Author: jamesoboe
Date: 2004-07-30 09:32
The oboe part to Swan Lake is really amazing. The very first note of the whole work is a lonesome F# played on the oboe which sets the tone for the rest of the work. I've never had the good luck to play the whole work, just selected highlights. Fortunately, I have the whole work on CD played by the Philharmonia with Principal Oboist Gordon Hunt, one of our top players. Of course, the story of Swan Lake has a tragic ending. It's only in death that the spell can be broken, the swans set free, and the Prince and the Queen of the Swans' love can triumph. The oboe dominates part of the final scene with a nervous version of the famous tune.
If you are into tragic, beautiful ballets, with wonderful oboe tunes, try Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. I am always blown away by Romeo and Juliet's love dance, but more than this, the tragedy in Act 3, as it unfolds, contains some of the most heart-breaking music of the 20th century; in particular, Juliet's funeral, and the Death of Juliet. A lonely Oboe and Cor Anglais bring the work to an end. It's a shame we don't have a concerto by either of these composers, but there's plenty to be grateful for in their symphonic works.
One composer who gives oboists sensational solos, whom you might like to listen to, is Mahler. Kindertotenlieder; RuckertLieder; Das Lied von der Erde etc., are all great moments for oboe or cor anglais.
Are there any other suggestions out there for orchestral, or concerto solos, not yet touched upon?
Post Edited (2004-07-30 09:43)
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