Three 20th Century Works for Oboe by Female Composers of the British Isles

Calby Van Hollebeke

doi:10.7273/000008390

The twentieth century saw an increase in women who had opportunities to grow and maintain careers in composition. As conservatories and university music programs accepted a greater number of female students, and the World Wars relaxed societal boundaries, it gradually became more acceptable for women to pursue composition in the British Isles. The oboe also experienced a revival in Britain during the early- to mid-twentieth century due to Léon Goossens’ development of a uniquely British style of oboe playing, which fell between the French and German styles that were more common at the time.1 Goossens passed on this style to his students at the Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music, many of whom enjoyed careers as professional musicians across the British Isles after completing their studies with him. With highly skilled oboists readily available, many female composers from the region were compelled to write complex works for oboe that matched the skills of the players around them. Although these works were usually well received by local audiences for a brief period following their premieres, they were not performed regularly for the remainder of the twentieth century. It has only been within approximately the last ten years that several of these works have received their North American premieres, had professional grade recordings made of them, started to appear more frequently on recital programs, and have more research dedicated to their composers. The goal of this project is to compile information on the lives and careers of three twentieth-century female composers from the British Isles, as well as examine a major work for oboe by each composer. The composers and works that will be discussed are as follows: Ruth Gipps and her Oboe Concerto in D minor, Op. 20, Grace Williams and Carillons for oboe and orchestra, and Thea Musgrave’s piece for oboe and pre-recorded tape titled Niobe. The document is organized into three chapters that will focus on an individual composer. Each chapter is then split into two sections, the first being a biography of the composer and the second a discussion of their selected work for oboe.

Three 20th Century Works for Oboe by Female Composers of the British Isles

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