Partita (1997)-SOLO OB

I. Allegro furioso

II. Blues

III. Aria

IV. Forlane

Commissioned by a former student of the composer, Kevin Vigneau, and premiered at the IDRS Convention in Evanston, Illinois in 1997. The first movement is driving and energetic, with double trills, "two part" writing, and running passage-work, but ending with a dolce harmonic section of tremolos. The second is a funky blues, with both vamps and melodic sections, and many places where the oboe both bass and melody. The Aria is inspired by the many beautiful Bach works for oboe- especially the obligato arias with their frequent long notes, where one can do such wonderful things with color. The movement should be played very expressively and lyrically. The fourth movement is again virtuosic, inspired by Ravel's Forlane in Le Tombeau de Couperin, and ending with a pyrotechnic display.