Love Duet (2002)
(from Bird Spirit Dreaming)

Composed especially for and dedicated to his friend, the wonderfully gifted Australian oboist Diana Doherty, Ross Edwards has sought, in his Oboe Concerto Bird Spirit Dreaming (2002), to imbue the traditional concerto form with elements of theatre, ritual and dance, whilst preserving its concert hall function as an accompanied soloistic display.

An opening ‘wild bird’ soliloquy is arrested by a rhapsodic melodic journey which culminates in the Love Duet between solo oboe and English horn.

Finally, the opening ‘wild bird’ motif returns and is ritualised, along with other previous material, into patterns characteristic of Edwards’ maninya (Australian dance-chant) form as a seething, celebratory finale.

The Love Duet, which concludes the first part of the concerto, was conceived especially for Diana Doherty to perform with her husband and Principal Cor Anglais of the Sydney Symphony, Alexandre Oguey. Diana has described the duet as “a dream to play, a dialogue ... made up of expressive overlapping arcs, and a tenderness and intimacy that almost makes you blush!” The chamber version, for oboe, alto saxophone and piano, was made especially for Briana Leaman and Joseph Lallo.

Bird Spirit Dreaming was commissioned for Diana Doherty and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra by Andrew and Renata Kaldor. The world premiere was given in the Sydney Opera House on 4 August 2002 with Doherty the soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lorin Maazel, who invited her to perform it with the New York Philharmonic, leading to performances around the world.

Fred Watson