"Concerto for Oboe," 2007 Revision

This piece was written, for the most part, using classical forms and more modern tonalities... though I intended it to be very diatonic and listener-friendly.

Since 2003, I have given several performances of this work, in single-movement presentations and as a complete piece. The most notable renditions happened at the 2006 IDRS conference in Muncie, IN and in 2007 with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. It was for the latter performance that I made considerable revisions to the orchestral material to make it more interesting and also made a few changes to the solo part that would better suit the new orchestral parts. In addition, I reduced the horn section from four to two players, making this piece even more suitable for chamber orchestras.

The First Movement, "Pastoral Sonata," was inspired by a hearing of Orff's "Carmina Burana." When I was thinking of something to write for my friends and I at Brevard, one of the baritone arias from "Carmina" lodged itself into my head and I found myself wondering if I could take the string orchestra accompaniment and write an oboe solo over it to replace the baritone part. The melody was meant to be original and, as I wrote, I very quickly moved away from Mr. Orff's work and into my own realm. Still, the similarity at the beginning is there.

When coming back to this piece (and finishing it), I had new set of musical ideas that involved my friends in the Pensacola Symphony's horn section. I decided to write small solos for each player over the course of this movement as well as some horn chorales that support the solo oboe line.

When I revised the piece for its 2007 orchestral premiere, I was forced to change a few of these moments into passages for string quartet. Other sections in which I had one pair of horns play a passage, followed by the other pair were easy to condense into just two parts.

This movement, initially, has a tonal center of E like the Orff aria. Unlike said aria, the movement modulates quite a bit over its 7 and a half minute duration.

The Second Movement, called "Meditation" was also inspired by someone else's work, but the music is a little more obscure. Memories of the movie The Dark Crystal brought back into my mind a short tune that was played by a flute and clarinet during the Gelfling ruins scene. Within moments of thinking about that little passage, I began composing what would have been a variation on it.

Not long after, the piece began developing a life of its own and, with the addition of some completely original material (2nd theme, accompaniment, etc.) I had completed what I still think is one of my most dramatic sounding works to date! This movement starts in G minor, but then a change of key and mode brings it to a conclusion in E Major, which serves to set up the 3rd movement.

The Third Movement, a Rondo in E Major, was written in such a way that one could arguably segue from the second movement directly into the third with no breaks. I suppose I was inspired in some part by Mozart, but the thematic material itself was all pulled out of my own head! It's a rondo in duple meter, which was very common in the concerti by Mozart and Haydn. The movement has three contrasting sections which are tied together by the light and energetic-sounding rondo theme... 

...giving the piece the form A-B-A-C-A-D-A'.

I would suggest a string section of 7/6/4/4/2 for this piece.

Scores

Concerto for Oboe

Orchestra Study Score (PDF) - $20

Set of parts - Solo Oboe & 2 Horns & Strings (4/3/2/2/2)

Available for hire Email the composer

Oboe and Piano Reduction (PDFs) - $30