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Re: significant or beloved oboe recordings

Author: jamesoboe
Date: 2004-08-03 21:35

Dear jryanaus

thanks for your help with getting in touch with Antony. Hopefully, I will hear from him soon. I just presumed he had been abducted by aliens to account for losing touch with him.
Unlike your sensible approach, I did most things the difficult way. I never studied with an orchestral player. I preferred to concentrate on the other side of the repetoire. Rather than doing the orchestral, I did the recital diploma at the RAM in London. Equally, I did the solo diploma in Germany. What Thomas Indermuhle knows about orchestral extracts you could write on the back of a postage stamp with room to spare. It was the solo and chamber repetoire where he was amazing. That's why I went to him.
Generally, in my orchestra we ask the following extracts:
Mozart concerto 1st and 2nd mvts. to the end of the expositions
Brahms vl. conc. 2nd mvt.
Brahms St. Anthony Variations with repeats 2nd oboe part
Ravel Tombeau de Couperin 1st and menuet mvts.
Silken Ladder (preferably single tongued)
Strauss Don Juan
Strauss 4 last songs 4th mvt. opening
Mahler 3rd symph. slow mvt. opening
Shostakovich 10 symph. 2nd mvt.
Stravinsky Pulcinella
Dvorak slow mvts. from cello conc. and 7th symph. 2nd oboe parts
Tchaikovsky 4th symph. 2nd and 3rd mvts.
Beethoven 3rd symph. slow mvt.
and so on.
From the panels point of view the applicant must be able to:
play in tune
adjust to others and blend in
to play very quietly (you'd be horrified how scary some entries can be)
display good technique and control
be adaptable and expressive while maintaining their own individuality.
It's surprising how many oboists lack one or more of the above qualities.
Thereafter, it's important to get on with the rest of the section. Being first in the tea queue at the breaks is always a good way to endear oneself, I've always found!! They need to feel at ease with you. The job's hard enough without a nervous player sitting next to them!
I listened to lots of different recordings of the above works, to familiarise myself with them in context, before going to auditions.
Finally, try to not fall in the trap of tonal vanity at the audition. The panel will not be impressed by a big, dark, inflexible sound. Lighten-up for the audition, you can always demonstrate your tone during the trial, later.
I hope this helps any would-be orchestral oboists out there!
Regards

James

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