Daily Exercise for Oboe, much like its counterparts for other instruments, serves as a collection of character pieces for wind instruments and piano, drawing inspiration from the Romantic era's tradition of expressive and distinctive short piano compositions. These character pieces, akin to Chopin's "Nocturnes," Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood," and Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words," are celebrated for their ability to convey profound emotions and narratives within a compact musical form.
"Daily Exercise for Oboe" diverges from the virtuosic, contest-style solo pieces by emphasizing shorter lengths, memorable harmonies, and melodies that leave a lasting impression. These compositions are crafted to be those spontaneous pieces musicians turn to, evoking a desire to play for the sheer joy of it. They are envisioned as the perfect encore pieces, offering a gentle yet uplifting conclusion to a concert filled with challenging and famous works, eliciting warm applause from the audience once more.
This collection aims to provide oboists with pieces that are not only enjoyable to play but also enriching to explore, combining technicality with high musicality within each distinctive composition. "Daily Exercise for Oboe" is an invitation to delve into the unique sound world of the oboe, highlighting its expressive capabilities and offering performers a chance to showcase their instrument's nuanced tones in a variety of musical contexts.
(Tsutomu Tajima)
