Texts on the Oboe

Annotated Bibliography of Related Literature

General Resources on Performance and Technique

Atkins, Harold and Peter Cotes. The Barbirollis: a Musical Marriage. Robson Books.

This biography details the life and careers of Sir John Barbirolli and Lady Evelyn Rothwell. It details their meeting and younger years and how they helped each other to become two of the greatest British musicians of the 20th Century.

Bloom, Sara Lambert. Robert Bloom: Story of a Working Musician. RDG Woodwinds.

Compiled by his wife, this book contains articles and works by the late Robert Bloom, including his unpublished book on pedagody, The Oboe, A Musical Instrument. Also included is a disk of lectures on read making. Also available are the Robert Bloom Collections, a set of CDs of rare performances by Mr. Bloom.

Caplan, Stephen. Oboemotions: What Every Oboist Needs to Know About the Body. GIA Music.

This recently published book follows a line of resources on body mapping for musicians. Focusing on Body Mapping techniques, the book uses a direct approach without being overly technical or simple. An excellent resource.

Blum, David. Casals and the Art of Interpretation. University of California Press.

Blum’s book details Casal’s interpretation of music and musical phrasing. Using several musical examples, he preserves Casal’s great ideas for generations to come.

Conable, Barabara. What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body. GIA Publications.

The original resource for Body Mapping as applied to musicians. The book, however, is oversimplified. Lacking any technical terminology and with its jumbled organization, the book displays important concepts in a frivolous way.

Dahlhaus, Carl. The Idea of Absolute Music. University of Chicago Press.

Carl Dahlhaus’ book is an excellent look into musical aesthetics and its roots in German Romanticism of the 19th Century.

Dunkel, Stuart Edward. The Audition Process: Anxiety Management and Coping Strategies. Pendragon Press.

Oboist Stuart Dunkel brings the audition process to light through his own experiences. Drawing upon these, he uses simple and direct language to discuss problems of performance and strategies to solve these problems.

Green, Barry with W. Timothy Gallwey. The Inner Game of Music. DoubleDay.

One of the best books detailing the art of performing, Green’s book contains numerous exercises focus on the mental process of performance.

Greene, Don. Audition Success. Routledge.

Focusing on anecdotes and examples, Audition Success focuses on ideas of centering and the mental process behind performance.

Greene, Don. Performance Success. Routledge.

Don Greene’s other great book, Performance Success, focuses more on exercises, activities, questioners, and tables to help the reader evaluate his or herself. It then offers solutions with exercise and organization of one’s own performance routine.

McGill, David. Sound in Motion. Indiana University Press.

McGill’s book focuses on the interpretation of music, utilizing the numbering and phrasing system of the great Marcel Tabuteau. With clear examples, personal anecdotes, and a bit of humor, this book is an interesting read. It is one of only a handful of books to detail the interpretation of music at its fundamental level. A must-read.

Thurmond, James Morgan. Note Grouping. Meredith Music.

Note Grouping is an excellent book focusing on the concept of musical grouping to develop phrasing and musical expression. Very simple, short, and to the point, it is a must read for all students and professionals.

Prodan, James C. Oboe Performance Practices and Teaching in the United States and Canada. Akron, Ohio: Institute for Woodwind Research.

This small book contains the results of a survey conducted in 1979 of prominent oboe teachers and professionals. Questions including teaching methods, choice of instrument, and reed making.

Schumann, Robert. On Music and Musicians. W. W. Norton.

This book contains the collected writings of Robert Schummann. It includes his thoughts on music, his own compositions, and the compositions of his contemporaries.

Storch, Laila. Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Except to Play the Oboe if You Can’t Peel a Mushroom. Indiana University Press.

This newly written book details the life of the father of the American School of Oboe Playing, Marcel Tabuteau. Storch provides a clear biography of his life and several anecdotes of the time she spent with Tabuteau.

Stravinsky, Igor. Poetics of Music. Harvard University Press.

Stravinsky’s Poetics of Music is a transcript of the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures given at Harvard University in 1942. The lectures are organized into six lessons dealing largely with musical aesthetics and philosophy.

