Heckelphone / Bass Oboe Repertoire

Excerpt: Compositions for heckelphone and keyboard accompaniment (chronological)

by Peter Hurd; reorganized and amended by Holger Hoos, editor-in-chief since 2020

version 2 (1 February 2022)

This collection is based on the catalogue of musical works requiring heckelphone or bass oboe instrumentation assembled by Peter Hurd beginning in 1998. For this new edition, the original version of the repertoire list has been edited for accuracy, completeness and consistency, and it has been extended with a number of newly discovered pieces.

Some entries could not (yet) be rigorously verified for accuracy; these were included nonetheless, to provide leads for future investigation, but are marked clearly. Pieces were selected for inclusion based solely on the use of heckelphone, bass oboe or lupophone, without any attempt at assessing their artistic merit. Arrangements of pieces not originally intended for these instruments were included when there was clear evidence that they had found a significant audience.

We gratefully acknowledge contributions by Crawford Best, Ulrich Brokamp, Michael Finkelman, Francis Firth, Alain Girard, Thomas Hiniker, Robert Howe, Gunther Joppig, Georg Otto Klapproth, Mark Perchanok, Andrew Shreeves and Michael Sluman.

1920-1929

Keyssner, August (1882-1958): Intermezzo (Am Hochzeitstag), op. 91, 1925  [?]this entry is only partially verified

Publisher: Heckel-Archiv (ms)

Remarks: for heckelphone and organ; written for the wedding of Else Heckel to Franz Groffy, and performance on that occasion by Heinrich Türk

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument


1940-1949

Heckel, Wilhelm Hermann (1879-1952): Meine Gedanken, 1946

Publisher: Verlag Gebrüder Schottstädt, Mainz (GS 10 118)

Remarks: concertino for bassoon (or heckelphone) and piano

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.


1950-1959

Smith, Leland (1925-2013): Sonata for Heckelphone (or Viola) and Piano, 1953

Publisher: San Andreas Press

Remarks: versions for viola and tenor saxophone also exist; it has been performed several times with the composer on heckelphone; a recording of the version of viola and piano has been released by Naxos in 2008

Duration: 10min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.

Mielenz, Hans (1909-1996): Concerto für Heckelphon und Orchester, op. 60, 1959

Publisher: ms

Remarks: for heckelphone and large orchestra; based on a 12-tone-series; first recording and broadcast in November 1982 by Georg Otto Klapproth (heckelphone) and the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie under Reinhard Peters; first live performance on 5 May 1985 in Darmstadt, Germany, by Georg Otto Klapproth (heckelphone) and the Staatstheaterorchester Darmstadt under Hans Drewanz; a version for heckelphone and piano also exists

Duration: 14min

Tags: heckelphone; orchestra, solo, keyboard instrument


1960-1969

Konietzny, Heinrich (1910-1983): Rezitativ für Heckelphon und Klavier, 1965

Publisher: ms

Remarks: written for Georg Meerwein

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument


1980-1989

Eyser, Eberhard (1932-): Trezza, 1983

Publisher: STIM, Stockholm

Remarks: for heckelphone (or viola) and piano; dedicated to Björn Uddén; premiere 8 June 1990 in Oradea, by Sandor Joszef Thurzo (viola) and Magda Schmidt (piano)

Duration: 8min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.

Eyser, Eberhard (1932-): Pastorelles, 1983

Publisher: STIM 20738, Stockholm

Remarks: for heckelphone (or alto saxophone) and harp (or piano)

Duration: 8min

Tags: heckelphone; chamber music, keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Fenzl, Helmut Friedrich (1953-): Fantasia Obscura, 1985

Remarks: for bass clarinet or heckelphone and organ (or piano)

Duration: 3min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Mielenz, Hans (1909-1996): Elegie, op. 123, 1989

Publisher: Heckel-Archiv (ms)

Remarks: for heckelphone (or oboe) and organ (or piano, orchestra)

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument, orchestra


1990-1999

Genzmer, Harald (1909-2007): Sonate für Heckelphon und Klavier (GeWV 253), 1993

Publisher: Edition Peters, Leipzig (EP 12832)

Remarks: for heckelphone and piano; written for Gunther Joppig

Duration: 12min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.

