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| Recordings to celebrate the world of the oboe | |||
For those who want to know more about what they are listening to.
The links to the music use Spotify because (if you are willing to put up with Ads) this is a free service.
| Great Goossens
Classic recordings, plus some surprises Details sheet (PDF) |
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The classic recordings included here are the Cimarosa Concerto, Bach's Sinfonia from the Easter Oratorio and 'Jesu,
joy of man's desiring'; the lesser-known ones include the Concerto by Léon's brother Eugene, and the first recording
(1947) of the Strauss Oboe Concerto.
The booklet contains an interview with Nicholas Daniel, who discusses Goossens' life, style and legacy, and comments on each piece. The notes are in English as a PDF file here. To access the music on Spotify, search on 'Great Goossens' | ||
| CC2012 The Oboe 1903-1953 A double CD of historic oboe recordings |
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Oboist and scholar Geoffrey Burgess writes about the process of recording in the first half of the 20th century,
covering both acoustic and (after 1925) electric recording techniques. He covers the attitudes to the technology
in the early days and the kind of music that was recorded.
He then considers each of the 41 tracks, giving background information about the player, his or her playing style, and the music. The notes are in English as a PDF file here. To access the music on Spotify, search on 'oboe 1903' | ||
| CC2029 Très Françaix Chamber music by Jean Françaix (1912-97) played by Jeremy Polmear and friends |
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Jeremy Polmear explores the background to Françaix' style with Dr Carol Gouspy and her doctoral thesis, 'Satie,
Cocteau et Les Six'; the desire to sound as different from Brahms as possible, and the underpinning of the music with a uniquely French philosophy.
The track notes consist of a detailed commentary on the music and Françaix' use of the wind instruments. In the case of the Quatuor for cor anglais (english horn) and strings, there is a witty introduction by Françaix himself, along with letters he wrote to the commissioner, Janet Craxton. The notes are in English et français as a PDF file here. There is a YouTube video about this music here. To access the music on Spotify, search on 'tres francaix' | ||
| CC2009 An English Renaissance Music for oboe and strings inspired by Léon Goossens played by George Caird and friends |
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Léon Goossens (1897-1988) was one of the best-known oboists of the 20th Century, and was a catalyst for a number of works, of which five are here.
The quality and variety of these works constitute, George Caird argues, part of a re-birth of English chamber music, particularly that featuring the oboe. George describes Goossens' special qualities, and discusses his links with each work. The notes are in English, français und Deutsch as a PDF file here. To access the music on Spotify, search on 'george caird' | ||
| CC2028 Balkan Bolero Chamber Music of Isidora Žebeljan played by Borislav Čičovači (oboe, oboe d'amore, cor anglais, oboe sopile) and ensemble |
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Borislav Čičovači writes about his wife's background of Serbian, Romanian, Hungarian and Gypsy music,
and also popular music and jazz; and how she fuses these disparate elements into a recognisable style.
He also looks at how she took the possibilities of the oboe and cor anglais, and stretched them to create music of extraordinary power. The notes are in English as a PDF file here. To access the music on Spotify, search on 'cicovacki' (no accents) |
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