Adagio Cantabile - OB/PN

Adagio Cantabile
for oboe and piano
by Gustave Vogt (1781-1870) - French composer and oboist

edited by Trevor Cramer

This is the printed music.  To purchase the PDF download, click HERE. 

Gustave Vogt (1781–1870) was born in Strasbourg, Vogt followed his parents to Paris at a very young age, where he entered the Conservatoire de Paris on 7 July 1798 and became an oboe student of François Sallantin. He made such rapid progress that he was awarded a First Prize in this instrument at the end of the following year. He later attended the harmony course of Jean-Baptiste Rey at the same institution.

Vogt was engaged by the orchestra of the Théâtre Montansier as second oboe in 1798, then joined the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique until 31 May 1801, at which time he was employed by the Comédie Italienne of the Théâtre de la Victoire as its first oboe. Vogt then followed Emperor Napoleon as oboist of the music of the Imperial Guard during the 1805 campaign.

In 1805 he met Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven in Vienna. Back in Paris, he was the first oboe of the Théâtre Feydeau and kept this post until 1814. He then joined the Paris Opéra as successor of his teacher Sallantin. He remained there until his retirement in 1854.

Vogt became a member of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire in 1838, where he played first oboe until 1844. In 1835, he was called to London for the season as first oboe of the Philharmonic Society and in 1838 he made a second trip to London and spent the entire season there, being sought after for his talent in all musical societies. Back in Paris, he returned to his position as first oboe of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, where he was praised for the beauty of the sound derived from the instrument and for the quality of his performance.

As early as 1808, he had been appointed assistant professor of oboe at the Conservatory, becoming a full professor during the re-organization of 1816. It was during his tenure that all the major French oboists who made a name for themselves studied, particularly Brod, Verroust, Vinit, Barré, Lavigne, de La Barre and many others. Appointed first oboe of the King's Chapell in 1815, he retained this position until the 1830 July Revolution. In 1839, he was awarded the Order of the Légion d'honneur. Vogt retired from teaching at the Conservatory in 1853. He died at age of 89 in Paris in 1870.