Superior - Oboe Unaccompanied

A solo for unaccomapnied oboe by Minnesota composer James Sullivan. Duration: 6 minutes.

Sullivan writes:

"Superior" is a character portrait of North America's largest freshwater body as seen from the shores of northern Minnesota. Gargantuan yet intimate, the Great Lake effectively bridges the hazy divide between the lenses of macro and micro.

The two-movement work begins with a simple, sweeping figure, marked Lento, evoking the elegantly unobstructed view of water below sky. The shimmering gray horizon, though grandiose in its initial presentation, is softened to a breezy lullaby by means of expressive vibrato and careful dynamic differentiation.

The second movement, Scherzando, pivots the focus of the lake-watcher from the great body of water to a small puddle community carved into the stone of the shore. Clusters of pond skaters dart before an orange algae curtain in minuscule defiance of the monolithic lake. The power of the water is reestablished in a tempestuous Apocalittico section. The work concludes with the jovial "puddle theme" set against the energy that has slowly built throughout the movement.

With its piercing yet lonesome timbre, oboe was the natural voice for this work.