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Richard Strauss enjoyed one of the longest and most prolific careers of any composer in the history of Western Art Music. His works, from his operas to his tone poems to his concertos, are still performed frequently to this day, and pieces such as Also Sprach Zarathustra have even become iconic within the world of pop culture. Many of Strauss’ pieces hold special places in the hearts of oboists around the world due to his wonderful, albeit difficult, melodic and solo writing for the oboe. No piece is more emblematic of this than his Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra.
Strauss’ fame did not arise from his oboe concerto, however. Rather, Strauss’ fame and enduring legacy are due in large part to his exceptional career as an opera composer. Strauss’ operas are among his most famous works, if not his most famous. Two of his most popular operas are Salome and Der Rosenkavalier which are still frequently performed to this day.
Naturally, elements of Strauss’ operatic compositions can be seen in his works of other genres. The Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra is an example of a work bearing operatic elements, and the operatic elements of this concerto are of foundational importance. As such, the purpose of this treatise is to identify and discuss various elements from Strauss’ oboe concerto that can be labeled as operatic. Additionally, this treatise will draw comparisons between Strauss’ oboe concerto and his own operas or operas of other composers where appropriate to aid in the clarity of the connections between Strauss’ oboe concerto and the operatic genre.
Beyond identifying and discussing these elements of the concerto, this treatise is intended to provide future performers of the concerto with a tool to further inform their understanding of the piece. Referring to a piece as “operatic” is sometimes an abstract or difficult to define concept. While this treatise is not an all-encompassing analysis of the concerto or even its operatic elements, it is my intention that the information contained within will give tangible meaning to the idea of the concerto being operatic.
