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Oboe Concerto (Richard Strauss)
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The Concerto in D major for Oboe and Small Orchestra, Op. 144, TrV 292, was written by Richard Strauss in 1945. It was one of the last works he composed near the end of his life, during an "Indian summer" in which he unabashedly returned to the Romantic style of his youth.
Strauss had been requested to compose the concerto by John de Lancie, an American GI who in civilian life had been an oboist of the Pittsburgh Orchestra and who visited Strauss's home after encountering him while stationed in Germany after World War II. When asked if he had ever thought about writing an oboe concerto, Strauss simply answered, "No". However, in the months to follow, the idea grew on him and it was premiered on February 26, 1946 in Zürich, featuring Marcel Saillet as soloist with the Tonhalle Orchester conducted by Volkmar Andreae. John de Lancie later became the principal oboist for the Philadelphia Orchestra for 30 years.
The concerto consists of three movements and lasts around 25 minutes:
- Allegro moderato
- Andante
- Vivace
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