Oboe, bassoon and piano -
difficult
SKU:
HL.49016219
Composed
by Benjamin Schweitzer.
This edition: Saddle
stitching. Sheet music.
Misc. Score (also
performance score).
Composed 2006. 73 pages.
Duration 10'. Schott
Music #ED 20121.
Published by Schott Music
(HL.49016219).
ISBN
9790001146449. UPC:
884088202538.
9.0x12.0x0.195
inches.
The
chiaroscuro-technique
developed by painters of
the Italian renaissance
served to intensify
contrasts and effects of
optical depth. In
Klar/Obskur, I tried to
transfer the general idea
of this technique on the
rather unusual
instrumentation of two
double-reed woodwinds and
piano. On the one hand, a
clear, well articulated
playing is characteristic
for these instruments, on
the other hand, they have
an often underestimated
potential of 'twilight':
air-sounds and fragile,
shady colours have a
especially attractive
when being produced by
double-reed instruments
(which are often, and
superficially regarded as
being less capable of
differentiated sounds
than flute or clarinet).
The piano, too, has a
broad bandwidth of
possibilities between
percussive and delicate
playing to complement the
woodwinds which, in
return, can absorb and
continue the fading piano
sounds.The beginning
introduces the two
contrasting elements that
form the basic material
for the piece: a clear,
sharp chord, followed by
fragile, dim sounds. The
changes between these
elements as well as their
combination and
amalgamation produce an
enormous spectrum of
colours and gesture.
After this 'motto-like'
opening follow four quite
clearly separated short
sections, each of them
being characterised by a
well-defined texture: a
partly almost
imperceptible air-sound
passage, a short sequence
of microintervallic
notes, a burst of
virtuosity and a recourse
to the fragile sounds of
the beginning.The second,
longer main part consists
of three sections merging
subtly into each other: a
short unisono-passage,
marked elastic [federnd],
is being dissolved into
its basic elements; from
these remainders, a
confrontation of low,
'arcane' bassoon and
piano sounds and a
strongly ornamented
melodic line of the oboe
emerges, leading to a
short but powerful
climax. The piece is
concluded by an extended,
relaxed epilogue,
containing a short piano
solo and a duet of oboe
and bassoon and, finally,
a quotation of the
'elastic' character of
the middle
section.Benjamin
Schweitzer.
