Poulenc - Oboe Sonata

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Oboe Sonata Composed in 1947; premiered in 1963 in Strasbourg Performed by Allan Vogel (b. 1944), oboe, and Bryan Pezzone (b. 1962), piano Recorded in 1997 at the First Congregational Church, Los Angeles 0:00 I. Elégie 4:56 II. Scherzo 9:25 III. Déploration Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Oboe and Piano, FP 185, was composed in 1947 and serves as a poignant memorial to his friend and colleague, the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953). The work is structured in three movements—Élégie, Scherzo, and Déploration—which collectively traverse a range of emotions from stark mourning to playful vigor and somber reflection. Premiered in 1963 in Strasbourg, months after the composer's death, the piece remains one of the most significant additions to the 20th-century oboe repertoire, celebrated for its characteristic blend of wit, lyricism, and deeply personal expression.