The use of guitar with oboe/cor anglais is, outside of the orchestral and concerto repertoire, a rare yet beautiful one. One of the most recognizable and memorable guitar works is the Adagio from Joaquin Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez, whose opening pairs the cor anglais playing the haunting melody accompanied by the strumming of the guitar. However, as the two instruments developed at different times it has only really been the 20th century that has seen composers write specifically for these instruments. Not having had the long standing traditions of guitar and violin, guitar and flute, or guitar and voice to fall back on, as well as the combination not existing on its own in any folk tradition, we find it a rare treat when we come across works written for this pairing.
We do not see this dearth of original repertoire by any means as a negative; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Not having a long tradition of music written for these instruments to choose from has allowed us to draw from a plethora of styles, epochs and composers. Over the years we have made many arrangements of works that we feel are in no way diminished in this new combination, but rather, perhaps even enhanced and experienced anew, through the fresh perspective of the combination.
Our repertoire now includes music from the Baroque to the Romantic, Classical to Contemporary, from songs to sonata from Europe to the Americas. Zoco Duo's repertoire now includes works written for guitar and oboe, arrangements we have made ourselves and works written specifically for our ensemble. Below you will find some sample programs to give you a taste of the wide variety of music that Zoco Duo plays.
We do not see this dearth of original repertoire by any means as a negative; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Not having a long tradition of music written for these instruments to choose from has allowed us to draw from a plethora of styles, epochs and composers. Over the years we have made many arrangements of works that we feel are in no way diminished in this new combination, but rather, perhaps even enhanced and experienced anew, through the fresh perspective of the combination.
Our repertoire now includes music from the Baroque to the Romantic, Classical to Contemporary, from songs to sonata from Europe to the Americas. Zoco Duo's repertoire now includes works written for guitar and oboe, arrangements we have made ourselves and works written specifically for our ensemble. Below you will find some sample programs to give you a taste of the wide variety of music that Zoco Duo plays.
