Today is the birthday of a person of little significance. To celebrate here’s a traditional Christmas carol I arranged for oboe, Bb clarinet, and piano.
Feel free to get out your oboe and play along!
Music 547: The Holly and the Ivy
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Tag Archives: oboe
Music 462-465: Four Landscapes for Oboe and Piano
As the world nears the denouement of this blog planned to occur at the appearance of the 2500th story in a month or so there are a few things that have got a bit muddled over time. To tidy things up and lend an air of completeness to this blog there are a few things I will post over the next few days. The area that has suffered through lack of posting is the music sphere in particular.
So if I may, I shall post the music compositions of 2022AD that I failed to post. That way I can say in the end “It is done!”
One of the things that stops me from posting music is that I feel it is a nuisance to the readers who come here expecting a story. So if you are here for stories please come back in six or seven days once I have rid myself of these musical encumbrances. Also if you are a regular commentator please don’t feel any obligation to comment.
By now you must be beginning to decipher that I have a substantial inferiority complex! Perhaps the music posted today – called “Four Landscapes for Oboe and Piano” – might point to my propensity for solitariness. Perhaps the real me is hidden in these four pieces!
Here then are “Four Landscapes for Oboe and Piano”:
Landscape 1 – audio HERE; sheet music HERE
Landscape 2 – audio HERE; sheet music HERE
Landscape 3 – audio HERE; sheet music HERE
Landscape 4 – audio HERE; sheet music HERE
Music 445: Water Wheels
Music 402-4: Three Rondos for Wind Quartet
Here are 3 rondos for flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, and bassoon.
Rondo I: The audio can he heard HERE, and the sheet music can be downloaded HERE.
Rondo II: The audio can he heard HERE, and the sheet music can be downloaded HERE.
Rondo III: The audio can he heard HERE, and the sheet music can be downloaded HERE.
In the unlikely event of them getting performed I could provide the individual music for each instrument.
Music 396: Fantails
2092. Cadenza for Oboist
Monique played the oboe in the symphony orchestra. If the truth be told, she was a snob; an utter cultural elitist. When the guest conductor included a selection of Christmas Carols into the seasonal program Monique refused to take part. The orchestra was there to play masterpieces and not jingles. Composers such as Bach and Mozart and Beethoven and Tchaikovsky were high on her list. Even the contemporary composer, Haruto Takahashi, was worthy of consideration. In fact, Haruto Takahashi had been commissioned by the orchestra to compose a new work especially for them. The new work was to have a spectacular cadenza in the middle to be played solo by the oboist.
Oh the excitement! Oh the expectation! Monique and Haruto Takahashi were to meet to discuss the intricacies of the proposed 30 second cadenza. It was then that they fell in love.
Haruto Takahashi had a reputation for being a bit of a rake; but it was Monique’s behaviour that stunned the orchestra. The Woodwind Section in particular couldn’t believe what was going on. Monique had gone from upper class oboist to trollop overnight. Meanwhile, Haruto Takahashi had gone off to compose his masterpiece. Monique cast her eye around the String Section. And then the Brass Section. And then the Percussion Section. Oh that timpanist! He knew how to hit a thing or two!
Haruto Takahashi produced his work. There was a magnificent oboe cadenza. Unfortunately the orchestra had to employ another oboist. Monique was in Bermuda with a plumber she had met when he was unblocking the orchestra’s kitchenette sink.
Music 350: Fo(u)r Woodwind
Music 346: For oboe and piano
Last year (2019) for a New Year resolution I thought I’d write (after a many years’ hiatus) some pieces to play on the piano. It ended up being 181 piano pieces!
This year I thought I’d try to write some pieces for other instruments – but since I don’t play anything other than keyboard the audios are composed on what I have on my computer (which is what came with it when it was purchased over ten years ago – yes I know Windows 7 is obsolete).
Many years back I used to arrange and compose a lot of music for orchestra. I knew the strengths and restraints of most instruments. It’s now almost 40 years since I last wrote for orchestral instruments, so things have become a little rusty. However, the orchestrating tomes are still on the shelf and are coming in handy.
For today’s piece of music, which is for oboe and piano, I hope it is oboe friendly! One of the things about an oboe is that it doesn’t use up much air, so unlike most other instruments you blow into, an allowance has to be made for the player not just to breathe in but to breathe out first! If any of you are oboe players I’ll try to humbly accept criticism of fingering, phrasing, etc. I’m in awe of any oboist’s breath control!
The last thing I composed for orchestra that was performed was for a circus! They wanted an entire circus performance not to be just a series of acts, but to tell a story. It was quite successful. After that, a university lecturer (since deceased) invited me to compose a piece for a youth orchestra. He furnished a list of instrumentalists. I was excited! I handed him the score, and the next day he said that the strings didn’t have phrasing and many articulation markings. (Don’t string players have any nous and pencils?) I added the markings, and the next thing was that he said there were too many double bass parts. I concluded from that he didn’t like the piece. I gave up and have since done other things. But here I am back again!
I am extremely reticent about foistering such compositions as these on the public. I feel some trustworthy readers might feel loyalty-bound to listen. But what else can I do with the jolly things?!
Thanks
Bruce
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