Duets for Oboe and Bassoon in Octatonic Scales

Hello, friends!

I recently joined this forum, and this is my first post here. I have been working on this piece for a little while now to use in my college application portfolios. I would love to get some feedback on it, if anyone is inclined to listen and look at it. I will be recording it next week, so anything you have to say would be great. 

I'm not a professional but I think that this piece requires professional players for two reasons:

1. At some places you didn't give the players enough breakes, which means they don't have time to breath.

For example, try singing the oboe's role from bar 62. You'll probably run out of air somewhere in the middle.

Professional players can do this cycle breathing thing, but I don't think everyone can simply do that.

2. Remember that with the basson higher notes are louder. At some places you required a very loud low note or a very soft high one.

I believe it is possible, but like crec. on a downbow, it's against what happens naturaly.

Don't get me wrong- I do like the piece.

I just think you should fix these things.

18 minutes ago, Rabbival507 said:

I'm not a professional but I think that this piece requires professional players for two reasons:

1. At some places you didn't give the players enough breakes, which means they don't have time to breath.

For example, try singing the oboe's role from bar 62. You'll probably run out of air somewhere in the middle.

Professional players can do this cycle breathing thing, but I don't think everyone can simply do that.

2. Remember that with the basson higher notes are louder. At some places you required a very loud low note or a very soft high one.

I believe it is possible, but like crec. on a downbow, it's against what happens naturaly.

 

Don't get me wrong- I do like the piece.

I just think you should fix these things.

 

Hi, @Rabbival507! 

Thank you for your feedback, I have professional players playing this piece for me, and after looking over it, they told me that it is definitely possible. I was aware that at some spots, there are extended periods without a breath, especially at the end of the second movement, however, it goes very fast there, and I can sing almost to the end with proper breath support.

However, I was not aware that the bassoon gets louder in its higher range. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will write something else in case the bassoonist struggles with those parts. 

2 minutes ago, Jarron.Carlson said:

Hi, Rabbival! 

Thank you for your feedback, I have professional players playing this piece for me, and after looking over it, they told me that it is definitely possible. I was aware that at some spots, there are extended periods without a breath, especially at the end of the second movement, however, it goes very fast there, and I can sing almost to the end with proper breath support.

However, I was not aware that the bassoon gets louder in its higher range. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will write something else in case the bassoonist struggles with those parts. 

 

That's so cool!

How did you get professional players to play your piece?

Just now, Rabbival507 said:

How did you get professional players to play your piece?

I attend a music school called the Gifted Music School. It is a very good pre-college program for music and all of the faculty and students are very enthusiastic about contemporary music, so I have a lot of very good musicians at my disposal. I am a lucky guy. :) 

I quite like this, actually. I'm rather unfamiliar with more contemporary music -- not really a musical style to which I am attuned, though I think you found a nice balance between the two instruments, and that you extracted a generally more lyrical feeling in the music (something that I love). Great job! 

6 minutes ago, Jared Steven Destro said:

I quite like this, actually. I'm rather unfamiliar with more contemporary music -- not really a musical style to which I am attuned, though I think you found a nice balance between the two instruments, and that you extracted a generally more lyrical feeling in the music (something that I love). Great job! 

 

Thank you! Do you feel that I have developed my motivic ideas pretty well? That is something I sometimes am not as good at, and looking at your pieces on this forum, I think you're quite skilled at it.

8 hours ago, Jarron.Carlson said:

Thank you! Do you feel that I have developed my motivic ideas pretty well? That is something I sometimes am not as good at, and looking at your pieces on this forum, I think you're quite skilled at it.

 

Well, thank you. It can be a bit of a challenge when you have shorter pieces, as you do here, I think; though, one thing you do that is beneficial is repeat certain moments almost exactly (or exactly) as well as use consistent rythmic figures -- looking even at the very beginning of the first piece. For me, at least, I constantly consider how I feel (e.g. is there some material/motif/figure I could be developing in this section etc.)