Oboe Essentials

Thanks to its bright, penetrating and reedy timbre, the oboe is often compared to a particularly musical duck; to say it stands out in the orchestra is an understatement. These pieces for chamber and symphony by canonical composers (from the Baroque era to modern times) show off the oboe's piquant solo-star status, whether the woodwind is weaving plaintive melodies or sounding triumphant tones.