Sonatine für Oboe und Klavier (1969)
(Sonatina for oboe and piano)

Preface to the original publication (1977), edited posthumously by the Academy of Arts of the German Democratic Republic:

In a letter to Edition Peters, Ottmar Gerster announced on 22 May 1969: “The oboe sonata is essentially finished, I might even send it this summer”. Actually, he never did send it, dying on 31 August. As the custodian of Gerster’s artistic estate – which was given to the Academy of Arts of the GDR in 1970 – I have now been able to make good on his promise by submitting a manuscript to Peters, with some minor corrections necessitated by obvious notation errors. “It is a small piece, a sonatina”, as Gerster stated, and, with its low level of difficulty, offers delightful rhythmic and articulation tasks particularly suited to students. A well-rounded performance further demands awareness of the equal partnership between both instruments, as possibly indicated by the piece’s original title, “Sonatine für Piano und Oboe”.

Betty Heiß
(from EP5443)