Various. Celebrating Double Reeds. International Double Reed Society.

A collection of articles on varying topics from the past to the present. Published by the International Double Reed Society as a Festschrift for William Waterhouse and Philip Bate.

Oboe History and Construction

Baines, Anthony. Woodwind Instruments and Their History. W.W. Norton.

A detailed description of the history and development of woodwind instruments within the orchestra.

Bates, Philip. The Oboe: An Outline of Its History, Development and Construction. W.W.Norton. (Out of Print)

Bates’ book, first written in 1956, is somewhat outdated and difficult to found, however is a valuable tool in the history of the oboe as a instrument. One of the first literary works to trace the oboe’s history, it is clearly organized and is an easy read for students. It should, however, not be used as the only resource on this matter, as recent discoveries have changed some viewpoint on instruments and inventors.

Burgess, Geoffrey and Bruce Haynes. The Oboe. Yale Instrument Series.

An invaluable resource, this book is eloquently written with excellent organization. Detailing the history of the oboe, it also covers the role the oboe played in musical society from before its invention to today. It includes details of great performers throughout history, as well as wonderful illustrations, bibliographies, and discographies. A must-have companion for students.

Joppig, Gunter. The Oboe and the Bassoon. Alfred Clayto, trans. Amadeus Press.

Joppig’s book contains information on the history and development of the instruments, tuning, instrument varieties and capabilities, as well as reed making. This book contains little citation and tends to be more opinionated.

General Oboe Teaching and Technique

Browne, Geoffrey. The Art of Cor Anglais. Sycamore Publishing.

An advanced method for students pursuing study on English horn. Includes the standard excerpts with suggestions, as well information on breathing (and circular breathing) and reed making.

Goossens, Leon and Edwin Roxburgh. Oboe. Yehudi Menuhin Music Guide.

One of the great British oboists of the 20th Century, Leon Goosens writes a guide detailing everything from style to repertoire lists to basic technique. While its focus is on the British style of playing, the repertoire lists detailing avant-garde and 20th Century music as well as explanation of extended techniques is very valuable. It also includes oboe, English horn, and d’amore reed making in the British or European short scrape.

Light. Jay. Essays for Oboists.

This book contains several essays written by Light on the concepts of fundamentals, music, and technique of oboe playing. Essays are clear, concise, and witty. It is a excellent resource for students and advanced players.

Robinson, William T. The Embryonic Oboist: An Illustrated Guide for Beginning Oboe Players. Ligature Publications.

Robinson’s book is a valuable tool for music educators working with beginning students. It covers everything from embouchure and air to care and maintenance and even how to soak a reed. There is no small detail left out - the things that many professionals take for granted - and it is a valuable tool to remind the teacher that beginners may start from scratch.

Rothwell, Evelyn. Oboe Technique. Oxford University Press.

The late Lady Evelyn Rothwell was considered one of the greatest oboe pedagogues of the 20th Century. This book is an invaluable guide on the beginning fundamentals of playing. With clear and colorful wording and examples, it is an excellent resource for student, educators, and even professionals. Reed making style follows the British or European short scrape.

Rothwell, Evelyn. The Oboist’s Companion. Oxford University Press.

The three volume set gives a detailed progression of fundamental study for beginners and educators. Volume one focuses on proper breathing technique and learning fingerings through 20 exercises. Each exercise is accompanied by practice techniques and illustrations. Volume two is for intermediate students, adding concepts such as intonation, vibrato, and notes within the higher range of the instrument. Volume three is devoted to reed making in the British style.

Shuring, Martin. Oboe: Art and Method. Oxford University Press.

A recently released book detailing Martin Shuring thoughts on fundamentals, read making, breathing and avant-garde techniques. It is an excellent updated version of many of the older method books.

Sprenkle, Robert and David Ledet, The Art of Oboe Playing. Summy.

This book is meant as a broad survey of the oboe. It is an excellent resource for educators to reference when their student presents them with a specific problem.

