Author: Ann Fronckowiak

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 141

ISBN-13:

Abstract: Oboists are extremely fortunate to have a twentieth-century concerto written by John Harbison, a highly sought after, award-winning, and prolific American composer, in their repertory. Unfortunately, this significant work has not yet been fully integrated into the standard repertoire due to its complexities and a lack of thorough scholarly documentation. I hope to change this by being the first to complete such documentation. The project includes proper analysis of the work and a study of the collaboration between John Harbison and William Bennett, the oboist for whom the piece was written, to identify how much the performer influenced the composition. In addition, performance concerns and difficulties, along with their subsequent suggestions for interpretation and execution, are contained in the text. Harbison, former composer-in-residence with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is a Pulitzer Prize winner. He wrote his Oboe Concerto in 1990-1991 for William Bennett, principal oboist of the San Francisco Symphony. This study utilized many different methods. I have collected biographical information on Harbison and Bennett and documented the historical context of the concerto, including its conception, collaborative process, and premiere. A detailed structural analysis is also included, containing form charts for each movement. In addition, I interviewed both Harbison and Bennett and had an oboe lesson with Bennett on this concerto. Transcripts of these interactions are included in the document. Finally, I have practiced and performed this work. The three-movement concerto is unique in its employment of traditional baroque forms, jazz, and blues. The first movement is based on a Gregorian chant-like theme and is composed in sonata form. The second movement is a two-voice passacaglia, and the third is a fantasia designed to sound like a 1920s big band. Bennett collaborated extensively with Harbison, and Bennett's suggestions, personality, and playing style influenced the concerto. These conclusions are extremely significant because valuable interpretive and technical insights are presented from two primary sources, John Harbison and William Bennett. From these insights, this work will become more comprehendible for scholars and more accessible for oboists and become an enduring piece in the oboe repertoire.