BaL 25.10.14 - Strauss: Oboe Concerto

[Roehre]

Well Ms Derham recounted that story, but gave a rather garbled account of the first performance - having said that de Lancie was principal oboist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, she went on to say that, although Strauss had given him the rights to play it, he couldn't because of his junior position in "his orchestra" and hence he gave the rights to a colleague in another orchestra (Mitch Miller?) who took the solo part; and that de Lancie didn't get to play it till after he retired... Derham helpfully put it down to "Sod's Law" which didn't really help clarify matters.

It's here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04l36bx

Anyone know what actually happened?

The premiere was february 26th 1946 in Zürich, Marcel Saillet with the Tonhalle Orchster/Volkmar Andreae [to whom the piece is dedicated on the autograph, but not on the 1948 printed score ]
Whether De Lancie played the piece soon afterwards, I haven't a clue.

[Richard Tarleton]

The premiere was february 26th 1946 in Zürich, Marcel Saillet with the Tonhalle Orchster/Volkmar Andreae [to whom the piece is dedicated on the autograph, but not on the 1948 printed score ]
Whether De Lancie played the piece soon afterwards, I haven't a clue.

...Strauss had invited de Lancie to the premiere (acc. to Michael Kennedy's programme note that I referred to in #6) but de Lancie was unable to leave America. More about the story here. Even more here - this notes that de Lancie preferred Strauss's first thoughts re the ending, and even made changes to the first movement. Seems de Lancie finally played it with the Philadelphia in the 1960s and recorded it with an ad hoc ensemble in 1987.

[notnerb]

...Strauss had invited de Lancie to the premiere (acc. to Michael Kennedy's programme note that I referred to in #6) but de Lancie was unable to leave America. More about the story here. Even more here - this notes that de Lancie preferred Strauss's first thoughts re the ending, and even made changes to the first movement. Seems de Lancie finally played it with the Philadelphia in the 1960s and recorded it with an ad hoc ensemble in 1987.

That de Lance recording, conducted by Max Wilcox, is on RCA Gold Seal - 7989-2-RG - coupled with L'horloge de fleur, Gymnopedie 1 and Ibert Symphony concertante - 1991 release. (The other items on the disc are LSO / Previn.) The booklet quote de Lancie: 'I felt very respectful awe for this man . . .I mustered all my courage and began to talk about the beautiful oboe melodies like the ones in Don Quizote, Don Jua, Sinfonia domestica and others. I wanted to know if he had a special affinity for this instrument. As I was well acquainted with his [first] horn concerto I then asked him if he had ever considered writing a concerto for oboe, but his only answer was a simple 'no'.

[Roehre]

Hello Roehre please can you expand on this? We attended a superb performance by BBC NOW with Francois Leleux, the programme notes mention that after the first performance in Switzerland Strauss revised and extended the coda of the finale by 11 bars - is this what you refer to, and does anyone play the first performance version?
..

apart from a couple of added phrasings the ending of the finale of the concerto was changed after the premiere of the piece (1946) but before its publication (1948). This indeed is the 11-bar extension you mention.
I've got a CD (Masters MCD 59, recorded Abbey Road 1992) with Robin Canter playing with the LSO/Judd the Strauss concerto with both finales (as well as the RVW one).

I seem to recall a concert in Zürich the Tonhalle orchestra with Holliger playing the original finale as well.

[Nick Armstrong]

...Strauss had invited de Lancie to the premiere (acc. to Michael Kennedy's programme note that I referred to in #6) but de Lancie was unable to leave America. More about the story here. Even more here - this notes that de Lancie preferred Strauss's first thoughts re the ending, and even made changes to the first movement. Seems de Lancie finally played it with the Philadelphia in the 1960s and recorded it with an ad hoc ensemble in 1987.

Ah yes, thanks Richard - that second reference confirms the flaw in the Derham narrative: having mentioned the Pittburgh, her ambiguous reference to "his orchestra" is in fact a reference to the Philadelphia Orch to which, by the relevant time, de Lancie had moved and in which he did have a senior oboe-playing colleague.

