<<  -- 2 --  Jennifer Paull    WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU PLAY?

This was the time of the reign of Pierre Boulez and I was delighted to discover just how much contemporary music called for the oboe d'amore. With the ECO, I took part in the recording of the ornamented version of The Messiah which was to change my vision of baroque performance for ever. How lucky I was to have experienced that!

I had to do something to obtain original music. I think I pestered every composer I knew personally, and a good few I didn't. I worked as an agent for several, and then became the Promotion Manager for Novello in an all out attempt at reaching as many composers as I could. That was a really heady moment. Suddenly, there were 56 composers I could contact. I won't say they all wrote for me, but several did and amongst those who did, figured John McCabe.

John is a remarkable pianist and we gave concerts together. He wrote me a piece for oboe d'amore and piano and a lovely Concerto with chamber orchestra. He also included what could be called an obligato for oboe d'amore in his 2nd Violin Concerto. Since then, two more concertos have been written for me in America. But, more important than the concerto or chamber music to me, was the oboe d'amore's introduction and acceptance into the standard orchestration palette of my composer friends. I didn't want this d'amore breakthrough for me personally, but for the instrument itself.

I travelled a great deal at home and abroad for Novello and subsequently, when I opened the London office for a Dutch Impresario, I followed my artists to concerts and festivals in many countries. I had the honour of working closely with figures such a Bruno Maderna and Cathy Berberian. I learned far more about music than I had ever known existed during those wonderful years, and I continued nevertheless to give recitals and work as a soloist.

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