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A Game For Two

for Oboe and Bassoon

Free As Downloadable PDF 

by Robin L. Øye (ASCAP)

Torcroft Press LLC (ASCAP)
Available at Torcroft Music Store (with preview)
A Game For Two (7.5MB, mp3) as it was performed for the first time in July, 2004

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

I  wrote this piece for Jennet and Steven Ingle, two musicians who come to my part of the world every summer to play in the Pine Mountain Music Festival. Jennet plays oboe, and Steve plays bassoon. When they are taking a break from rehearsals, they spend time in the Motherlode, the best and most venerable of our local coffeehouses. In fact, the Motherlode is the only one of these emporia to be properly hold claim to the title coffeehouse, rather than coffee shop*. Jennet and Steve spend much of their time at the Motherlode playing Scrabble^®, and this is the true inspiration for the piece.

The piece starts with a series of seven notes, based on the draw of seven Scrabble^® tiles for each player. I took the tiles from the Motherlode's Scrabble^® set. (This is only semi-authentic, though, for Steve and Jennet have their own set.) From there the piece proceeds through many rhythmical changes, giving a jazzy feel (more in the spirit of Thelonious Monk than anyone else) and a few hints of Cuba. It ends in a rather staid rhythm, though, reminding me of players who have played hard enjoying a game rather than looking for a famous victory. (For all I know, Jennet and Steve may be more competative over the Scrabble^® board).

Though a flautist, I have always loved the double reeds. The oboe is one of the several instruments I don't play that I wish I did play. This work is written using elements of style not usually associated with the oboe and the bassoon. In so doing, I think that those elements can be heard in new ways, and I think that the instruments can be heard in new ways, too.

Robin L Øye

Bumbletown,

June, 2004

Motherlode closed December 2005, leaving no real Coffeehouse in Houghton or Hancock.
December, 2007: It is still hard for many to accept that the dear old Motherlode is gone.  Its passing has been a sociological tragedy here

 

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