("After the war, de Lancie became Associate First Oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Strauss instructed his publisher to give de Lancie the rights for the American premiere, but the honor was denied him when the Philadelphia's celebrated principal oboist, Marcel Tabuteau, threw a fit at the thought of being upstaged. Instead of giving the rights to Tabuteau, De Lancie conferred them on a friend of his in the CBS Symphony - the young oboist Mitchell Miller, later famous as the host of an American pops TV show, "Sing along with Mitch.".

De Lancie eventually became principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, but he performed the Strauss with them only once in the late 1960s. He finally recorded it with an ad hoc ensemble in 1987.")

How galling for him to have been denied the composer-granted right to give the première U.S. by the precious M. Tabuteau!

Given this story, I'm surprised that John de Lancie (who later became principal oboe in the Philadelphia Orchestra) didn't record the work.

So in fact, he did record it, happily...

[BBMmk2]

A favourite concerto of mine, as wel!. I have the one as part of the Kempe/R Strauss box set.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A favourite concerto of mine, as wel!. I have the one as part of the Kempe/R Strauss box set.

If you want the Kempe on CD, I think you have to buy the full set.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

If you want the Kempe on CD, I think you have to buy the full set.

Or go second hand

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strauss-Horn-Concertos-Wolfgang-Liebscher/dp/B00000DOJG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1413637735&sr=1-1&keywords=strauss%2C+oboe+concerto%2C+kempe

[BBMmk2]

Ah I already have the full box set :) Thanks.

[pastoralguy]

I believe de Lancie was a little past of his prime when he eventually recorded it. (According to an oboe playing friend).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Wow - a reviewer of this work who really knows her oysters. An oboist herself, she understands all the variables, from American reed scraping to Heinz Holliger's type of oboe (- I believe he played on a Rigoutat Classique).

Her understanding of the work is outstanding, probably because she has studied and played it over many years. The presentation may be a bit wooden, but I don't care a bit. This is a great BaL.

[Rolmill]

Wow - a reviewer of this work who really knows her oysters. An oboist herself, she understands all the variables, from American reed scraping to Heinz Holliger's type of oboe (- I believe he played on a Rigoutat Classique).

Her understanding of the work is outstanding, probably because she has studied and played it over many years. The presentation may be a bit wooden, but I don't care a bit. This is a great BaL.

Yes, I rarely get to listen (live) to CD Review but enjoyed this one very much: expert analysis, a clear love of the work itself and a wide-ranging selection of illustrations - I feel that I know the work much better than I did 45 minutes ago. I was particularly taken with the runner-up (Fuchs/Zinman - now I regret even more the cancellation of my ultra-cheap Zinman box order by the vendor!). The only thing I missed was any reference to the Clement/Kempe recording - was it not mentioned, or did I just miss it?

[Tevot]

a beautiful piece of music... and indeed a very enjoyable and informative BaL

[visualnickmos]

Wow - a reviewer of this work who really knows her oysters. An oboist herself, she understands all the variables, from American reed scraping to Heinz Holliger's type of oboe (- I believe he played on a Rigoutat Classique).

Her understanding of the work is outstanding, probably because she has studied and played it over many years. The presentation may be a bit wooden, but I don't care a bit. This is a great BaL.

Yes - a great and one of the most informative and enjoyable BaLs. I love it when reviewers "throw in" informative asides, eg reed comparisons. A shame the version in the Kempe EMI set wasn't mentioned, though. Unless I missed it as well. But maybe it's not actually 'in print'...... I must give it a spin now.

[DoctorT]

I was particularly taken with the runner-up (Fuchs/Zinman - now I regret even more the cancellation of my ultra-cheap Zinman box order by the vendor!).

I listened to this a few nights ago in preparation for BaL. It is the only version of this lovely concerto which I possess and after this morning's review I feel no need for another. The whole Zinman box is a treat: your regret is well founded, Rolmill!