berceuse is not really a lullaby, but rather a piece in search of a lullaby: the brief cantabile fragment which ends the piece is as close as it gets, offering a fleeting moment of reassurance in a piece which is otherwise concerned with grief or mourning. The opening echoes the start of Varese's ensemble piece Octandre, which begins with a haunting oboe solo, while the climax nods to the first movement of Dutilleux's Oboe Sonata, in which top F plays a similarly climactic role.
This work has been selected for inclusion in the New Oboe Music Project Collection. For more information on the Project please visit newoboemusic.org.
