John Corigliano, Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra, G. Schirmer, New York, 1983.

Composed in 1975, John Corigliano's Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra made a great impression at its premiere, given by oboist Bert Lucarelli and the American Symphony Orchestra under Kazuyoshi Akiyama. An RCA Red Seal recording was also well received and earned a Grammy award nomination (ARL 1-2534; see The Double Reed, Vol. 2, No. 1). Now the music is available in a reduction for oboe and piano, published by G. Schirmer.

Cast in five movements, this is a more flamboyant and showy concerto than most in the oboist's repertoire. It begins with Tuning Game, a musical joke that involves the oboe tuning and mistuning various sections of the orchestra in turn. The solo oboe goes berserk, jumping at one point from low B-flats to successively higher pitches, landing inevitably on a held high A.

The Song that follows exploits the oboe's capacity for long, seamless phrases, avoiding dramatic climax and testing the soloist's ability to spin an endless line. Woodwinds and horn are prominent in the orchestral accompaniment. Scherzo, scored only for oboe and percussion, uses multiphonics, wide leaps across registers and rapid figurations to create an exuberant, playful mood. A delicate trio, scored for harp ' celeste, and vibraphone provides effective contrast to the more raucous main section.

The fourth movement, Aria, is the real center of the concerto. Here, the composer uses the richness of the oboe's low register to build an extended cadenza which starts on low C, exploring first the lowest portion of the instrument's compass and then vanishing into the air two octaves higher. The rondo that follows, titled Rheita Dance, explodes from the last chord of the Aria. In this movement, the soloist imitates the sound of a Moroccan double reed instrument by taking the reed into the mouth up to the binding (no pirouette?) to produce a rude, uncontrolled sound. The effect is exciting and the music rhythmic and infectious, with two contrasting interludes. The first is a tom-tom filled satire of "French Orientalism" reminiscent of Ibert's Escales, while the second is an extended duet for solo and orchestral oboes. The final coda, again in Moroccan style, is sure to provoke an enthusiastic reception.

Overall the concerto is effective and well written for the oboe, although one rarely sees so many low B-flats as here - I counted 72. Special techniques include multiphonics, buzz notes, aleatoric writing, harmonics, and a single short glissando, as well as the Moroccan sound. Technical passages lie so well under the fingers that one suspects that the composer consulted with dedicatee Lucarelli to plan these phrases. The concerto requires of the soloist great self confidence; this is a very showy piece, and must be approached with authority. My only complaint with the music itself is that the opening Tuning Game will come across as trivial if not being tongue-in- cheek.

The piano reduction is less satisfactory. More so than most music, this work depends to a great extent on the contrast and blend of instrumental colors, which the piano cannot duplicate. While the transcription is skillfully done (presumably by the composer) it places great technical demands on the pianist and does not always lie within the capacity of a single player. The reduction of the percussion-only Scherzo is particularly successful, capturing well the effect of the original.

The present edition is well laid out and printed, although I wish that the multiphonic fingerings were given in the oboist's score rather than in the pianist's. It will be most useful for oboists preparing the concerto for orchestral performance. A performance with piano is feasible but would be more effective with the addition of percussion and perhaps an accompanying oboist for the final interlude in the Rheita dance. The solo part should be within the capabilities of a conservatory level student, while the piano part will require a more skilled player than most concerto arrangements. At $35 a copy, I recommend this music to oboists seriously considering a performance with orchestra, or to those for whom this price does not present a serious hardship. It is a fun work to play and will make a prepared, confident soloist look very good.

Josef Rheinberger, Rhapsodie for Oboe and Organ. Edited by Laila Storch. McGinnis & Marx, New York, 1984.

Franz Schubert, Wind Octet in F, D 72. Restored by Fr. Reinhard Van Hoorickx, ofm. Edited by Christopher Weait. McGinnis & Marx, New York, 1983.

