adapted 32 of Ferling's études for the
clarinet. Ferling is remembered today for his collection of 48 Exercises for Oboe, Op. 31, which are commonly studied by oboists and saxophonists. Published in 1840, The 48 studies consist of two études in each key—one slow and the other fast. The études are written in a variety of musical styles: there are five
bel canto exercises, six
romances, two
offertories, four
toccatas in the style of
Niccolò Paganini, three
slow movements, seven
marches, twelve
waltzes, four
polkas, two
polonaises, and three
czardas. After the études were published,
Cyrille Rose, a French clarinetist, adapted 32 of Ferling's etudes for the clarinet, often
transposing the music or changing the meter, articulation, or dynamics. In addition, Rose occasionally omitted some of Ferling's phrases or composed new ones. After the first edition was published in 1840, oboist Louis Bleuzet republished the études in the early 20th century. Later,
Southern Music, under the direction of Albert Andraud, edited and republished Bleuzet's version in an edition that was marketed for "oboe or saxophone".
Marcel Mule also incorporated Ferling's exercises into his own teaching, publishing a version later, although it is unknown whether Mule or Andraud first suggested the studies's use for the saxophone. Meanwhile, oboists continued to study the exercises, with
John de Lancie teaching Ferling as one of four étude books (the others being the works of
Apollon Barret,
Henri Brod, and
Georges Gillet. In a conversation with de Lancie, oboist and editor Martin Schuring discussed whether or not the études originally had bass lines, leading Schuring to investigate into the earlier editions of the exercises. While finding that the études never had bass lines, Schuring noticed discrepancies between the original and modern editions. Because of this, he set out to publish an edition that was closer to the original, a project which
Alfred Music distributed. In addition to publishing several other exercises for oboe, Ferling wrote a
double concerto for two oboes, which was discovered in a library in the
Strahov district of Prague. The work was premiered in 2001 at the annual
International Double Reed Society conference. In addition, Ferling composed a
clarinet concerto, but it is a
lost work, as only fragments remain. == Selected compositions ==