SAINT-SAËNS, Camille

Sonata for oboe and piano in D major op 166

II. Allegretto

Ramón Ortega Quero, professor

Lucía Talavera Haya, student

Alina Artemyeva, accompanying pianist

For the second movement, when playing slurred passages, the student should think more about the shape of the musical lines in order to better connect the notes.
Starting again from the beginning, Ortega tells her to take her time with the "ad libitum" entry — to take a full breath and release it with care and awareness, but with freedom and as relaxed as possible. The final rhythmic figure of a quarter note and four sixteenths can be calmer. He also suggests creating a more dreamlike atmosphere.
Even though the passage is marked piano, he encourages the student to be more generous with the air and to improve phrase endings. It's important to keep playing — to stay present — even after the sound has already been produced, allowing for a fuller sense of resolution.
He insists that the breathing should not be so quick: the air should flow more slowly and naturally. Ortega continues with suggestions mainly related to phrasing. Indicating the direction and musical line is more important than focusing only on individual notes. He also makes some corrections regarding entries and rhythm in certain passages. For the ending, he offers some suggestions on tone color to enhance expressiveness and character.

Language: Spanish