Sibelius Violin Transcriptions

The Schumann "Three Romances" are well known, and commonly performed. Every oboist, from the seventh grader to the professional, works on this piece and performs in at least one recital during their career because it is one of only a handful of quality pieces in this genre, as compared the amount of baroque works available. It is a universal piece for oboists because in terms of technique, it is accessible to most but leaves the door open for endless musical development and interpretation. 

But this post is actually not about the "Three Romances".  Sibelius offers many fantastic orchestral oboe solos but never provided solo oboe works...until now. And like the Schumann pieces, this music could be performed by both students and professionals (granted, of course, they have a Loboe...). In the more approachable category are the short works for violin and piano, Op. 78 Nos. 1-4. The first three movements are elegant yet simple. They utilize the "Low A" very well and could be easily prepared by intermediate to advanced students (as well as the pianist hired for their performance) in a few lessons. There are a few issues with the third movement, "Religios" due to some extended passages that go beyond the "Low A". However, I think it would be very interesting to experiment with the use of harmonics as a color alternative instead of simply playing the passage up the octave. How would you approach this movement, I'd be interested to hear some other ideas!

The other works are two movements from his violin show pieces, Op. 79 No. 4 and No. 5. They have moments of virtuosity but nothing that is too much of a stretch...but one must be up for a challenge!  The "Serenade" and "Tanz-Idylle" are both very short and could stand alone or as a pair. Sometimes the most impressive quality of an oboist is the perfect execution of an octave leap (check out ms. 45-46 in the Serenade!). The other movements of this set are worth a look but I found difficult to transcribe for the Loboe.

So Many Opportunities, So Few Taken!

A fascinating interview was recently played on KUSC featuring British oboist Nicholas Daniel. In addition to being an exceptional performer and renound soloist, Daniel is also kown as an extremely ambitious promoter of new works and commissions for the oboe. Obviously my hat goes off to Daniel for being such a strong advocate for new music and transcriptions (he recently performed his transcription for English horn/piano of Debussy's "Rhapsody" for saxophone and orchestra).

During the course of the interview, an interesting bit of trivia was revealed. I was stunned to learn about the many missed opportunities of oboist Leon Goossens, one of the most significant figures in the oboe's recent history. Apparently, as Daniel explained on the radio, Goossen was very well thought of by many major composers such as Stravinsky, Janacek, Sibelius and Ravel, to name a few. This knowledge was not lost on Goossens but he never once commissioned a work for the oboe or even attempted to have one written for him. Had Goossens used his status as a well-respected oboe celebrity, he could have single-handedly influenced the amount of solo repertoire choices the oboe has today. Let it never be forgotten the responsibility that every oboist carries on their shoulders!

Transcription - Thais Meditation

It's not just for ice skating competitions anymore!

While the beautiful violin solo from Thais by Massenet is a favorite in the recital repertoire, the addition of the low-A key on the oboe renders it a perfect fit with the oboe's range. It's important to note that this piece is very adaptable without the additional key, however the violin line's decent to the "low-A" pitch means that the phrasing never has to be broken on the Loboe. The only element perhaps a bit out of the norm comes towards the very end where the second "A" above the staff is written. I'll admit that when I was asked to play the prelude at a church service last weekend, a performance time of 8:15am feels terribly early to be hitting that register...

A great solution, should one not feel up to the hitting the original pitch, is to insert a harmonic "A" instead (fingered as a low "D" with the side octave key). 

It gives the oboe an ethereal sound and I feel it is an excellent ossia option in the piece.

Thanks to the convenience of public domain downloads, the music to this piece can be found through the International Music Score Library Project website.

Bach Violin Partita Transcription

 

This evening I began work on a transcription project that I have been interested in for years. Bach's Violin Partita No. 3 has always been among my favorites of all of the solo pieces, particularly the Prelude.  Even with the Loboe, the music extends to the G# below the staff.  Of course, I am  hardly the first person to want to tackle this music. Bach has been transcribed for every instrument imaginable.  Of course, that also means that there are many degrees of success with these versions. There are obvious issues such as articulation, phrasing, and lest we forget, breathing! But in tackling these issues, the result can be an important addition to the repertoire.

Bela Fleck, perhaps one of the world's most accomplished banjo artists, constantly challenges himself by combining virtuoso technique with a wide range of musical styles. He brings solo and ensemble music to an instrument that struggles to shed its "Deliverance" image. Among his amazing creations, Fleck embarked upon an entire "Bach Project".  Below is a short clip that includes Fleck talking about the transcription process.

"Coupling" - a work for the Loboe

It's been a bit since the last update but today's post is very exciting to me. The ultimate goal of this grant is to foster collaborations that result in new works for the Loboe. Below is a live performance from our joint tour in April at the University of Fredonia's beautiful Rosch Hall.

"Coupling" - By Paul Coleman (2010)
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This work, you'll notice, is on the short side. It is actually a fragment of a larger work that Paul Coleman intends to write. David Plylar is the pianist in the recording. 

Loboe Composer Profile - Hannah Lash

Hannah Lash is based in New York City and is one of several composers who will be working on a piece specifically for the Loboe in the coming months. We overlapped briefly while studying at the Eastman School a number of years ago and I am thrilled that we were able to reconnect again for this project.

As a versatile and active composer, her music has been performed by many leading new music artists such as the JACK Quartet and Alarm Will Sound, among others and holds a PhD in composition from Harvard University. She is currently involved in a very exciting musical endeavor of her own called the

"Loading Dock Project"

VIOLATIONS is a piece that will be performed in any inner-city area, using a loading dock as a stage. It will be scored for singer, percussion, and live electronics. The text for this 45-50 minute piece will be a non-linear compilation of personal stories—stories from people who have committed crime and stories from people who have been the victims of crime...Performances of the piece will be entirely free and open to the public; all that is needed is a loading dock in the back of an inner-city building and an area around this loading dock large enough to allow the public to gather.

Proserpina - An Opera by Wolfgang Rihm Reviewed

It's always nice to get a positive review in the New York Times. Below is soprano Heather Buck and the orchestra, complete with our parlor chairs. I do believe that I got the best one, though it's hard to tell from the picture...
The Loboe served me well during this premiere performance, especially with the multitude of low note entrances.

Excerpt: By JAMES R. OESTREICH

Published: June 1, 2010, NY TIMES

...the evening belonged to Ms. Heather Buck [soprano], who sang beautifully in the plush melodies at the start and adapted expertly to increasing angularity and high-flying acrobatics as Proserpina’s plight grew dire. Mr. Schmoll’s spare production, with a set and modern-dress costumes designed by Marsha Ginsberg, provided Ms. Buck with a mostly blank slate, and she was equally compelling as a sheer stage presence, whether self-absorbed or interacting with the chorus and even the orchestra.

Mr. Rihm’s music ranges widely and ingeniously through contemporary styles and includes a sort of historical framing, as he seamlessly weaves in patches of music from Goethe’s era. The “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” appears in the orchestra at Proserpina’s line, “Your peaceful wandering, blessed ones,” and a bit of the Queen of the Night’s vocalizing from Mozart's “Zauberflöte” creeps into Proserpina’s rendering of “Through the night I will pursue him.”

As in the orchestral concert, Mr. Kennedy and the orchestra were superb advocates for Mr. Rihm’s imaginative music.