Gilles Silvestrini Six Etudes Pittoresque for solo oboe
Six Etudes Pittoresques
for oboe
by Gilles Silvestrini (b. 1961) - French oboist and composer
I. Genghis Khan
II. Alii Mundi
III. ...mais une sirene n'a pas de larmes... (but mermaids cannot weep)
IV. ...elle savait aussi chanter d'une voix douce et gentille... (she could also sing in a sweet and gentle voice)
V. Hommage a Edward Elgar
VI. Hommage a Britten
These etudes make use of extended technique, and are quite challenging. The Six Etudes have a distinctive feature: they come in pairs. The first two movements call to mind a legendary Mongolia. The first one depicts its cruelty, and the second, its pastoral side. The following two were inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's famous heroines: The Little Mermaid and Thumbelina. The last two pieces pay mischievous tribute to Edward Elgar and Benjamin Britten.
Dedicated to Melanie Ragge