Eric R. Caines

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Publication Date

Spring 4-15-2015

Year of Release

2015

Note(s)

Eric R. Caines, oboe

Dr. Johan Botes, piano, harpsichord

Dr. Richard Kravchak, baroque oboe

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music Performance. Mr. Caines is a student in the oboe studio of Dr. Richard Kravchak.

Program Notes

Antonio Vivaldi (1678 t1741)

Trio Sonata for Two Oboes and Continuo in G minor, RV 81

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, and cleric. Entering the priesthood at an early age, he claimed ill health (for what was probably asthma) and was given a papal dispensation from celebrating mass, and instead turned his energies toward composing. Much of his output was written for La Figlie def Coro, the all-female musical ensemble which he taught at the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children. In all likelihood, Vivaldi's Trio Sonata for Two Oboes in G minor was written for the girls of the Pietà. One of these girls, known only as "Pellegrina Oboé," was Vivaldi's primary oboist for whom much of his oboe works were written. Pellegrina was abandoned at the Pietà at only 8 days old, and spent the remainder of her life there. She was forced to give up the oboe due to substantial tooth loss in old age, but remained at the Pietà playing violin until her death at age 76. Among countless other works, Vivaldi wrote over 500 concertos in his lifetime, more than 20 of those for oboe. He is remembered today as one of the most prolific Baroque composers.

Robert Schumann (1810 t1856)

Drei Romanzen for Oboe and Piano, Op. 94

Robert Schumann was a German composer and music critic, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Early in his life, Schumann left studying law to pursue a career as a concert pianist; however, a hand injury quelled this dream. It was at this time that he focused his musical energies on composing. Schumann's published compositions were written exclusively for piano until his marriage in 1840, at which point he began composing songs. The Drei Romanzen were written by Schumann as a gift for his wife, Clara, and can be regarded as a 'love note' to her. His feelings for her are made plain in the playful fluting between the oboe and piano, which pass lilting melodies, melancholic phrases, and mischievous motives between each other. The work, commonly known as the "Three Romances," is not particularly virtuosic, but rather allows the oboe to showcase its simplistic beauty, and is one of the most highly regarded and widely performed solo works in modern oboe repertoire.

Stanislas Verroust (1814 t1863)

2ᵐᵉ Solo de Concert for Oboe, Op. 74

Stanislas Verroust was a French composer and oboist. Verroust taught oboe at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1853-1860, and used his own compositions as pieces for the Concours, a student examination which concluded the academic year. The Concours was similar to today's juries, except for two stark differences: each student performed the same piece assigned to their instrument, and the winner of the Premier Prix (first prize) was expected to quit studying and look for a job; Verroust won the Premier Prix in 1834. Along with teaching and composing, Verroust also performed with many ensembles, most notably the Palais-Royale and the Paris Opera. Accordingly, his own compositions were largely influenced by operatic style, and the 2ᵐᵉ" Solo de Concert showcases the lyricism and virtuosity capable of the oboe. The work is in the "Scena Style," in which the entire concerto is made up of three connected movements. This style is regarded as the instrumental equivalent of an Italian operatic scene, in which a recitative is followed by two arias, the first being slow, and the second being fast. While Verroust composed several other works for oboe alongside his 12 Solos de Concert, his music is mostly forgotten.

Note

Smith Recital Hall

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents a Junior Recital Eric R. Caines, Oboe

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