The intention of this CD is to bring French Baroque music and its practices to the attention of more modern oboists. The study of French baroque performance practice is absent from the curriculum of most American schools of oboe playing. Indeed, the history of the oboe has until recently been sorely neglected. The oboe developed as a significant member of the court instrumental music in France during the reign of Louis XIV and it subsequently became wildly popular in other parts of Europe. The period of 1660-1730 saw one of the most significant eras of repertoire development, instrument making and performance practice in the history of the oboe. Unfortunately, most modern performers are unaware of the extent to which the music and practices of this time and particularly music of the French tradition influenced our modern-day approach to oboe playing. In overlooking oboe music and performance practices of 17th- and 18th-century France, oboists are missing a significant chapter of our oboe history.

The first work on the CD is Sonata No. 2 in D Major by Élisabeth Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729). Though originally written as violin sonata it is well suited to the oboe. De la Guerre’s collection of 6 violin sonatas was published in Paris in 1707. They are published in modern edition by Furore-Edition and edited by Carol Henry Bates. De la Guerre was an extraordinary musician. Her performances at the court of Louis the XIV earned her praise and recognition as a harpsichordist from an early age and she became well known for her talents both in France and abroad. Her tragedie lyrique entitled Cephale et Procris was the first composition by a woman ever to be performed at the Academie Royal de Musique. By her death in 1729, she was considered to be one of the foremost musicians of her day. These sonatas were dedicated to King Louis XIV who encouraged her musical career. In fact, they were performed for the King, and he purportedly paid close attention to them at the performance after which he offered her great praise and told her that “they resembled no other.” Quite the ringing endorsement coming from the King of France. De la Guerre’s compositional style, replete with zesty rhythms and evocative harmonies, was considered innovative for the time. Her writing was influenced by the Italian instrumental sonatas that came to her attention in the 1690s. Sonata No. 2 contains four movements which she labeled with the Italian tempo markings of Presto, Adagio, Presto, Presto. Italian influences are apparent in the florid, sometimes virtuosic passage work and occasional adventurous harmonic vocabulary. The basso continuo is highly independent for the time. De La Guerre’s sonatas received great praise during her lifetime and were performed by acclaimed musicians of the day. They display inventiveness and originality and there is no question that they are on par with other instrumental works of the day.

Nicolas Chedeville (1705-1782) was a celebrated musician who is remembered as a prolific composer as well as a champion of the musette, a favorite wind instrument of his day. He came from a long line of instrument makers and musicians. For the last fifty years of his life, he was a member of the Douze Grands Hautbois, an élite group of oboists and bassoonists who performed for many military and other state ceremonies during the reign of Kings Louis the XIVth and XVth. The Première and Troisième Sonates from his Troisième livre d’amusements champêtres were composed by 1733. Though hinting at Italian stylistic features that influenced his later works, the opus three sonatas still contain a distinctive French flavour, characterised by dance-influenced forms, simple rhythms and textures, use of binary or rounded binary form and comparatively little sequential passage work. Many of the works demonstrated a preference for dance-inspired forms such as gigues, allemandes, sarabandes and menuets. He also employs the French violin clef which places the G on the bottom line of the staff in the treble clef.

Jacques Christophe Huguenet (1680-1729) was a French violinist and composer. He studied with Jean-Noël Marchand and followed his father and uncle into royal service as a violinist when he entered the chapelle in 1704. He was made an ordinaire of the Royal Chamber in 1710 and was a member of the Petits violons. His Premier oeuvre de sonates (six for violin and continuo, six for two violins and continuo), dedicated to the king, was published in Paris in 1713. Like many of the solo sonatas written by French composers in the first two decades of the 1700’s, Sonata No. 2 displays both Italian and French compositional styles. Virtuosic, sequential passage work, imitation, a recitative-like slow movement and use of the G clef as opposed to the French violin clef point to Italian predilections. French influences include dance-inspired movements and use of French movement names. Huguenet’s sonatas are currently not published in modern edition and are accessible only by visiting the Bibliothèque Nationale website. The title page of Huguenet’s Premier Oeuvre de Sonates indicates that although his sonatas are for violin, they may also be played by the oboe or flute. A typical addition to pieces written during this time is a humble dedication to the king. Huguenet’s dedication roughly translates to “the composer wrote these works out of youthful zeal and vanity but hopes nonetheless that the king will find his work worthy.”

The sonatas on this CD make ideal alternatives to the German and Italian works that many oboists study and perform. Many of the elements of expression that French baroque performers valued, such as varied articulation, conveyance of affect, proper phrasing to signify the dance, observation of harmonic changes, etc., can be studied for a more authentic performance. My hope in presenting these pieces to you is that they will gain wider recognition and encourage a more varied repertoire. They are inventive, engaging sonatas that are worthy of many performances.