Many thanks to Olivier Barrier, oboe, and friends for a superb L'Oasis Musicale concert last Saturday. What a great opportunity they gave the audience to hear, in this the centenary anniversary year, the complete chamber works for oboe written by Benjamin Britten. In the solo Metamorphoses after Ovid, Olivier vividly evoked the varied ancient Roman characters of each myth, and then in the Insect Pieces he and pianist Polina Minatcheva brought to life the leaping grasshopper and stinging wasp. Olivier and Polina followed this with the Temporal Variations, relishing its wide range of feeling from the dramatic declamatory oration to the whimsical waltz. The concert was rounded off with the Phantasy Quartet in which Olivier was joined by Emily Redhead, violin, Amina Tébini, viola and Eli Weinberger, cello who together produced sensitive and exciting ensemble playing. Bravo!
Samedi 2 novembre 2013 / Saturday 2nd November 2013
16h 30 / 4.30 pm
Ste-Catherine / University. Metro McGill
Contribution volontaire / Freewill donation
Six Metamorphoses after Ovid op. 49 for solo oboe (1951)
Two Insect Pieces (1935)
Temporal Variations (1936)
Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal
Contribution volontaire / Freewill donation
Le Hautbois de Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Benjamin Britten's Oboe
Benjamin Britten's Oboe
Six Metamorphoses after Ovid op. 49 for solo oboe (1951)
I. Pan, who played upon the reed pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved.
II. Phaeton, who rode upon the chariot of the sun for one day and was hurled into the river Padus by a thunderbolt.
III. Niobe, who, lamenting the death of her fourteen children, was turned into a mountain.
IV. Bacchus, at whose feasts were heard the noise of gaggling women's tattling tongues and shouting out of boys.
V. Narcissus, who fell in love with his own image and became a flower.
VI. Arethusa, who, flying from the love of Alpheus the river god, was turned into a fountain.
I The Grasshopper II The Wasp
1 Theme II Oration III March IV Exercises V Commination
VI Chorale VII Waltz VIII Polka IX Resolution
Phantasy Quartet op. 2 (1932)
Olivier Barrier, oboe
Polina Minatcheva, piano
Polina Minatcheva, piano
Emily Redhead - violin / violon
Amina Tébini - viola / alto
Eli Weinberger - cello / violoncello
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