After decades of experimentation, musicians have begun to utilize a strikingly colorful palette of sounds on woodwind instruments. Flute, clarinet, and saxophone players, in many different musical settings, regularly use sounds that were unheard of in the middle of the twentieth century. Oboists, in comparison, have lagged somewhat behind their more adventurous colleagues.
In writing Oboe Unbound: Contemporary Techniques, author Libby Van Cleve opens up the tradition-bound assumptions of the instrumentâs capabilities. Not only does she include descriptions of the instrumentâs standard technique from range and reeds to the use of vibrato, but she also discusses recent techniques, such as multiphonics, microtones, altered timbres, and extended range, to name a few. Van Cleve bolsters this book with numerous music examples and professionally-tested fingering charts, and concludes with basic information about the use of electronics for amplification, recording, and sound enhancement.
The bookâs appendixes include a substantial bibliography of music and literature and a discography including jazz, non-western, and art music recordings. The revised edition incorporates new information about resources now available through the internet and marks the launch of a website that includes examples of all the contemporary sounds as well as audio and video recordings of unreleased compositions.
Industry Reviews
This amazing guide to contemporary oboe techniques is what one would expect from Libby Van Cleve, a superlative artist-oboist, who is passionately musical, deeply intelligent, and eminently practical. Oboe Unbound is inspiring, comprehensive, and easy to learn from, with easy-to-read fingering charts. I recommend it highly. -- Allan Vogel, principal oboist, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Libby Van Cleve has established herself as a leading innovator, virtuoso instrumentalist, and visionary scholar of twentieth-century music. She has demonstrated creative mastership and evolution for decades and is rightly viewed as one of the 'state of the state' oboe virtuosos of this time period. The release of this book will extend the evolution and exploratory dimensions of creative oboe music. It is a must-have for any serious student of oboe music. -- Anthony Braxton, MacArthur award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist, and improviser
