Oboe concertos

[Pulcinella]

Picking up this comment by Ein Heldenleben on another thread:

Though as a listener I would have the following audio preference oboe / cor anglais , clarinet , bass clarinet, flute , bass flute, bassoon contrabasson, piccolo .

made me realise that, apart from the RVW (which I adore) and the Arnold, I don't think I know any oboe concertos.

What am I missing out on?
Hindemith must have written one, and presumably Vivaldi, and there's JSB's double with violin.

Any recommendations?
I have to say that the oboe is not my preferred woodwind instrument to listen to, though!

[smittims]

The two which most spring to mind are the Mozart, an alternative version of his second flute concerto, and the Richard Strauss, a late work from the mid 1940s; both were memorably recorded by Leon Goossens. As a dyed-in-the-wool Rawsthorne fan I must also mention his concerto for the instrument. There's a recording on Naxos CDs, a label which has done much to rectify the shameful neglect of this composer's music, which I must add is rarely played on Radio 3 . Why not? Is it because he wasn't a woman?.

[rauschwerk]

Eugene Goossens wrote a tiny concerto for his brother. I don't know it but there are recordings.

[smittims]

Oh yes, thanks for reminding me. It is a delightful work. The Goossens brothers recorded it for EMI and its on a Goossens celebratory CD 'curated' (as is the fashionable term) by Nicholas Daniel, who contributes valauable comments

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As I play the oboe, I know quite a few.
The Mozart and Strauss ones are the real gems, with VW not far behind. Handel’s were early works, but still rather fine, and I once performed his 1st oboe concerto to a small audience that included David Hockney
Albinoni wrote lots of them, but they don’t excite me

Wasn’t Bellini’s used to introduce a weekly Radio 3 programme?

[smittims]

Yes, Holliger's DG recording of the Bellini concerto was the signature tune for 'Record Review' presented on Saturday Mornings by John Lade. I slightly prefer the Argo version with the fondly-remembered Roger Lord and Neville Marriner.

[CallMePaul]

Nicholas Daniel's recording of the Vaughan Williams concerto is coupled with one by Sir James MacMillan. I think that one of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' Strathclyde Concertos also is for oboe, but as I don't have the recording (only the one for cello) I canot be certain.

[RichardB]

Hindemith didn't write an oboe concerto, but Martinu and Carter did. Bruno Maderna wrote three, Henze a double concerto for oboe, harp and strings (one of his best works I think) and Heinz Holliger himself the beautiful Siebengesang. There are of course several by Vivaldi, and also by Albinoni, a much less interesting composer IMO, and one by Alessandro Marcello whose claim to fame is that it was transcribed for keyboard by J S Bach.

[Mal]

Do quadruple concertos count? If so:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC24gV1o7XQ

Also by JSB: Oboe d'amore concerto in A

Haydn: Oboe concerto in C major. Here's François Leleux conducting from (and with!) the oboe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE24eN-39T4

[CallMePaul]

Not strictly an oboe concerto, but Donizetti's Concertino for cor anglais will interest many oboists and oboe fans. It is the only concertante piece for this instrument that I can recall hearing (years ago, probably on R3), but there must be others?

[Petrushka]

There are a couple of CDs in the Warner Barbirolli box with Evelyn Rothwell (Mrs JB) playing several oboe concerti, including the Vaughan Williams, with the rest (Albinoni, Corelli, Marcello, Cimorosa and Pergolesi) in various arrangements by Barbirolli and others. The Handel No 1 and one attributed to Haydn make up the remainder. Mot of these are slight works lasting little more than ten minutes.

I have the Bruno Maderna three, mentioned by RichardB, but, of course, the best oboe concerto of all is the Richard Strauss, a wonderful work from his last years. I'm also very fond of the Mozart K314.

[hmvman]

Another shout, from me, for the Bellini concerto. Not music of great depth but a truly delightful listen! I have the Roger Lord/ASMF/Marriner recording.

[RichardB]

of course, the best oboe concerto of all is the Richard Strauss, a wonderful work from his last years.

The story of how it came about is often told, with oboist John de Lancie turning up at Strauss's home during the US Army's occupation of Bavaria and asking him whether he'd ever consider writing a concerto for oboe, which he duly did, assigning the rights for the first US performance to de Lancie, who had to give them to someone else because he was only a junior member of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the time. (He didn't play it until 1964 in the end.) In the "not many people know this" category is the fact that de Lancie's son, also John, not only played a recurring character in Star Trek but (I found very recently) is also an opera librettist.

[smittims]

Yes, curiously, Lancie did not become a leading interpreter of the work. I wonder if he even liked it. Thankfully we have the Goossens recording with the original ending.

[Joseph K]

Ferneyhough - Allgebrah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbgRPoUr-6I