Josef Rheinberger's Rhapsodie for Oboe and Organ is the composer's transcription of the Andante from his organ Sonata in F minor, Op. 12 7. Laila Storch has edited and introduced the work in this McGinnis & Marx issue.

Born in Leichtenstein in 1839, Rheinberger was something of a prodigy. He secured his first position as a church organist at age seven; his Mass was performed the following year. A prolific composer, he penned 21 organ sonatas (in all but four of the major and minor keys), numerous character pieces, monologues, trios, suites, and vocal works. His very successful adult career was spent entirely in Munich, where he studied and taught at the Conservatory; he also was music director of the court Church and conductor of the Munich Choral Society. Arnold states that

Rheinberger's organ works were conceived in the classic tradition and for a classic organ, although his compositions have sometimes been considered of mediocre quality, sentimental, and unimaginative. Rheinberger's organ had no swell division; changes of dynamics could be observed only by adding or taking off stops. The dynamic indications in his music must not be taken too literally but in a relative manner, according to the music's demands. Rheinberger disliked ostentation and avoided dramatic writing; there is only one toccata in nearly 200 pieces.1

The Rhapsodie is one of two arrangements for oboe and organ of movements from Rheinberger's organ works; its mate, the Pastorale from Op. 88, does not appear to be commercially available. Ms Storch's edition suits the oboe well without any serious technical difficulties. The meditative opening in D-flat gives way after about two minutes to a tumultuous central section which puts the organist through considerable fingering gymnastics. Serenity is restored in a 40 bar recapitulation and coda; the most pleasant moments are in this coda, with its meandering figurations up to end on the oboe's high D-flat, held pianissimo.

In the two performances I gave, the work was well received. While it is a trifle repetitive at times, and although some of the romantic cliches are overdone, the Rhapsodie is effective, enjoyable to play, and suitable for just about any liturgical event. Organists will appreciate having an accompaniment written specifically for their instrument, rather than one conceived originally for piano, harpsichord, or orchestra.

The adolescent Schubert sang in the Imperial Chapel choir and studied at its seminary, the "Convict" school. There he composed a wind octet, of which only the last two movements remain. Reinhard Van Hoorickx has completed the surviving fragments of the first movement and adapted a juvenile piano Andante of Schubert's to serve as slow movement. Edited by Christopher Weait, these movements restore the Octet to full four movement form, although Weait cites evidence that the original octet may have included two minuets.

The added movements go well with the authentic Minuet and Finale. The restoration of the opening movement is well crafted and gives no hint of its circuitous genesis. The second movement is a trifle short; when the suggested repeats are taken, the lack of development becomes overbearing. The Minuet and Finale, familiar to woodwind chamber musicians, are the most perfectly conceived sections, being entirely Schubert's. Throughout these faster movements are subtleties of scoring and harmonic surprises which greatly compliment the 16 year old composer's talents. It is interesting how Schubert's music at that age was much more mature than its composer; the inscription at the end of the manuscript reads "End of a quartet which was composed by Franzo Schubert, musical director of the Imperial Chinese Court Orchestra, Nanking, the famous residence of his Chinese Majesty. Written in Vienna on a date I do not know, in a year which has a three at the end, a one at the beginning, and after that an eight and another one."

The parts are well copied and easy to read, taking into account the player's need to turn pages. The restored movements' score is at times poorly aligned and is too crowded for easy reading. Happily, the Octet lends itself to rehearsal without conductor, and should not require excessive rehearsal time. In summary, this is a fairly successful restoration of a pleasant octet by a young genius, whose gifts are evident but not fully developed. Audiences should like it.

ENDNOTE

1. C.R. Arnold, Organ Literature: A Comprehensive Survey. Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, NJ, 1973, Pages 175-6.

David Lasocki and Betty Bang Mather. The Art Preluding 1700-1830. A Guide for Flutists, Oboists, Clarinettists, and Other Performers. McGinnis & Marx, New York, 1984.

