Dominic Muldowney

Concerto for Oboe

Instrumentation: picc.2.0.ca.2.bcl.2.cbsn – 4221 – perc(4): 4 claves/2 cabaca/6 tom-t/2 wdbl/4 susp.cym/2 tgl/glsp/2 BD/mar/2 splash cym/4 tpl.bl/mcas/SD/vib – harp – strings

Dominic Muldowney Oboe Concerto My recent work in the concert hall has almost entirely been in the form of ‘song-cycle’ and ‘concerto’ –a theatrical form for me and a reflection, I’m sure, of my work at the National Theatre. The Oboe Concerto is subtitled ‘song-cycle for oboe and orchestra’ and an early idea for the piece was to have had the solo part played or sung, the oboe’s rang being very close to that of a soprano. This ‘cycle’ contains four ‘songs’ surrounded by oboe recitatives which are accompanied by percussion. The importance given to the four percussionists is probably a hang over from my last concerto (for Evelyn Glennie) where percussion articulated sudden tempo changes – here however their role is more ritualistic, complementing the oriental modes that much of the oboe writing inhabits. Dominic Muldowney 1992