Oboe Concert at Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Last night we dropped into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Lecture Recital hall for a concert by members of Oboe Club under the auspices of Alison Teale who teaches at GSMD. The concert featured a remarkable amount of oboe team-work, culminating in a wonderful performance of David Gordon's Queen's Farewell Stomp by 10 oboes, 3 cors anglais and 2 bassoons.

Before this lively finale we heard Dutilleux's dramatic and Poulenc-esque Oboe Sonata followed a charmingly characterful trio by Telemann for 2 oboes and bassoon. Schumann's 1st Romance is one of the few major romantic works written for the oboe in the 19th century; a lovely piece, full of long lines. Four oboists gave us a lively rendition of Mouret's Rondeau; the composer is 18th century French and the piece is about the only one in his output which still has modern currency. Kalliwoda's Morceau de Salon was a wonderful period piece, going from lyric melody to showy passages.

Arne Running's Quodlibet, for oboe and cor anglais gave us snippets from all of the major oboe and cor anglais solos in the orchestra repertoire. Rather helpfully one of the other performers held up notices indicating which theme was which, a rather nice touch. Rather more serious fun in the 3rd movement of Poulenc's trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano which received a nicely classy performance. Azzoni's Fantasie Pastorale for 3 oboes and piano was a nice period piece, reflecting Azzoni's operatic background (he worked at the Met).

All in all a most enjoyable concert and a chance to hear a wide range of fine oboists ranging from first years through to those studying for master and doing post-graduate study.