- Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra (Martinů)
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Bohuslav Martinů's Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, H. 353, was written in 1955 for the Czech-born Australian oboist Jiří Tancibudek.
The work was commissioned by the Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper, in celebration of the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.[1][2][3]
Jiří Tancibudek gave the world premiere in August 1956 in Sydney, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt.[4][5][6]
Tancibudek also gave European premieres in London (27 February 1958 in the BBC Studio in Maida Vale), Hamburg (March 1958)[7], and Vienna, and the New World premiere in Vancouver.[8] He was also due to play the public British premiere at the Proms, but time constraints prevented this; instead, it was performed at the Proms on 24 August 1959, four days after the composer's death, by Tancibudek's friend Evelyn Rothwell, with her husband Sir John Barbirolli conducting.[9][10] The Czech premiere took place in 1960, with František Hanták as the soloist.[11]
Tancibudek was given permission from the composer to retain the manuscript of the concerto. Comparing this with the work published after Martinů's death, he noticed a considerable number of discrepancies. In the 1980s, he and James Brody at Indiana University published a list of corrections with some interpretational suggestions.[12] He and Maurice Bourgue worked together on publication of the critical edition.[13] Maurice Bourgue and Guy Porat produced a revised edition in 2008.[14] This edition restores the second cadenza in the last movement (removed at Tancibudek’s suggestion), and corrects a number of errors in the solo part.[15]
The three movements are marked:
- Moderato
- Poco andante
- Poco allegro.[12]
The score reveals the influence of Igor Stravinsky, including a quotation of a motif from Petrushka in the second movement.[16] The score contains a prominent part for an orchestral piano.[17][16] It takes about 16 minutes to play.[18]
References
- ^ My Occasional Thought for the Day
- ^ Stanton's Sheet Music
- ^ Oboe puppy.com
- ^ jstor
- ^ Music Web International
- ^ Nadace Bohuslava Martinu
- ^ Le concerto pour hautbois et petit orchestre de Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)
- ^ The Adelaide Review, Obituary: "Prince of the oboe"
- ^ Presto Classical
- ^ MDT
- ^ Supraphon
- ^ a b Classical Archives
- ^ Prague Spring, 19 March 2010
- ^ IDRS Forum
- ^ IMSLP
- ^ a b Music Web International
- ^ Arkiv Musik
- ^ Arkiv Musik
Categories:- 1955 compositions
- Compositions by Bohuslav Martinů
- Oboe concertos
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