David Lasocki has collaborated with Betty Bang Mather in compiling and writing The Art of Preluding. Dedicated to the late Josef Marx, the 78 page volume represents this reviewer's first exposure to preluding, which was commonly practiced in the pre-romantic era and continued well into the early part of this century. A prelude is a short, improvised work performed by the soloist prior to beginning the main selection. Meant to introduce the audience to the mood and tonality of the sonata or concerto, the prelude might also serve as a display of technical and improvisatory skill while offering the soloist a last chance to test the hall (and perhaps the audience).

The authors have gathered 75 preludes from woodwind tutors of the day, arranging them chronologically with editorial comment. The selections are drawn from the works of 23 composers, ranging in style and scope from four measure Baroque fanfares to two page Romantic pieces which are indistinguishable from formal etudes. The text is clear and helpful, pointing out the historical and musical circumstances from which each prelude is drawn, and often touching upon matters of technique, articulation, and notation.

This is an enjoyable, remarkable book. Enjoyable because the preludes included are usually of high quality and of sufficient musical interest to warrant republication. Remarkable because the performing art they represent has apparently been neglected by the past 100 years of Baroque revival. I found no reference to preluding as a performance practice in the 1969 Harvard Dictionary of Music, nor in Thurston Dart's Interpretation of Music, several music history texts, and two books on Baroque analysis. Quantz makes an oblique mention of preluding,1 and Baines notes the practice in reference to medieval bagpipers but does not discuss it in his chapters on Baroque instruments and performance practices.2 Perhaps this excellent book will spur performers to revive a neglected art. It is well researched, cleanly written, and contains a wealth of musical examples and ideas to help the novice preluder.

Ms Mather is Professor of Music at the University of Iowa, teaching flute and 17-18th century performance practice. She has also published editions of flute music, numerous articles, and has made several recordings. David Lasocki holds the Ph.D. for his dissertation on professional recorder players in England; he has a hundred editions in print, including an excellent edition of Handel's authentic oboe sonatas, and has written many articles for various music journals.

These scholars are co-authors of two other fine books, dating from 1976 and 1978. Again, McGinnis & Marx is the publisher. The Classical Woodwind Cadenza treats cadenza writing in the same fashion as the Art of Preluding, compiling and analyzing cadenzas from a surprising diversity of sources, then giving the reader a simple method of composing new cadenzas in the old style. This style, as they show, bears little resemblance to modern practice. Our elaborate, long, modulating cadenzas to classical concertos would probably horrify the original composers and performers. Musicians intending to play classical wind concertos should consult and study this volume before tackling the sometimes formidable task of composing original cadenzas. The only problem that the authentic approach entails is that truly classical cadenzas may sound too square and simple to modern ears, which are more used to our intricate and prolonged displays of virtuosity.

Free Ornamentation in Woodwind Music 1700-1775 and The Interpretation of French Music 1675-1775 similarly present original descriptions of articulation, tempo, and ornamentation in Baroque music. Interpretation of French Music, by Ms Mather alone, is the most extensively annotated of these four books and the dryest reading, perhaps because the vast array of often contradicting practices defies easy condensation. Free Ornamentation consults Telemann, Quantz, LaBarre, Hotteterre, Monteclair, Boismortier, and Blauvet in depth; other composer's original ornaments (including those of Vivaldi, Corelli, and Bach) are also touched upon. This volume, more than the others, deserves study at the piano; time spent with it will repay the serious student of Baroque music manyfold.

ENDNOTES

1. Johann Joachim Quantz, On Playing The Flute translated by Edward Reilly. Schirmer, New York, 1966, pg. 210.

2. Anthony Baines, Woodwind Instruments and Their History, Norton, New York, 1963, pg. 217.

Don Christlieb, Bassoon. Hindemith Sonata for Bassoon & Piano. Delores Stevens, Piano. GSC Recordings Stereo GSC 1.

