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.