BRIEF DESCRIPTION:  A four-movement work for oboe and piano, full of gorgeous original melodies depicting the natural beauty of Scotland. This piece has been a big hit with audiences! Each movement can also be performed individually. (See the "PROGRAM NOTES" tab below for more details about the piece.)

SOUND CLIPS & SCORE SAMPLES: (sound clips coming soon)
♦  1. Whispering Mists  (duration: 4:20)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  2. Revelry Before the Storm  (duration: 3:45)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  3. Enchanted Garden  (duration: 5:20)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  4. Majestic Crags  (duration: 2:45)  /  SCORE SAMPLE

TOTAL DURATION:  16:10

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:  This piece was written for professional players.

PDF PRICE:  $35

This original four-movement work is meant to be evocative of the stunning natural beauty of Scotland. (While some of the melodies sound folklike, they are completely original and are not borrowings of existing Scottish folk tunes.)

1.)  The first movement is called “Whispering Mists” and evokes the magical and mysterious feeling of Scotland’s famous fog and mist. Halfway through the piece, however, a sprightly reel suddenly appears, suggesting the mist has disappeared for a brief spell. In the end, though, the mist returns and the movement ends on a note of shrouded mystery.

2.)  In the second movement, “Revelry Before the Storm,” inclement weather is on the horizon, but has not yet arrived. In the meantime, much outdoor merriment continues to take place in spite of the impending storm. Finally, near the end of the piece (starting in measure 90), the storm arrives and the rain begins. The movement ends with a sudden downpour, bringing an abrupt end to the reveling, and causing everyone to scurry inside for cover.

3.)  “Enchanted Garden” is the third movement, and it evokes a feeling of deep serenity and solace, as someone is experiencing a lush and sprawling garden on a large estate. There are many twists and turns to explore in this garden, which are represented in the music by frequently changing keys and moods. A faster, lilting folklike melody beginning in measure 85 provides a more ardent contrast to the prior tranquil mood. Then, nearing the end of the visit, a feeling of sudden wonder fills the visitor, starting in measure 123, with the piano providing a shimmering backdrop to the opening melody. The climax of the movement starts in measure 137, when the visitor is overwhelmed by the final vista – a particularly gorgeous and remote part of the garden, reflected in the music with a passionate, slower passage in the piano.

4.)  The fourth movement, “Majestic Crags,” is inspired by the great mountain crags of Scotland, which are the tallest, steepest, and most monumental anywhere in the British Isles. My angular music reflects the sharp and austere nature of these forbidding crags. An original folklike reel weaves its way throughout the piece, but the pulsating and angular themes prevail in the end. Starting in measure 55, a particularly jagged and harsh melody appears in the oboe, and is then repeated by the piano, suggesting a visitor looking up at the crags and being awestruck by the thought of climbing them. This movement makes a dramatic ending to the piece.