Sonata op. 85

Throughout his career the Austrian composer and musicologist Hans Gál (1890–1987) wrote a number of operas, orchestral works, concertos and vocal pieces, and during the latter part of his life he concentrated particularly on chamber music. In addition he published books and essays on composers such as Brahms, Schubert and Verdi. Forced to emigrate from Germany in 1933, Gál finally settled in Edinburgh, where he taught at the University, and continued to compose for the rest of his long life. His Oboe Sonata is a valuable addition to the repertoire. The three movements, like all Gál’s works, are rooted in the late Romantic period.