Alyssa Morris is a renowned oboist and composer of music for the oboe (and graduate of CCM!). Her works have been premiered and featured at numerous International Double Reed Society Conventions, and are on the lists of major international competitions. In 2017, Morris published her Collision Etudes (Oboe Solo) in response to the Gilles Silvestrini's Six Etudes for Solo Oboe published in the late 20th century. Silvestrini, also an oboist, has had enormous success in writing for the oboe and has even turned his Six Etudes into an even more challenging set of Three Duos for two oboes. The Six Etudes are based on six paintings, each trying to evoke through music what is depicted on the canvas.
Morris's Collision Etudes are also six etudes reflecting six works of art, showcasing works by female American painters.
Both the Silvestrini and Morris solo etudes push the boundaries of standard oboe technique. Silvestrini introducing use of extreme high register, harmonic fingerings, and glissando. Morris, famous for including extended technique in her works incorporates key clicks, multi phonics, glissando, harmonics, double and flutter tonguing.
Morris describes the title by writing "America is a melting pot, a beautiful "collision" of cultures and beliefs. Collision Etudes highlights a collision of contemporary art styles, while bringing awareness to several significant female American artists."
Here are the six movement titles along with their corresponding paintings:
1. Summertime - Mary Cassatt
4. Rainbow - Alma Thomas
5. Autumn Leaves - Georgia O'Keeffe
6. My World is Not Flat - Margarete Bagshaw
In "My World is Not Flat" Morris actually quotes Silvestrini's sixth etude "Le ballet espagnol" based on the painting by Manet. Choosing to quote Silvestrini's work not only confirms to the oboists in the audience listening that she is not only aware that these etudes are in a similar concept as Silvestrini's, but are intentionally similar. What makes this quotation appropriate is also what sets her etudes apart. The final etude in Morris's set is her most technically advanced, and it is during the Silvestrini quote that we hear the oboe being utilized in a completely different way.
Silvestrini - Six Etudes for Solo Oboe:
Morris performing the Collision Etudes in 2019:
Morris's Collision Etudes not only expand the solo oboe repertoire, but also give a new audience the opportunity to reflect and appreciate the beautiful art left by American women.
- Laura Ruple
Hi Laura, I love your blog post about Alyssa Morris. I not only like her evocation of the above paintings for each etude, but also her marvelous flutter tonguing.
ReplyDelete- Lydia Lee
I've seen one of these performed live on a whim - I was astonished that the oboe had rep like this. My colleague who played it was showered with compliments afterwards. Really outstanding stuff.
ReplyDeleteJO
Hi Laura! This is such a well thought out and thorough blog post, thank you so much! I really appreciated how you included the images that the movements of Collision Etudes are based on. Listening to the pieces with these images in mind was really wonderful. These are some of the best oboe pieces I have ever heard! -Abby Ryan
ReplyDeleteReally interesting stuff! I like pieces that are connected to specific images or ideas, so these etudes were fun to read about. I'm also glad I finally got to hear some contemporary oboe music because I have such little knowledge of it, but it sounds so cool!
ReplyDelete- Cameron DeLuca
Hi Laura!
ReplyDeleteI love Alyssa's works! Thank you for incorporating a CCM alumnus for your post. I'm seen a lot of her music being performed recently at conferences and I can hear the collage of styles that you mention in your posts. I'm definitely exploring more of her works for my final syllabus project.
-Bryce Newcomer
DeleteLaura, I love the idea of corresponding the pieces with art works. For me, this reminds me of Pictures at an Exhibition. More specifically, after hearing a talk given by Leon Botstein discussing how Mussorgsky was responding not specifically to the art works but to the individual emotions elicited by the works, I'm wondering if there is room for this sort of interpretation while still achieving the technical objectives of an etude. Super cool pieces!
ReplyDelete- Stephen
I love her pieces! I played "Four personalities" about month ago (each piece is based on a certain personality, from Hartman's personality test). What a fun music! Morris's works are very elegant and imaginative! I liked her idea of combining different arts. It's a great way for uniting different cultures and artists.
ReplyDelete-Diana C.
Hi Laura! I love this post and really enjoyed learning about these etudes. Etudes are such an important part of learning our instruments and I feel like they are often overlooked as pieces, so I appreciate that you brought some recognition to them!
ReplyDelete-Lianna
Hi Laura! I really enjoyed reading and hearing you present your blog. It was interesting to hear the oboe in a different way than what I'm used to hearing. Also love the women empowerment going on between Morris and showcasing works by women painters! Thank you for sharing!- Lydia Young
ReplyDeleteHello Laura!
ReplyDeleteAfter your presentation, I was curious about similar studios for clarinet. Etudes that include extended techniques, I was thinking that we didn't have something similar. I was wrong of course because I found some of them. The thing is that I didn't want to search about that before. I only used to think that extended techniques are difficult. (of course, they are, but now I'm having fun with some etudes by Jorg Widman for clarinet.
Thanks for encourage me to find something new (for me ) for my practice,
Citlalmina