Vidjeskog, Patrick (1964-): Sonata in modo classico, 1999

Publisher: Music Finland (MF17932)

Remarks: for heckelphone (or cor anglais or tenor saxophone) and piano; dedicated to Tapani Salonen; premiere on 4 December 1999 in Helsinki, Finland, by Tapani Salonen (heckelphone) and Tarmo Järvilehto (piano)

Duration: 12min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.


2000-2009

Rønnes, Robert (1959-): Three Nocturnes (Hommage à Frederick Delius), 1982-2000

Publisher: TrevCo Music Publishing (68651)

Remarks: for bass oboe or heckelphone and piano; dedicate to A. Schmidt and R. Wolschina; premiere on 17 May 2000 in Lodz, Poland, by Axel Schmidt (bass oboe) and and Reinhard Wolschina (piano); the composer changed the original version to heckelphone in 2000 and also produced a version for bassoon and piano

Tags: heckelphone, bass oboe; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.

Vossebrecker, Roland (1965-): Für Heckelphon und Klavier, 2009

Remarks: premiere on 23 April 2010

Duration: 6min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.


2010-2019

Hamel, Peter Michael (1947-): Anverwandlungen, 2010

Publisher: Bayrische Landesbibliothek (ms: Mus.N. 152,154)

Remarks: for heckelphone and organ; versions for other instruments exist

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.

Urbaniak, Jacek (1949-): Heckelpol, 2010  [??]this entry has not (yet) been verified

Publisher: ms

Remarks: two mazurkas according to folksongs from Moravia, for heckelphone and piano

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Vossebrecker, Roland (1965-): Duett für ein Sopran- und ein Tenorinstrument mit Klavierbegleitung, 2011

Remarks: for one soprano and one tenor instrument; premiere on 25 November 2011 with oboe and heckelphone

Duration: 8min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe / Jesus bleibet meine Freude (arrangement by Albrecht Bode and Iris Rieg), 2012

Remarks: arrangement for heckelphone and organ; the original version is part of the cantata "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben", written in 1723, for four-part choir, strings, oboe and trumpet; it is widely known under the English title "Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring", and numerous arrangements exist

Duration: 4min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument, arrangement

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Mason, Quinn (1996-): Dragonfly, 2012

Remarks: for piano and heckelphone

Duration: 3min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Rheinberger, Josef Gabriel (1839-1901): Abendlied (aus: Sechs Stücke für Violine und Orgel) (arrangement by Albrecht Bode and Iris Rieg), op. 150, 2012

Remarks: arrangement for heckelphone and organ; original 1887 version for violin and organ dedicated to Benno Walter

Duration: 6min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument, arrangement

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Tansman, Alexandre (1897-1987): Sonatine (arrangement by Albrecht Bode and Iris Rieg), 2012

Remarks: arrangement for heckelphone and organ; original 1957 version for bassoon and piano; dedicated to Gustave Dherin

Duration: 12min

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument, arrangement

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Tipp, Devon Osamu (Devon Yasamune Toyotomi) (1991-): Heckelphone Sonata, 2012  [??]this entry has not (yet) been verified

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Bärenz, Martin (1956-): Sonatine für Heckelphon und Klavier, 2013

Remarks: commissioned by Georg Weiss

Tags: heckelphone; keyboard instrument

Tipp, Devon Osamu (Devon Yasamune Toyotomi) (1991-): Lithium Daphnae, 2011-2013

Remarks: for heckelphone (or bass oboe or lupophone), viola and piano; premiere on 7 October 2013 in Rostock, Germany, by Sabine Kaselow (bass oboe), Christoph Stark (viola) and Jenns Hoffmann (piano)

Duration: 6min

Tags: heckelphone, bass oboe, lupophone; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here; a recording is available here.

Kram, Richard (1953-): Easy Miniatures for Heckelphone (or Bass Oboe), 2014

Remarks: for heckelphone (or bass oboe) and piano

Tags: heckelphone, bass oboe; keyboard instrument

Additional information can be found here.


To suggest additions or corrections to the repertoire list, please contact heckelphone@gmx.net.
All rights reserved by Peter Hurd and Holger H. Hoos, 2022.