Get beyond the Reinecke!
Most oboists and hornists who consider programming a work for oboe, horn and piano trio think first of the Trio by Carl Reinecke. For years this was the only oboe, horn and piano trio widely available, known to our teachers’ generation, and available on CD recording. We members of Trio Arundel were in the same boat. When we got together for the first time in 1992, we said, “Let’s play the Reinecke!”, but we had such a great experience working together that we knew we had to find more works to perform.
Here are our favorite options to perform instead of the Reinecke. They are all major works of more than 10 minutes’ length, and are listed in alphabetical order. You can read more about most of them in the article that appeared in 2000 in Horn Call and the Double Reed Journal, Music for Oboe, Horn and Piano Trio.
Also see the Sample Programs page to see how we incorporate these large works as the anchor for a full recital program.
Harald Agersnap (1899-1982)
Skovens Eventyr “Forest Fairytales” (1919)
Six movements; 12:30; available soon
This is an impressionistic Danish piece that is quite unlike anything else in the repertoire. The music is very evocative and programmatic. We performed it at the 2007 IDRS Conference in Ithaca and the audience was quite taken with the piece. We have a copy of the manuscript from the composer’s son and are currently preparing a performance edition.
York Bowen (1884-1961)
Ballade, Op. 133 (1949)
One movement; 16:00 minutes; Emerson
This piece is romantic in style with impressionistic influences, and is primarily serious in tone. This piece has been newly re-published by Emerson and is available from several British music sellers, including Wood, Wind and Reed.
Jean-Michele Damase (b. 1928)
Trio (1990)
Four mvts.; 15:00 minutes; published by Henry Lemoine (carried by Theodore Presser)
This trio is a substantial piece that is quite challenging for all three players in ways typical of other 20th-century French chamber music, such as the Poulenc Sextet or the Francaix Divertimento. Once the technical demands are mastered, however, this is very charming and elegant music.
Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843-1900)
Trio in D Major, Op. 61 (1889)
Four movements; 16:00 minutes; published by Musica Rara
This is our favorite major work for trio. It is very Brahmsian and has an orchestral texture and a bravura ending. We find the horn and oboe parts more idiomatic than those of the Reinecke. While the piano part is more difficult than the Reinecke, it is well written for the instrument. This music is widely available for purchase, for example at Jeanne Music. There are also several fine recordings available.
Robert Kahn (1865-1951)
Serenade in F minor, Op. 73 (1923)
One movement; 12:00 minutes; N. Simrock; available from Presser
This is a fine piece, quite romantic in style, incorporating a variety of tempos and characters in its fantasia-like form. There are moments reminiscent of Brahms, Mahler, Dvorak, Grieg. The oboe and horn share the same melodic material, which results in some less-than-idiomatic writing for the horn, but it is still a very satisfying piece to play. Its shorter length and compact form facilitates flexibility in programming.
Jan Koetsier (b. 1911)
Dresdner Trio, Op. 130 (1992)
Four movements; 20:00 minutes; Donemus - difficult to obtain (available through Interlibrary Loan)
This work is an affectionate, retrospective look at Romanticism through the eyes of a well-rounded twentieth-century musician, with both humor and depth of emotion, and is idiomatically written for all three instruments. Audiences enjoy the color and emotional impact of the piece, as well as the subtle references to styles of favorite composers.