Oboe Sonata-OB/PN

Dedicated to Audrey Markowitz. 

From the composer:

My Opus 1 is indeed a baroque composition, utilizing the familiar four-movement structure of the form during that era. The influence of Bach is readily apparent in the first three movements, although the fourth is far closer to "Variations in the Italian Manner" than the chaconne Bach might have preferred for variations- or the giga or gigue he would more likely have composed. In much of Bach's music, we find him willing to use whatever instrument might be most readily available. Thus, the same music might be realized by flute, oboe, or violin, or even set to text for soprano. The composer's magnificent Sonata for flute and clavier in b minor was recycled as his sonata for oboe and clavier in g minor- the same piece, but merely with a change of key. I am not altogether certain what instrument I had in mind for this composition, though I was definitely thinking "woodwind". As things developed, a violinist debuted the first performance of the entire composition (and subsequently recorded it), and I have enjoyed successful collaborations with flutists as well. I did not provide indications for articulations or dynamics, and trust that the performers will familiarize themselves with stylistic conventions and ultimately feel free to discover what works best for them. Similarly, I hope they will appreciate the improvisatory nature of the style, and I even encourage them to feel free to append certain embellishments where the passages clearly allow such liberties. This indeed, is what Audrey Markowitz, to whom the composition is dedicated, chose to do, notably in the third movement. It has been remarked that most of my music sounds as though it was written between 1725 and 1825. I hope that the publication of several of my works will encourage other composers to return to our common roots!