M. Isaac Ripple, Oboist

Early flight up to the 216 tomorrow for rehearsal with clevelandrepertoryorchestra! Reeds are dialed in, blanks are made, and my bag is (sort of) packed!

Higdon Oboe Concerto
Saturday 5/23/26
Rocky River Presbyterian Church
7:00 PM

Barret Articulation #5!

Slurring and shaping amidst a slur goes hand in hand with variety of expressive articulation! When I was a freshman, I really struggled with this study, and looking back, I think it was a lack of consistent support over the smaller intervals of 3rds and 4ths. In a masterclass once, I heard the amazing Scott Bell equate this study to the Schumann Romances - engaged airspeed over the smaller intervals halo prepare for the larger swaths. Tricky and telling - Barret really knew how to show our sins! Even from the first note, it is imperative that we practice a calm start, without too much extraneous tongue sound! Keep the character and keep the air moving. Once again, another chance to explore accented notes, terraced dynamics up and down, and the complete dynamic range.

Barret Articulation #4!

Different practice space, and a different reed for the next one in the series! This short and sweet study is a great chance for development of giving different inflection to repeated gesture and repeated notes. I love the descending tongued chromatic passage beginning the second line, and really try to explore diminuendo while keeping the sparkle in the sound and rebound.

Barret Articulation #3!

One of my absolute FAVORITES! Whenever I teach the articulation studies to students for the first time, I have a specific order in which I assign them based upon that student’s development and musical maturity. Articulation study #3 is always towards the beginning of the set for so many reasons. Pedagogically, the more conservative range is a bit more accessible younger students, and the emphasis on slurred groups of two notes is very helpful to work on in preparation for a first working of many Baroque era pieces. This study demands a spring in the rebound of the tongue, to allow for a buoyancy in the accented notes on the ‘strong’ beats of the measures. Tapered diminuendi are tricky to pace, and this has plenty of them!

Barret Articulation #2!

I remember back to my very first year at John Mack Oboe Camp in the annual Barret extravaganza of morning masterclasses and hearing the commentary on this particular etude - a real mixed bag! Regardless, it is in the set and deserves to be studied again and again!

I think the idea of spinning through the tied quarters into the moving line is tricky and worth investing lots of energy into. This motif comes up in much of our major solo repertoire (and a fair number of excerpts, too!). We also must contend with the idea of arrival without impact, both ascending and descending. Breath control and pacing of inhales vs. exhales is key to success. Again, the expressive nature of the staccato notes does not always mean that they must sound the same! In the final passage before the C Major arpeggio, I practice coordination of my right Ab with Left F - forked F is easier, but why not develop more fluid alternative techniques in the course of practicing and revisiting these resources?

Barret Articulation #1! I’ve been meaning to record the set for a while, and no time like the summer to do start! Pardon my red cheeks, I was moving furniture before I started this practice session lol.

These studies are some of my most favorite things to play and I find myself returning to one or more of them almost every single time I pick up the horn. This first study is a great example of the expressive quality of the staccato, something which is difficult to achieve over the full range of the instrument. The speed of the removal of the tongue from the reed, balanced with the speed of air is integral! This is also an excellent means of testing reed stability and intonation!