My review of the John Ellis performance of Hindemith's Trio for heckelphone, viola, and piano, which appeared in the Fall 1983 The Double Reed, has produced some interesting follow-up from bassoonist Don Christlieb, whose recent letter is excerpted below.

"...the Heckelphone is my instrument. Mine only in the sense that I own it but had too much sense to play it just because Heckel invented it. The instrument died an unnatural death here in Hollywood because bassoonists thought it would be their natural double and add to their incomes. So, without proper preparation, they advertised their new acquirement, were hired, and failed, and the composers never wrote for it again.

"With John Ellis it is a different story. He is a superb oboist, No. I in cinema for years before turning to farming... We altered the keys in the right hand so the fingering would be like the English horn. Then we adapted the reed (bassoon) to the Heckelphone staple and narrowed the reed to little more than a baritone oboe size reed.

"On the lst scoring date, with David Raskin... the instrument was a huge success and it outperformed the baritone oboe, being better in tune with a wider range. We conducted a blindfold test with the orchestra - ,they' could not tell the difference between baritone (oboe) and Heckelphone. A fact Heckel himself disputes when describing the Heckelphone in his catalogue and its use by Strauss in the Alpine Symphony.

"It is obvious he [Heckel] never held a blindfold test... "

In addition, Mr. Christlieb mentioned that the Hindemith Anthology Series, from which the Trio is taken, is available on GSC records from his shop at 3311 Scadlock Lane in Sherman Oaks, California.

Included in volume one of that anthology is Mr. Christlieb's recording of the bassoon Sonata, also with pianist Delores Stevens. Written in 1938, it is one of the shortest of Hindemith's solo sonatas, but manages, in only eight minutes, to capture the essence of the bassoon's capacity of lyricism. Christlieb performs the solo part with sensitivity and enthusiasm, meshing nicely with Ms Stevens, who controls well an often heavy-handed piano part.

Thomas Stacy, English horn and oboe d'amore. Music for English horn and organ with Calvin Hampton, organ. Spectrum SR-178.

Oboe d'amore concerti' and English horn quartets with the Baroque Chamber Players. Spectrum SR-159.

These two recent releases feature Thomas Stacy, English horn player of the New York Philharmonic, who is generally considered America's leading oboe d'amore and English horn soloist. The duo album, recorded in Manhattan's Calvary Church, presents one well known work, two relatively obscure pieces, and a premiere.

Dating from 1954, Jan Koetsier's Partita Op. 41 is probably the most frequently performed work for English horn and organ.1 A piece of diverse mood and character, its five movements exhibit the English horn's capacity for sensitivity and expression without becoming overly sentimental, while also calling upon the woodwind player for virtuoso technique and articulation in the Vivace. This movement and the gentle finale (an Andante on "How Brightly Shines the Morning Star") are the most memorable. Here as elsewhere, Stacy and Hampton combine to produce an interpretation notable for the sympathetic interplay between musical instruments of differing character.

Leo Sowerby's 1949 Ballade, composed for Louis Speyer of the Boston Symphony is less successful at balancing the English horn with the organ. Structured as a single twelve minute movement, the Ballade gives away Sowerby's background as a church organist. One's interest is aroused by the initial entrance of the English horn, disarmingly placed a dozen bars after we expect it. But for most of the Ballade, despite the life that Stacy infuses into his instrument's sound, the English horn might as well be another stop on the organ. The music is more idiomatic for organ than for English horn.

The Meditation II of Reinhard Luttman, written in 1973, displays the English horn in an appropriately contemplative and introspective mood. Woodwind multiphonics and organ tone clusters create moments of sudden tension, but the effect of the work is generally subdued. Critics of modern music would do well to hear how, by the use of "extended" techniques in this work, the composer is able to create a withdrawn, almost prayerful mood that is never unpleasant.

