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Re: Strauss Oboe Concerto

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-10-04 19:11

Although I'm way off from ever playing it in public (though it would be an honour to do, I've just got to put the hours into it!), the best advice is definitely to practice it in chunks.

My teacher said the best approach is to play the opening semiquaver runs one or two bars at a time, repeating each bit over and over again (and all semiquavers with strict metronomic accuracy) until you get them right - and only then move onto the next semiquaver run and practice that repeatedly.

The slow movement is the easiest in terms of playability, though it's all in the breathing and phrasing as well as the control over tone and volume, and listen to several players doing the cadenza (though as it's a cadenza you can take it at your own pace).

The last movement has a lot of passage work going on, and this is over a long melody in the 'cellos. Though throughout this concerto the oboe has a certain share as part of the orchestral texture (as there's no other oboe in the orchestra, the cor anglais taking the role as your 2nd so give them some credit), so know where to be the soloist and where not to be so you can almost take some time out during these bits, but not entirely.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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