Marek Kopelent (*1932) A Few Minutes with an Oboist
[ob,orch] 1972 duration: 13'
solo: ob – trp – perc(2) – hp.e-guit.mand.banjo – prep. Pno – vl.db
World première Witten, 1974
World première Witten, 1974
In composing this work I had to overcome my none-too-friendly disposition regarding the solo concerto form. The 'exhibitionism' of the soloist, the primacy of virtuosity and technique and other typical phenomena associated with the instrumental concerto seemed to me encrusted from the ground up with the mannerisms of bygone ages. The ideal situation would be one involving creative co-operation between soloist and ensemble which, I imagine, one could not really expect in the context of traditional performance. Such considerations led me to decide that I would treat the task before me somewhat ironically ('concerto galante) with a certain amount of distance. Hence the untypical (and unpractical) ensemble combination, the allusion to folk dance, which in its time was fashionable in Western Europe, sound-jokes and so on. Today, as a foot-note, I might add that since 1972, I have, in fact, written a number of concertante pieces. (Marek Kopelent)
In composing this work I had to overcome my none-too-friendly disposition regarding the solo concerto form. The 'exhibitionism' of the soloist, the primacy of virtuosity and technique and other typical phenomena associated with the instrumental concerto seemed to me encrusted from the ground up with the mannerisms of bygone ages. The ideal situation would be one involving creative co-operation between soloist and ensemble which, I imagine, one could not really expect in the context of traditional performance. Such considerations led me to decide that I would treat the task before me somewhat ironically ('concerto galante) with a certain amount of distance. Hence the untypical (and unpractical) ensemble combination, the allusion to folk dance, which in its time was fashionable in Western Europe, sound-jokes and so on. Today, as a foot-note, I might add that since 1972, I have, in fact, written a number of concertante pieces. (Marek Kopelent)