Oboe and Piano
[Please note – this piano reduction is intended for rehearsal use, audition and academic recital only.]
About the work –
Composed for Diana Doherty and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
In mid 2016, following concert commitments in Hobart, I was invited by Bob Brown, one of Australia’s leading environmentalists, to accompany him on a visit to Bathurst Harbour, a pristine waterway on the South West Coast of Tasmania contained within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Almost completely devoid of modern human intrusion, the area was the home of the Needwonnee people for many thousands of years, and is accessible only by boat, plane or foot.
It is a magical patchwork of button-grass moorlands, heathlands, and estuaries, bordered by jagged peaks, wild rivers and rugged coastlines.
My introduction to this place of exquisite beauty became the backdrop to my next project, an oboe concerto commission for the Sydney Symphony, and as I pondered the ensuing collaboration with soloist Diana Doherty, the memories and significance of my expedition with Bob continued to infuse my consciousness, leaving their fingerprints on the concerto score in subtle and mysterious ways.
Performed in a continuum, the concerto can be divided into 4 distinct sections, the first 2 of which are closely related in terms of energy and contour.
The third section is a slow movement where long, sustained oboe phrases are supported by a detailed filigree of repeated patterns that ebb and flow in dynamic waves.
A syncopated string canon forms a bridge to the final section which is perhaps the most playful & extrovert in manner, building as it does to a traditional style big finish.
The score is orchestrated for 4 horns, harp, piano, 5 percussion, timpani & strings.
Composed expressly for the prodigious talents of Diana Doherty, this commission has been made possible through generous funding provided by Jane Mathews AO and Symphony Services International.
Piano score – $50.00 + GST
Solo Oboe part – $30.00 +GST
For information regarding the printed score and parts of this work please contact us at info@rimshot.com.au
