Oboe Solo Pieces? And Oboe Vibrato.

I know I saw some before, but I wanted to know if anyone knew some I could learn that are in a minor key? I would like to take this so I can practice my Oboe skills.

Any suggestions? ..and where I can find them?!?! Especially something that I can practice my lower register with.

I also have a question on Oboe Vibrato? When should I use it, and when should I not? I was at District Band a few weeks ago, and I think the conductor thought that i just couldn't keep a steady stream of air, when I actually was playing a vibrato-ish thing.

Discuss the vibrato issue with your teacher. Since you are directly controlling the vibrations via the double reed, vibrato has to be very subtle or it becomes grotesque.

Since it appears you don't have a good concept of oboe vibrato, I would advise you to not attempt it publicly until you've mastered the technique with your teacher... oboe is not one of those instruments where you want to showcase things you're not able to effectively.

Carl Nielsen: Phantasy pieces for Oboe and piano - Op. 2, No. 1 - Romance. This is in G Minor.

Seeing as that I'm dating someone who plays oboe, I never hear the end of both of these topics .
First of all, with vibrato, oboe is by far one of the toughest instruments to get it right with. In my opinion, the oboe needs to have enough vibrato to not sound stiff, but not so much that you sound like you are shaking. It's all in the pulsing of the air (Or so I hear). But, regardless, a teacher is the best resource you've got and can tell you so much more than I can.
In terms of oboe pieces, there are really some great things out there, mostly baroque.
Any of the Telemann oboe concertos or the Albinoni oboe concertos are good (I'm particularly fond of the Albinoni in D minor).
Marcello also wrote some fantastic oboe concertos, again the one in D minor is one of my favorites.
Go on to youtube, or google and type in these concertos, listen to them and figure out if you'd like to give them a shot. If you find one you like, order on sheet music plus, or other various sheet music sites.
Hope I could help.
-corey

Thanks!

I'm a bassoonist so I'm closest to you as far as familial connections go. Oboe is a bitch in every respect. Vibratto is difficult on woods because of fluctuating the air and such-I dunno how to do it perfectly. I tend to overdo it but whatever. As far as repertoire goes, Benjamin Britten wrote a metamorphoses for solo oboe. Adler wrote a canto for solo oboe as well as solo English horn.

As far as getting music goes, look at Trevco.com. This website as any and all double reed music you could ask for.
Learn vibratto and don't use it until you are one hundred percent sure it sounds good.

I wish i Had a gf who was an oboist. Bet she kisses real great-lucky bastard.

Hi, my name is Lori Kunde, and I am an oboe player/teacher/reedmaker in Colorado. I tell my students to try vibrato as soon as they are ready, as oboe is very lyrical....like singing. If you hear a song and you sing it, you will find you "pay attention" to certain notes....any time you have more than a few short notes in a passage, vibrato becomes important there.

I agree with others that you should work on it in practice before you try it in public. Don't move the mouth or jaw, let it come from the air movement behind the reed, below the neck.

Its not harder to do than regular blowing, but different. Try working with your teacher and doing an "imitation" exercise. Let teacher "sing" through a few notes, then you try it.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!

Lori in Denver