An Oboe and Oboe d'Amore Concerto from the Cape of Africa: A Biographical and Analytical Perspective

Due to the lack of quality contemporary concertos for the oboe and, especially, the oboe d'amore, this dissertation presents two works from South African composers that provide excellent additions to the concerto repertoire. Allan Stephenson wrote Concerto for Oboe and Strings in 1978 and Peter Louis Van Dijk wrote ElegyDance- Elegy in 1984. The outstanding quality and idiomatic nature of these works assuages the practical concerns today's oboists have when undertaking a contemporary concerto. Along with their high artistic merit, these concerti are both audience-friendly and financially feasible to present on an international stage. In addition to briefly examining the post-apartheid musical climate that exists in South Africa today, the dissertation thoroughly analyzes the works and includes biographical background of the composers