Van Cleve, Libby. Oboe Unbound: Contemporary Techniques. Scarecrow Press.

THE resource for 20th century technique, Van Cleve’s book details every technique found in avant-garde music up to this point, with a clear list of fingerings and embouchure/air pressure needed to produce certain effects. Valuable for students as well as composers. Also included is a bibliography of all avant-garde pieces involving oboe up to the time of its publication.

Veale, Peter, et al. The Techniques of Oboe Playing: A Compendium with Additional Remarks for the Oboe D’amore and the Cor Anglais. Barenreiter.

Long considered, and still considered, one of the greatest resource for avant-garde and 20th century technique. Details fingerings and techniques including multiphonics, tremolo, timbre fingerings, microtones and more. An excellent resource.

Weisburg, Arthur. The Art of Wind Playing. Satco.

This phenomenal book written by the late Professor of Bassoon at Indiana University, Arthur Weisburg contains a wealth of knowledge valuable for all wind players. From breathing and support to clear diagrams of how to end a note with resonance, this book is a must reed for student, teachers and professionals.

Whittow, Mario. Oboe: A Reed Blow in the Wind. Puffit Publications.

An enjoying read, this book covers the fundamentals of oboe playing. Using humor and cartoon illustrations, the book adds a fresh new spin on learning the oboe. It also provides many creative solutions to common beginner problems. A wonderful resource for educators and students, and just an overall joy to read.

Reed Making

Berman, Melvin and Lesley Young. Art of Oboe Reed Making. Canadian Scholars Press.

The Art of Oboe Reed Making, written by Canadian oboist Melvin Berman contains a very detailed approach to the American style of reed making. Complete with numerous illustrations, it is an excellent resource for students beginning reed making.

Delaplain, Theresa. My Kingdom for a Reed. Publisher Unknown.

A recently published book with colorful illustrations for beginning and intermediate reed makers.

Hedrick, Peter. Oboe Reed Making: A Modern Method. Swift-Dorr Publications.

The book details the reed making process from preparation of cane to finishing the reed and knife sharpening.

Ledet, David A. Oboe Reed Styles: Theory and Practice. Indiana University Press.

This revolutionary book was not free from scrutiny at the time of its publication. Long debate on the quality of the photographs and of the reeds themselves has been quieted with the new edition. The book details the fundamentals of playing, as well as beginning reed making. Its primary focus is on advanced reed making. What makes it so revolutionary is the picture examples, descriptions, and measurements of leading oboists from around the world at the time (1970s - most are now retired or deceased). It a great look back into the evolution of reed styles and national variants. It is a valuable resource for an advanced or professional player, but can be overwhelming for a younger student.

Light, Jay. The Oboe Reed Book. Charles Music.

A true classic of reed making, considered by many to be the resource on beginning reed making. Clear illustrations and excellent systemization of reed making I every stage makes this an excellent guide for students just beginning reed making. It follows the American scrape reed style.

McFarland, Patrick. Oboe Adjustment Guide. McFarland Oboe Shop.

A clear beginner’s guide to instrument adjustment, care and maintenance.

Sawicki, Carl. Adjusting the Oboe, English horn. Charles Music. (Out of Print)

This sadly out of print book is an excellent resource for learning simple daily oboe adjustments. With lots of illustrations, this guide is clear and is a great supplement to any repair class.

Shalita, Joseph. Making Oboe Reeds. E-book at www.makingoboereeds.com.

This book is available only as a .pdf file from the website listed above. It is a truly great resource and is hands-down the best literature out there for the finishing stages of reed making. Clear pictures, tables and charts help to simplify the reed finishing process.

Weber, David and Ferald Capps. Reed Maker’s Manual. Weber Reeds.

This book includes a step-by-step instruction on oboe and English horn reed making. Like the Ledet, it includes photographs of reeds of prominent players.

Bibliographies

Gifford, Virginia Snodgrass. Music for Oboe, d’amore, and English Horn: A Bibliography of Materials from the Library of Congress. Greenwood.