Rounding out this album are Mr. Hampton's Variations on Amazing Grace, written for this recording. It presents the hymn theme on English horn alone, followed by nine variations which parallel the development of Western music. Apart from the audacious Variation VII, containing a "veritable catalogue of the special effects possible on the English horn, " the work's overall mood is austere and cool. The finale displays the most lyrical playing on the record, as it winds to a gentle conclusion.

The most notable aspect of this record is that it presents virtually the entire repertoire of music available for English horn and organ. I know of only one other piece (Korneitchouk's 1976 Sonatina) that was originally written for this combination. A more unlikely pair of instruments - the English horn soft voiced, vibrant, and relatively monochromatic, the organ capable of infinite phrase length and timbre - would be hard to concoct. The two fine musicians get around these differences with ease, making the music work well at every turn. Hampton's elegant phrasing belies Stravinsky's complaint about the organ, that "the monster never breathes. " My only concern is that no sources are given, so that other players can not add these works to their collections.2 Won't somebody please publish the Hampton?

Stacy on Two presents the artist on oboe d'amore as well as English horn, wearing the hats of concerto soloist and chamber musician. Bach and Telemann's Concertos for oboe d'amore, both in A major, show his mastery of that fickle "in between" sized oboe. Both concertos display his ability to shape fluid phrases and to maintain tension and direction in overly long musical lines. Overall, Bach's concerto (as reconstructed by Tovey from the harpsichord concerto BWV 1055) is the more dignified work, bordering on the pompous with its predictable alterations of solo and ripieno material in the first movement. The Adagio is justly famous (and feared by oboists) for the extraordinary demands it places on the soloist's capacity to control breath and phrase, while the minuet-like finale is over too soon. The piece has no serious technical problems.

This contrasts with the Italianate charm of Telemann's concerto, which is marked by virtuoso writing in the Allegro and Vivace movements. The opening Siciliano is graceful but of little lasting importance. The third movement Largo which frames a prolonged passage for soloist and continuo between the accompanying strings, is almost as eloquent and demanding as the corresponding movement in Bach's concerto. Happily, the phrases are a little shorter and the merciless leaps up to high D are absent.

Mr. Stacy's oboe d'amore sound on this album is more mellow than I remember from his performance at the I.D.R.S. Convention in 1982. Unlike most oboists d'amore, he draws from his Loree a timbre that is more a sped up English horn than a slowed down oboe. His tone is remarkably well matched between different notes, although less so than on the English horn - a natural result, no doubt, of the emphasis this artist must place on the latter instrument in his busy orchestral career.

But this is minor criticism indeed, for Mr. Stacy is quite successful on the smaller instrument. He shows the finest Baroque stylings, with elegant phrasing, tasteful ornamentation, and clean articulation.

Mozart's Adagio is Bernhard Paumgartner's completion of a single sheet of manuscript from the Salzburg Mozarteum. The only well known work for English horn and strings, it appears to have been a study for the choral Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618. Its fluid lines remind one of the adagios from Mozart's great works for clarinet. Mr. Stacy makes the most of its inherent grace, creating a performance that is elegant and warm.

The Michael Haydn Quartet was transcribed by Stacy for English horn, violin, viola, and ,cello from an original version that included bass. This may be the only classical quartet extant for English horn and string trio. The opening Allegro is sprightly and gay, followed by a surprisingly square Adagio. Curiously, the English horn is not so much a soloist as in similar works for winds by other classical composers; in the second movement, most of the melodic material is carried by the violin, while the finale is interrupted by cadenzas for viola then English horn then violin. The wind player spends much of his time functioning as an ersatz second violinist.

The music is enjoyable and worthy of performance. As everywhere else on these records, ensemble is close to ideal, with impeccable pitch and well matched articulations. Sometimes undue prominence is given to the English horn when it accompanies another voice, a common flaw in records featuring a solo instrument.

ENDNOTES

1. Koetsier's Partita is published by Donemus, Amsterdam.

2. Luttmann's Meditation is published by Leduc, Paris.

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