Sad Steps – Music of Tragedy and Grief
Mark Hill (oboe), Audrey Andrist (piano), Katherine Murdock (viola), Xak Bjerken (piano)
This collection of music for oboe offers six examples of the instrument's singular affinity to express grief and suffering. Each piece is concerned primarily with tragedy and loss in various forms, and in each case the composer has gravitated toward the voice of the oboe to portray the emotional dissonances and psychological complexities of the material at hand. Yet within these diverse works we find anger, defiance, resignation, nostalgia, hope and transcendence in addition to sadness and mourning. Oboist Mark Hill's versatile career has spanned a broad range of orchestral, chamber, and solo performing while maintaining a consistent commitment to teaching. He is currently principal oboe of the National Philharmonic and a member of the Left Bank Concert Society. A graduate of the State University of New York-Stony Brook, he is professor of oboe and chamber music at the University of Maryland School of Music in College Park. This is his second recording for Albany Records.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Epitaph for oboe & piano | Witold Lutoslawski | Mark Hill, oboe; Audrey Andrist, piano |
| Suite for oboe and piano, op. 17 | Pavel Haas | Mark Hill, oboe; Audrey Andrist, piano |
| Sad Steps for oboe and piano | Eric Moe | Mark Hill, oboe; Audrey Andrist, piano |
| Elegy for solo oboe | Dietrich Erdmann | Mark Hill, oboe |
| Niobe for oboe & pre-recorded sound track | Thea Musgrave | Mark Hill, oboe |
| Schilflieder for oboe, viola & piano, op. 28 | August Klughardt | Mark Hill, oboe; Katherine Murdock, viola; Xak Bjerken, piano |
Reviews
- “
"[Mark Hill's] work here is most impressive: warm-toned with an attractive reedy burr, and unerring in technique and expression I recommend this disc highly, and not just for listeners who are looking for oboe repertoire demos, but for anyone who enjoys fine chamber performances of first-rate but not overexposed music."
- “
Overall this is a satisfying recording and is worth a hearing for the Haas and the less-familiar pieces in particular.
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.