Published in 1983 this is an excellent catalogue resource of works. Its strength is also its limitation in using materials from the Library of Congress, as many works have been independently published, unpublished, or written since 1983.

Haynes, Bruce. The Eloquent Oboe: A History of the Hautboy from 1640-1760. Oxford.

The price of the book unfortunately makes it impractical for a personal library, but if available it is a must-read. Bruce Haynes clear and well organized presentation coupled with his vast knowledge makes it an invaluable resource. He cites many examples and illustrations to back up all his research and claims.

Haynes, Bruce. Music for Oboe, 1650-1800: a Bibliography. Fallen Leaf.

This book is supplemented by an online searchable database which is frequently updated with new materials and .pdf files of the main melody within a piece (haynes-catalogue.net). It details more than 10,000 works involving oboe from the “golden period” of the instrument, and is organized by instrument grouping.

Krause, Robert James. “A Bibliographic Dictionary of European Oboists Before 1900.” DMA Thesis: University of Miami.

Krause’s thesis contains a collection of prominent teachers and performers throughout the years. However, it only covers those players of the modern oboe and its earliest version the two-keyed French hautbois.

McMullen, William Wallace. Soloistic English Horn Literature from 1736-1984. Pendragon Press.

McMullen’s bibliography is the only compilation of English horn literature available. A valuable resource for professional or aspiring English hornists.

Performance Practice

Brown, Clive. Classical and Romantic Performing Practice 1750-1900. Oxford University Press.

Considered by many to be the book on Classical and Romantic performance practice, Clive Brown’s well-organized book contains many citations directly from treatises and writings of the time. Covering all aspects of performance, including the presence of inegal in music boxes of Haydn symphonies, his book in an invaluable resources on the Classical style.

Donnington, Robert. The Interpretation of Early Music. W.W. Norton.

An excellent resource on performance practice. Is largely a collection of quotations from primary sources organized by topics. The reader must be leery, however, of Donnington’s own opinions which can contradict quotations from original treatises.

Haynes, Bruce. The End of Early Music. Oxford University Press.

An excellent book detailing the problem of the modern concept of Romanticizing all styles of music. Presented in a humorous fashion, it brings to light problems modern performance face in the performance of early music.

Hotteterre, Jacques-Martin. Principles of the Flute, Recorder and Oboe. Dover.

The Hotteterre name was synonymous with the oboe in the 1600s. This invaluable resource details many performance practice ideas for wind instruments in the Baroque era. It is one of only two full treatises that exist for wind instruments during this time period (though there are several fragments which have been found of other treatises). The bulk of the treatise focuses on the playing of the recorder and articulation, with a smaller supplement on the traverse

flute and a short blurb on the oboe. This book is very inexpensive (under $10) and is something every student should have in his or her library.

Periodicals

The Consort. Journal of the Dolmetsch Foundation.

A British journal devoted to articles on early music topics, particularly Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque.

The Double Reed. East Lansing, Michigan: International Double Reed Society

Quarterly journal of the International Double Reed Society containing recent news, articles, reviews and advertisements from 1978 to the present. The IDRS website (www.idrs.org) also contains online resources and publications.

Early Music. Oxford Journals

A British Journal founded in 1973 it focuses on performance practice. Using lush illustrations, and thoughtful articles, it is one of the most respected journals in the field.

Galpin Society Journal.

The Galpin Society Journal was formed in 1946 and is devoted to the history, construction, and developments of musical instruments.

Instrumentalist.

The Instrumentalist is a journal aimed at band directors. It contains articles and information on pedagogy of instruments and job information.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society. Cambridge Journals.

This international, peer-reviewed journal is published quarterly. It focuses on all aspects including musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology, and identity and cultural studies. It encourages interdisciplinary studies and often features articles addressing cultural and sociological ideas.

To the World’s Oboists. East Lansing, Michigan: International Double Reed Society

Quarterly journal of the International Double Reed Society containing recent news, articles, reviews and advertisements from 1973 to 1977. All articles are available without membership on the IDRS website.