Poetic and playful
Heinz Holliger's "Airs" is characterized by recitative-like sound speech; dialogical episodes and a call motif define "Duett" by Rudolf Kelterborn.
Seven poems by Philippe Jaccottet from his poetry cycle Airs is set to music by Heinz Holliger in his collection of the same name for two oboe instruments. In the preface, the composer explains that the texts are "made to sound" in a variety of ways, that they should be "as if sung by a singing voice". And further: "Oboe and cor anglais declaim the text", "a recitative-like sound speech" or "transformed into sound by oboe and cor anglais according to the content".
The edition was designed by Schott-Verlag with great care and in clear print. The poems are printed as subtitles or integrated into the musical text, so that the interpretation of the text is clearly conveyed in each piece.
The pieces take the performers to practically every conceivable extreme (dynamics, ambitus, timbre, espressivo) and challenge them to explore the limits of the instruments. The work is worth it, because what you get in return is a 25-minute treat of poetic expression, magical sounds and impressive moments.
On the other hand, the new Duet for oboe and cor anglais by Rudolf Kelterborn. The laconic title describes an episodic and entertaining piece, which is initially characterized by a recurring "call motif" in the oboe. Alternating dialogic situations are played through, melodically imitating, contrasting, often marked violente, espressivo and furioso and also leading into unison. A noisy passage in the middle of the composition ends with the call motif that appears for the last time. After this, the listener is misled several times because they think they recognize the beginning of a fugue, and towards the end it becomes really virtuosic.
It is a pity that the 9-minute piece was edited rather unkindly by the Bärenreiter publishing house: Two stacks of single sheets as manuscript copies in medium quality, which is less than one might expect these days. In about three days, someone who is professionally involved in music typesetting could produce a perfect edition that could be edited as a page-turning booklet. The Schott publishing house has shown how it could be done (with far greater typesetting effort)!
Heinz Holliger: Airs. Seven poems, reading for oboe and cor anglais, OBB 55, € 19.00, Schott, Mainz
Rudolf Kelterborn: Duet for oboe and English horn, BA 11409, € 37.50, Bärenreiter, Kassel
