Development and application of alternate and non-traditional French Conservatory oboe techniques in the performance of traditional Chinese music
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Abstract
Scholarship in using the modern French Conservatory oboe for the performance of traditional Chinese music is limited. While many modern techniques have been developed for the performance of contemporary oboe music, most do not address the unique performance practice required to perform traditional Chinese music, and are therefore not applicable. New approaches and new techniques are required in order to realize the potential for effectively presenting Chinese music on the oboe. Recorded performances of traditional Chinese instruments, in particular the dizi, erhu, and suona, and written instructions on performance practice by noted masters of these instruments have been examined. Through careful study of these sources, new methods for producing sounds on the oboe related to these traditional instruments have been developed. These new performance techniques for the modern oboe were applied in a recording of ten traditional and folk Chinese melodies, in arrangements for solo oboe, oboe and piano, and oboe with mixed ensemble. The work represented here in no way claims to match the sensitivity of style and cultural authenticity demonstrated by masters of Chinese music. Rather, it is intended as a starting point for Western oboists to begin respectfully exploring China’s millenniums of musical heritage.