The oboe is the quintessential pastoral instrument. Capable of both incisive bite and mellifluous sweetness, it has inspired many composers to write some of their most memorable melodies.

The present recording sets Mozart’s perennial Oboe Quartet alongside two important concertos written in Norway 74 four years apart: the unjustly neglected concerto Op. 12 by Harald Sæverud (1938) and Oboe Concerto of 2012 by Ketil Hvoslef, a very recent and important addition to the repertoire. Sæverud’s evergreen Rondo amoroso, Op. 14, No. 7 (in the composer’s own arrangement for chamber orchestra, with the oboe as main instrument) completes the programme.