descripção
Each of the four études in From East to West draws inspiration from aspects of different cultures' music, as well as focusing on different techniques for the oboe. Since I am not from any of the cultures whose music inspired these pieces, it's important to note that my intention was not to authentically reproduce these cultures' musical traditions. Instead, I wanted to let each of these separate musical styles influence my writing with their distinctive scales, techniques, rhythms, etc.
What I hope I've created are four études that explore the musical vocabulary of these cultures in
a way that is respectful.
Étude No. 1 was inspired by the distinct sound of the Chinese suona, a double-reed instrument that I first heard in a solo performed by Hou Yanqiu during the piece Joyce. This first étude explores a similar soloistic feel, with the oboe performing several virtuosic runs.
Étude No. 2 was inspired by Middle Eastern music. More specifically, I liked the maqam Shadd Araban (a kind of scale featuring what we would call augmented seconds, which help to give Arabic music its distinct sound) and the Samai Thaqil rhythm (a specific rhythmic pattern written in 10/8). The oboe explores different accents in this étude, especially stacattos.
Étude No. 3 was inspired by Greek and Russian Byzantine chant. Like much of chant music, it is notated with stemless notes, leaving the rhytmic interpretation up to the performer. The challenge in this slower étude is the longer phrasing.
Étude No. 4 was inspired by the Sean-nós style of a cappella singing commonly found in Ireland. Like the singers of this style, the oboe stays mainly at the top of its range, and repeated sections are made more elaborate with ornamentation. For this étude, phrasing is particularly important, and dotted slurs are used to show the performer each phrase.