Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann: Oboe Concertos

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in F major for oboe, strings and basso continuo, RV 455; Concerto in C major, RV 450; Concerto in D minor for two oboes, RV 535; Georg Philipp Telemann - Concerto in D minor, TWV 51:d1; Johann Sebastian Bach - Concerto in D minor, BWV 1059; Concerto in F major, BWV 49/169

Vilém Veverka - oboe, Dominik Wollenweber (guest) - oboe, Barbara Maria Willi - harpsichord, Ensemble 18+

If you ask oboists about the golden age of their instrument, they will in all likelihood refer to the first half of the 18th century. It was the time when a plethora of music for the oboe was written - solo and trio sonatas, concertos, cantatas... No court orchestra could make do without the instrument. Many of these pieces were created by the three most feted late-Baroque composers: Antonio Vivaldi (he conceived about two dozen concertos for solo oboe!), J. S. Bach, and his friend G. P. Telemann, who is deemed one of the most prolific composers of all time. Although dating from the same period, the works by the three creators represent three very different worlds. Yet that which they have in common is their virtuosity and the associated high technical demands placed upon the soloist. Besides Ensemble 18+ and his musical soul-mate, the harpsichordist Barbara Maria Willi, Vilém Veverka invited along as a guest to participate in this dream project his teacher and colleague Dominik Wollenweber, oboist of the Berliner Philharmoniker. With this new album, Veverka has confirmed his firm position among the most acclaimed oboists on the international scale.

Vilém Veverka breathes new life into concertos by three Baroque masters.