Paraphrase sur la Sérénade de Riccardo Drigo for Oboe solo, op. 107c (2001)
Friedhelm Neubert
Publisher: Zimmermann Musikverlag Frankfurt ZM 34540 / ISMN M-010-34540-6
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Introductory text for the published version (Musikverlag Zimmermann, Frankfurt)
The ballet "Harlequin's Millions", composed by
Riccardo Drigo (1846-1930), was first performed in 1900
and met with immediate success. The Serenade
from this work has enjoyed particular popularity to the
present day and has appeared in numerous versions in
Zimmermann's catalogue. The work is thus intimately
associated with our publishing house as no other
published work has been. This was the reason for asking
our authors, on the occasion of our 125th birthday, to
write variations on the Serenade. Many were delighted to
take up the challenge* and the works were premièred on
the 7th September, 2001, the day of the publishing
house's anniversary.
Bertold Hummel is indeed no unfamiliar name. His
principal connection with our firm are his splendidly
effective works for percussion. For the anniversary, he
has thought up a highly individual variation for oboe
solo, using exclusively notes which occur in the piano
version of the work (the Serenade) which he took
as a starting point. Hummel interrupts the constantly
reappearing Drigo melody with surprising pauses and
cadenza-like passages. In this, you cannot fail to hear
the jester-like figures with their references to
Harlequin, contrasting beautifully with the lyrical
elements of the Paraphrase, a form
popular in the 19th century and widely circulated in the
salons, presenting well-known themes from the popular
opera music of the day.
* Robert Delanoff, Jindrich Feld, Werner Heider, Bertold Hummel, Frank Michael, Wil Offermans, Ivan Shekov, Graham Waterhouse, Klaus Wüsthoff, Ruth Zechlin und Krzysztof Zgraja