oboEMOTIONS
These video performances introduce the wide emotional range of recent American music for the oboe. They are also my personal attempt to express these emotions through greater physical freedom. All music making is a balance of discipline and freedom. I hope you enjoy these performances! If you are an oboe player, please consider expanding your repertoire and performing these works–ordering information and biographies of the composers are listed below.
Summer Suite by David Ward-Steinman
The four movements of Summer Suite are at turns lyrical, jazzy, angry, and finally, contemplative.
Two Trifles and a Wedding Present by Philip Orem
Orem’s work features jaunty rhythms and Sondheim-like phrases, interspersed with humor.
Quintet for Oboe and Strings by Daron Hagen
The first movement of Hagen’s Quintet confronts death (do you hear the Dies Irae theme?), the second is a loving tribute to the mystery of birth, and the last is a lively celebration, with catchy rhythms and a wink to Prokofiev.
Shoreline for oboe, viola and harp by Cynthia Wong
Cynthia Wong’s mesmerizing sounds with viola and harp tell the story of Musiline, half-human and half-mermaid, dreaming of a love never realized.
Aria Hebraique by Leon Stein
Aria Hebraique recalls the deep interior world of a Kol Nidrei chant.
Koke No Niwa for English horn, harp and percussion by Alan Hovhaness
“A garden of sounds and silences,” this video features photos of the moss gardens of Kyoto which inspired the music.
Twelve Quatrains from the Rubaiyat by Dorothy Rudd Moore
For oboe and mezzo-soprano, with Anna Caplan from a 2022 live performance.
Gymnopedie, from Suite by Viet Cuong
Movement 2: “Freely” from Three Ditties by Philip Orem
Complete performances of Cuong and Orem can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu5gIcGWrWc
Bonus Videos:
Tribute to composer William Grant Still, featuring music by Sierra Winds
Recreation of Charlie Parker and Strings with Vincent Herring, saxophone, and Justin DiCioccio, conductor. This pandemic era performance celebrating the 100th birthday of Charlie Parker, features wonderful oboe and English horn melodies originally recorded by oboist, Mitch Miller.
Biographies and Ordering Information
Bio of David Ward-Steinman: http://ward-steinman.weebly.com/
Order Summer Suite: http://www.presser.com/shop/summer-suite.html?SID=mv3j8le2ekgge8tph4rtlj1j36
Bio of Daron Hagen: http://www.daronhagen.com/very-short-bio/
Order Quintet for Oboe and Strings: http://www.daronhagen.com/store/oboe-quintet
Bio of Leon Stein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Stein
Order Aria Hebraique: https://composers.com/composition/aria-hebraique2nd-mvt-ob-conc
Bio of Philip Orem: https://po4musik.wixsite.com/website
Order Two Trifles and a Wedding Present: http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/two-trifles-and-a-wedding-present-for-oboe-digital-sheet-music/20228029?narrow_by=wedding+present
Bio of Alan Hovhaness: http://www.hovhaness.com/Biography.html
Order Koke No Niwa: https://www.trevcomusic.com/collections/types?q=Hovhaness
Bio of Cynthia Wong: http://cynthialeewong.com/biography/