Petr Eben: Chamber Music for Oboe

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The Czech composer Petr Eben was best known during his lifetime (1929-2007) as one of the world's finest concert organists. But the Velvet Revolution of 1989 led to the gradual discovery of his music by international audiences and he is now taking his place as one of the major figures in Czech music in the generation after Martinů. This first complete recording of his chamber music for oboe shows how he managed to bring Gregorian chant and Renaissance and Baroque procedures into a feisty and individual modern style.

Marlen Vavříková, oboe
Ivana Dohnalová, harp
Václav Vonášek, bassoon
Radana Foltýnová, piano
Grand Valley Winds, wind quintet
Christopher Kantner, flute
John Varineau, clarinet
John Clapp, bassoon
Richard Britsch, horn

Listen To This Recording:

    Miniatures, Op. 124 (1972)

  1. No. 1 Con desiderio
  2. No. 2 Moderato misterioso
  3. No. 3 Moderato con gravit‡
  4. No. 4 Andantino solenne
  5. No. 5 Semplice
  6. No. 6 Con calore
  7. Sonata for Oboe and Piano, Op. 1 (1950)

  8. I Militare – Allegro risoluto
  9. II Pastorale – Andante cantabile
  10. III Ballabile – Presto
  11. Duettini, Op. 28 (1963)

  12. No. 1 Abendliches Duettino
  13. No. 2 Polka – Duettino
  14. No. 3 Walzer – Duettino
  15. No. 4 Beschwichtigendes Duettino
  16. No. 5 Konzertantes Duettino
  17. No. 6 Eigenwilliges Duettino
  18. No. 7 Rhythmisches Duettino
  19. Appello, Op. 119 (1995)
  20. Amoroso (1975)
  21. Ordo Modalis, Op. 30 (1964)

  22. I Intrada
  23. II Air
  24. III Rigaudon
  25. IV Sarabanda
  26. V Giga da caccia
  27. Music for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, Op. 52 (1970)
  28. Wind Quintet, Op. 34 (1965)

  29. I Monologo
  30. II Dialogo I
  31. III Coro I
  32. IV Dialogo II
  33. V Coro II

3 reviews for Petr Eben: Chamber Music for Oboe

  1. :

    ‘Marlen Vavříková is a fine oboist and is well supported by her colleagues. Her tone is strong and colorful; …The works on this disc are ordered to go from merely charming to vibrant and pithy. Eben’s music is very much worth getting to know.’

    —James H. North, Fanfare Magazine

  2. :

    ”This program surveys the wind output of prolific Czech pianist-organist-cellist-composer Petr Eben (1929-2007), whose music is well worth hearing. …What his works have in common is craftsmanship. …Marlen Vavrikova is a master of the oboe. …Both Vaclav Vonasek and John Clapp are solid bassoonists; Ivana Dohnalova’s harp-playing is celestial; Radana Foltynova is a sensitive and expressive pianist; and the other three members of the Grand Valley Winds are also radiant. …This disc is recommended, and not just to oboists. […]

    In Eben’s case, the general descriptive term “neoclassical” does not exclude other elements of postwar modernism such as atonality, quarter tones, and aleatory. What his works have in common is craftsmanship. Since Eben’s chamber works tend to be brief, it’s possible to hear many of them here. …Marlen Vavrikova is a master of the oboe… Both Vaclav Vonasek and John Clapp are solid bassoonists; Ivana Dohnalova’s harp-playing is celestial; Radana Foltynova is a sensitive and expressive pianist; and the other three members of the Grand Valley Winds are also radiant. …This disc is recommended, and not just to oboists.’

    —Todd Gorman, American Record Guide, January 2014

  3. :

    ‘In the hands of a composer with as much natural talent as Eben these compositions are simply superb in their exploration of all that the oboe can achieve. […]

    As I said at the outset this is a magnificent disc. If there are any ‘Eben virgins’ out there they should take the opportunity of getting to know his music. His reputation as one of the world’s greatest organists and improvisers was often overshadowed his compositional achievements. The present disc offers some fabulous music. It is the perfect place to start an exploration of this composer. As for existing Eben fans, they will not hesitate in adding this disc to their collection especially with its five first recordings. The musicians are all first class players while the star of the show is undoubtedly Marlen Vavříková who delivers superb élan, verve and seemingly boundless enthusiasm. Her bell-like clarity gives the music a luminescent quality that is simply staggering. I cannot praise this disc too highly.’

    —Steve Arloff , MusicWeb International

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