The baroque oboe is a wild beast and taming it is a process with few extrinsic rewards.
McClain did a brilliant job of it, blending well in the ensemble when necessary and standing confidently in the spotlight when the time was right.
The final movement was fugal and got a little woolly in places.
Nevertheless, it was a strong ending to a collection of agreeable, if forgettable, pieces.
I read it, and more, here.
You can see Mr. McClain in this video, put up by “our own” (I’ve always wanted to write that. It’s really not so true; renegadeoboe isn’t “mine” … but still …!) renegadeoboe (no music on this video though):
I really enjoy the sound of Baroque oboe. You can hear it here:
or here:
… and of course you’ll find a bit more if you look around.