Dance-OB/PN

Dance
for oboe and piano
by Scott Carrell- American composer and pianist

From the composer:
This work began as a melody I composed for a sight-singing class. After completing half of it, the piece rested on the shelf for several years. Revisions and completion occurred during the fall of 2010, when I took a sabbatical to do composition. Further adjustments were made prior to the premiere. 
The title refers not to the suitability of this piece for dancing, but rather on the rhythmic vitality and dance-like qualities. Hence, mixed meters and asymmetric meters appear throughout. Three melodic ideas are presented both individually and in combination: the first has perhaps the most energy and sounds slightly jazzy; the other two are more lyrical. Motives derived from those melodies are developed, manipulated, and shared between the instruments. The structure is based essentially on sonata form. The style overall is light, capricious, even flirtatious at times. The pianist must be careful not to overplay nor to overpower the soloist. 
The world premiere was performed on February 7th, 2012 at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. The performers were: Mr. Gerry Gibson, Principal Oboe of the Arkansas Symphony, and Scott Carrell on piano.