CD of the Month: The World of the Oboe
The World of the Oboe | An introduction to the music, players, reeds and instruments.
Oboe Classics CC2026
The World of the Oboe takes the listener on a guided tour around the best of what the oboe has to offer. It is a great introduction to the oboe for new learners and those considering learning. Equally, oboists and oboe enthusiasts of all ages and abilities are likely to learn something new, discover new favourite pieces and performers, and enjoy listening to great renditions of old favourites.
Over two hours of fantastic music is included across two CDs. An excellent addition is a booklet, which not only includes information about the pieces, composers and players, but also has details and images describing the history of the oboe and how oboes and reeds are made.
The music covers a wide range of styles, from opera to jazz and from 18th century to modern compositions. Well-known classics including Gabriel’s Oboe and arrangements of famous tunes such as Somewhere over the Rainbow are combined with lesser-known pieces to discover, such as Erdinç’s Dance of the Black Sea and Harty’s Chansonette.
Several of the pieces included are on the syllabus for ABRSM and Trinity oboe exams, including The Flower Duet by Delibes and Dragonfly by Wedgewood. This is invaluable to students who are looking for some inspiration!
A wide variety of oboe talent is featured on the CD: Marios Argiros, Mark Baigent, George Caird, David Cowley, Nicholas Daniel, Elaine Douvas, Paul Goodey, Léon Goossens, Deirdre Lind, Janey Miller, Jessica Mogridge, Uchenna Ngwe, Emily Pailthorpe, Jeremy Polmear, Christopher Redgate, Catherine Smith, Althea Talbot-Howard, Han de Vries, Julian West and Julia White.
“This would make a pleasurable gift for the enquiring or potentially enquiring oboe lover.” Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
“The World of the Oboe illustrates perfectly the many qualities of this wonderfully expressive instrument. These two discs not only give you the opportunity to taste the varied repertoire, they also give you the chance to hear some of the most exciting oboists ever recorded. And whilst enjoying listening to the music it is a pleasure to read the CD notes which are full of interesting facts and amusing observations. My only reservation is that such a compilation is inevitably a taster – it leaves me wanting more.” Jenny Agutter, Double Reed News (UK)
Available to purchase in our London Showroom and on our website: https://howarthlondon.com/pic.aspx?vid=253185
A full list of pieces included:
- Bach: Concerto for Oboe and Violin, 1st movement
- Coste: Consolazione – Romance
- R Schumann: Romance no 1, Op 94
- Ravel: Prélude; Habañera
- Wedgewood: Dragonfly
- Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe
- Boyce: Allegro; Pasculli: Le Api
- Arlen: Somewhere over the Rainbow
- Mozart: Quartet K370, 2nd movement
- Jacob: Sonatina, 4th movement
- Fauré: Pièce (vocalise 1914)
- Delibes: The Flower Duet
- Boismortier: Modèrement
- Machado: Quebra Queixo
- Saint-Saëns: The Swan
- Harty: Chansonette
- Erdinç: Dance of the Black Sea
- Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (opening).
- G Bush: Trio, 1st movement
- Ravel: Menuet
- Beethoven, arr. Sedlak: Fidelio, Florestan’s Aria
- Maconchy: Quintet (1932), 2nd movement
- Dutilleux: Sonata 2nd movement
- MacMillan: Intercession; C Schumann: Romance no 2, Op 22
- Britten: Pan
- Richardson: Rendezvous
- Sinclair: The Fly
- Basler: Vocalise-Waltz
- Roxburgh: Silent Strings
- Berio: Sequenza VII.
Hannah Blumsohn, Oboe Specialist – Howarth of London