Ludwig Wiedemann

45 Studies

Little is known about Ludwig Wiedemann, the composer of the present 45 Etüden, without which the teaching of oboists would be unthinkable. Upon closer examination, the designation 'Etüden' does not really do justice to the works: they are nothing less than genuine little character pieces.

This has undoubtedly contributed to their great popularity. Also noteworthy is the structure of the collection: From nos. 1 to 29 Wiedemann strolls leisurely through the loosely disposed flat keys (there is no Etüde with four flats!) with a rising number of accidentals up to nos. 16 and 17, before descending in sharp keys and finding his way back to C major. Technically and musically more demanding pieces follow from no. 30 on, whereby Wiedemann only once supplies a concrete reference to a genre with the term 'Bolero' (no. 34).