Guide to Oboe

Here you will find an overview of the oboe resources at the State Library with search tips.

See also

• Oboe interest groups and internet resources
• AMEB Oboe syllabus
• Competitions, awards and scholarships 
• Music Education
• Borrowing

Scores for Loan

The State Library has a fairly comprehensive collection of music for oboe, cor anglais and oboe with other instruments. There is a range of tutors, methods, studies and exercises, a large number of standard repertoire works, and classical as well as popular arrangements .

A strength of the collection is the varied editions collected of standard works such as sonatas and concerto reductions. Urtext, European, English, American and Australian editions give students choice in interpretation, fingering and other editorial influences. We collect most works listed from Grade 4 and above in the Australian Music Examinations Board syllabus. There is also music for ensembles that include oboe, from duets to orchestral works.

Reference Material

The reference collection of books, journals and electronic resources includes material on the history of the oboe, technique, repertoire, bibliographies, significant performers and reeds.

Recordings

We hold a collection of CDs and LPs that can be listened to on-site. You can also listen to tracks using the on-line database Naxos Music Library. Recordings of different performances of standard works are collected in order to enhance the student's learning experience. There is a small classical loan collection of audio cassettes available.

Searching

All material can be found by using the catalogue and searching by composer. You may search by title, but you may not find all copies of the work if you only use one translation of the title, such as Fantasy pieces instead of Fantasiestücke. Please use our Guide to Searching for Classical Music scores as a starting point. If you are searching for material for the cor anglais, use the term English horn. All oboe music can be found on the shelves at the classification VT.

You may also search by subject. For arrangements, add the term Arranged at the end of the subject. Useful subject searches are:

• Oboe music
• Oboe and ... (another instrument eg. piano)
• Oboe - Methods
• Oboe  - Studies and exercises
• Concertos (Oboe)
• Sonatas (Oboe)
• Sonatas (Oboe and ....) (another instrument eg. piano)

Find information by using the keyword or subject option in the catalogue. Useful subject and keyword searches are:

• Oboe
• Oboe music
• Oboe players
• Oboe reeds
• Construction
• History and Criticism
• Performance