson, an Australian living in Paris and a friend of performers and composers alike, commissioned many such works by the leading French composers of the time. Many of these works were later published and recorded by the L'Oiseau-Lyre publishing and recording firms. Since that time there have been many, many works written for the reed trio by such wonderful composers as Villa-Lobos and Francaix, to name only two. There follow two modern arrangements of older works for the reed trio format. The first is titled Three Old French Dances by Marin Marais (1656-1728) a Baroque gambist and composer of' some fame. Published by Janus Music in 1984 and arranged by Raina East the dances are titled L'Agreable (Rondeau), La Provencale, and La Matelotte. The arranger does a fine job of sharing melodic material equally among the three instruments. One of the problems this writer has with this edition is that it is impossible to tell what is original and what has been added, including such items as dynamics, crescendo and decrescendo markings, and articulation markings of various sorts. It is easy for some players to operate with prepared parts of this nature but, for those who wish to have some say in the performance of the work, some key to additions would be helpful. However, this writer feels this edition to be a useful one to the rather limiting 20th century style of composition for reed trio. The second work for reed trio is an arrangement of the Divertimento No. 3 in B-flat (K. 4396) by W. A. Mozart. Originally written for three basset-horns (some would say two basset-horns and bassoon) this is one of five such pieces by Mozart for this combination. Not surprisingly all five of these wonderful divertimenti work well for reed trio, providing a marvelous opportunity for performance of firstrate music from the late 18th century. Arranged and edited by David Glazer, former clarinetist of the New York Woodwind Quintet, this work suffers the same problems of editing as the previous. It would be so nice to know what is original and what is not. Published by Oxford University Press in 1983 this work consists of five movements: Allegro, Minuet and Trio, Adagio, Minuet and Trio, and Rondo. Although this is a fine edition in such matters as dynamic balance between instruments and careful matching of articulation, in the opinion of this reviewer the present edition varies from the original too much in an attempt to equalize the melodic interest between oboe and clarinet. Matters of authenticity aside, however, this edition will work nicely as a performance vehicle for the reed trio of today.
In closing I should like to comment on two works. First is the recent release of Six Studies in English Folk Song by R. Vaughan Williams as adapted for English horn by Robert Stanton. Originally published in 1927 by Stainer and Bell, this work has been re-released in its English horn format by Galaxy Music Corporation. Consisting of five slow movements and one ending Allegro Vivace these pieces fit the range of the English horn well and only required some slight octave transposition and breathing manipulation to work well for a wind instrument. I am a bit dismayed, however, that the printed English horn part differs so much from the solo part provided on the piano score. Matters such as crescendo, diminuendo, dynamics, and articulation vary greatly with this version and one must make some musical judgments prior to performance. Also, I assume in order to facilitate breathing, some notes are shortened much too much for my taste and often detract from the continuous nature of the pieces. However, all these matters aside, this is a splendid showpiece of Vaughan -Williams' compositional style and works remarkably well on the English horn. In passing I should like to mention another work which, with a few octave transpositions, also works well for English horn. This is the Adagio and Allegro of Robert Schumann, a staple of the French horn repertoire. I have used it on several occasions with great success - a true test of endurance and breathing stamina! The concluding work in this set of reviews is the wonderful two volume set containing the Six Duets, Op. 2, of Johann Joachim Quantz. Edited by David Lasocki for two oboes and published by Nova Music, this fine edition leaves nothing to chance. All additions and corrections are accounted for even to taking care of equalizing articulations in both parts, a large problem familiar to anyone who has edited music from this period. Not only is the edition carefully done but there is a lengthy preface dealing with aspects of performance practice, including sections on articulation, rhythm, apoggiaturas, ornamentation, and tempo. For anyone interested in music of the mid- 18th century by one of the greatest teachers, writers on performance practice, and composers of the period, this edition is a must. The edition for two oboes has been transposed a full tone lower than the original version for two flutes. They are also available a minor third higher and two octaves lower for two bassoons. Congratulations are in order to Dr. Lasocki for such a monumental addition to the realm of double reed literature.