Hansjörg Schellenberger: Musik mit Oboe – B. Britten

It was an oboist friend of the young Benjamin Britten who inspired the composer to write a number of works for the instrument, the most well-known being the Fantasy Quartet op. 2 and the Metamorphoses op.49 “Insect-Pieces” and “Temporal Variations”, both for oboe and piano, were the first discovered after the composer’s death. These four constitute Britten’s complete oeuvre for oboe and they are combined on this CD with two other very personal works, his “Gemini Variations” and his Suite for harp.

01  Phantasy for Oboe, Violin, Viola and Violoncello op. 2 – Benjamin Britten

Temporal Variations for Oboe and Piano op. posth. (1936) – Benjamin Britten

02  Thema · Andante rubato
03  Oration · Lento quasi recitativo
04  March · Alla marcia
05  Exercises · Allegro molto e con fuoco
06  Commination · Adagio con fuoco
07  Chorale · Molto lento
08  Waltz · Allegretto rubato
09  Polka · Tempo di Polka – Allegro
10  Resolution · Maestoso (non troppo lento)

Suite for harp solo op. 83 – Benjamin Britten

11  Overture · Majestic
12  Toccata · Fast and gay
13  Nocturne · Slow and quiet
14  Fugue · Lively
15  Hymn (St. Denio) · Slow and solemn

Two Insect Pieces for oboe and piano op. posth. (1935) – Benjamin Britten

16  The Grasshopper
17  The Wasp

Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for oboe solo op. 49 – Benjamin Britten

18  Pan · Senza misura
19  Phaeton · Vivace ritmico
20  Niobe · Andante
21  Bacchus · Allegro pesante
22  Narcissus · Lento piacevole
23  Arethusa · Largamente

Gemini Variations. Twelve Variations and Fugue on an Epigram of Zoltàn Kodàly op. 73 – Benjamin Britten

24  Theme · Maestoso
25  Variation I · Prestissimo scherzando
26  Variation II · Moderato
27  Variation III · Allegro con brio
28  Variation IV · Grazioso
29  Variation V · Canone – Vivace
30  Variation VI · Specchio I ·Lento tranquillo
31  Variation VII · Cadenza
32  Variation VIII · Appassionata
33  Variation IX · Fanfara ·Allegro
34  Variation X · Marcia ·Lo stesso tempo (Allegro)
35  Variation XI · Specchio II · Misterioso
36  Variation XII · Romanza · Andante rubato
37  Fugue · Molto moderato