Sheet Music: ScoreSpirit of the Wild : concerto for oboe / Nigel Westlake.Also known as: Concerto for oboe by Nigel Westlake (2016)
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In mid 2016, following concert commitments in Hobart, I was
invited by Bob Brown, one of Australia's leading
environmentalists, to accompany him on a visit to Bathurst
Harbour, a pristine waterway on the South West Coast of Tasmania
contained within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage
Area.
Almost completely devoid of modern human intrusion, the area was
the home of the Needwonnee people for many thousands of years,
and is accessible only by boat, plane or foot.
It is a magical patchwork of button-grass moorlands, heathlands,
and estuaries, bordered by jagged peaks, wild rivers and rugged
coastlines.
My introduction to this place of exquisite beauty became the
backdrop to my next project, an oboe concerto commission for the
Sydney Symphony, and as I pondered the ensuing collaboration with
soloist Diana Doherty, the memories and significance of my
expedition with Bob continued to infuse my consciousness, leaving
their fingerprints on the concerto score in subtle and mysterious
ways.
As a young boy, my parents had introduced me to the wilds of
Tasmania and I am forever grateful to them for instilling in me a
deep love of Australia's wilderness fostered during numerous
walking and boating expeditions.
My trip to Bathurst Harbour reminded me of the preciousness of
the wilderness, & of mankind's propensity to become subsumed by
materialism, neglecting our connection to country and the wonders
of the natural world, choosing instead to value only those
elements of our environment that can be quantified by monetary
worth.
Such wild places are truly priceless and we exploit and destroy
them at our peril.
Work on the concerto began when, in an act of courageous
exploration, Diana dropped around to my studio one morning and
allowed me to record her performing a dazzling stream of freeform
improvisations. Always up for a challenge, she had accepted my
invitation to do so with characteristic enthusiasm and good
will.
To hear such an accomplished classical player liberate themselves
from the constraints of the notated score in this way, enter "the
zone" and follow their musical intuition through a myriad of
patterns, riffs and sequences was a privilege indeed, and the
best possible way for me to infiltrate Diana's highly unique,
dynamic and virtuosic approach to the instrument. Her visit left
me inspired and ready to start work.
Performed in a continuum, the concerto can be divided into 4
distinct sections, the first 2 of which are closely related in
terms of energy and contour.
The third section is a slow movement where long, sustained oboe
phrases are supported by a detailed filigree of repeated patterns
that ebb and flow in dynamic waves.
A syncopated string hocket forms a bridge to the final section
which is perhaps the most playful & extrovert in manner, building
as it does to a traditional style big finish.
Published by: Rimshot Music — 1 score (92p. -- A3 (portrait))
Difficulty: Advanced
Duration: 22 min.
Commissioned with funds provided by Jane Mathews, Symphony Services International.
First performance by Diana Doherty, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson at SSO: Westlake Oboe Concerto, Ravel’s Bolero (Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall) on 22 Feb 2017
Cadenza added April 2019.
Typeset edition.
This edition produced Mar 17.
Related products
This work is also available in the following products:
CD: Spirit of the Wild, by Nigel Westlake, and The Desert Music, by Steve Reich / Sydney Symphony Orchestra, conductors: Nigel Westlake and David Robertson.
Parts: Spirit of the Wild : SOLO OBOE PART ONLY / Nigel Westlake.
Score: Spirit of the Wild : concerto for oboe STUDY SCORE / Nigel Westlake.
Score & Part: Spirit of the Wild : concerto for oboe, Piano Reduction / Nigel Westlake.
This work also exists as the following versions:
- Oboe with chamber ensemble
- Browse other works published by Rimshot Music
- Browse other works for Oboe with orchestra
- Browse other works by Nigel Westlake
Analysis & Media
- Resonate Article: 2019 Paul Lowin Prizes - finalists announced
- Resonate Article: Nigel Westlake and Katy Abbott winners of the 2019 Paul Lowin Prizes
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