Vol. 29 No. 3. John Mack

Transcription

1 Vol. 29 No. 3 John Mack

2 IDRS OFFICERS President Nancy Ambrose King 3019 School of Music University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI Bus: (734) Fax: (603) st Vice President Martin Schuring School of Music 0405 Arizona State University Tempe, AZ Bus: (480) Fax: (480) nd Vice President Sandro Caldini Loc S Piero 14 Rigano S/Arno Florence ITALY coranglais58@hotmail.com Secretary Keith W. Sweger Ball State University Muncie, IN Bus: (765) Fax: (765) ksweger@bsu.edu Past President Terry Ewell Chair - Department of Music Towson University 8000 York Road Towson, MD Bus: (410) Fax: (410) tewell@towson.edu Executive Secretary/Treasurer Exhibit Coordinator Norma R. Hooks 2423 Lawndale Road Finksburg, MD Office: (410) Fax: (410) norma4idrs@verizon.net At Large Members Phillip A. M. Kolker 3505 Taney Rd Baltimore, MD Bus: (410) phillipkolker@yahoo.com Barbara Herr Orland 8034 Crescent Drive St. Louis, MO Bus: (314) broboe@yahoo.com Music Industry Liaison Larry Festa Fox Product Corporation PO Box 347 South Whitley, IN Bus: (219) Fax: (219) mail@foxproducts.com Bassoon Editor Ronald James Klimko 657 Douglas Drive PO Box 986 McCall, ID Home: (208) klimko@frontiernet.net Oboe Editor Daniel J. Stolper 7 Hermosillo Lane Palm Desert CA Bus: (760) stolper@dc.rr.com IDRS-On-Line Publications Editor Yoshiyuki (Yoshi) Ishikawa University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder, CO Bus: (303) Fax: (303) ishikawa@colorado.edu Legal Counsel Jacob Schlosser 4937 West Broad Street Columbus, OH Bus: (614) Fax: (614) Conference Coordinator Marc Fink School of Music University of Wisconsin-Madison 455 North Park Street Madison, WI Bus: (608) Fax: (608) mdfink@facstaff.wisc.edu Archivist Michael J. Burns School of Music P.O. Box University of NC at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Bus: (336) FAX: (336) mjburns@uncg.edu Gillet-Fox Competition Chair Nancy Ambrose King 3019 School of Music University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI Bus: (734) Fax: (603) nak@umich.edu Gillet-Fox Competition Oboe Chair Rebecca Henderson University of Texas at Austin School of Music 1 University Station Austin, TX Bus: (512) Fax: (512) Gillet-Fox Competition Bassoon Chair Douglas E. Spaniol Jordan College of Fine Arts Butler University 4600 Sunset Avenue Indianapolis, IN Bus: (317) Fax: (317) dspaniol@butler.edu Associate Members Australasian Double Reed Society (ADRS) British Double Reed Society(BDRS) Chinese Association of Bassoon (CAB) Finnish Double Reed Society(FDRS) IDRS-Deutschland Japan Bassoon Society Japan Oboe Association Mägyar Fàgottos tarsasag (MAFAT) of Hungary Viennese Oboe Society (Gesellschaft der Freunde der Wiener Oboe) L Association Francaise du Hautbois (French Oboe Society) L Association bassons (French Bassoon Society) FagotClub Nederland

3 THE DOUBLE REED 1 THE DOUBLE REED Quarterly Journal of the INTERNATIONAL DOUBLE REED SOCIETY VOL. 29 NO. 3 Ronald Klimko and Daniel Stolper, Editors 2006 International Double Reed Society ISSN Designed by Edward Craig Ecraig3 Graphic Design Baltimore, MD U.S.A. Printed by The J.W. Boarman Company Baltimore, MD U.S.A.

4 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ON THE COVER: John Mack ( ) Table of Contents Vol 29 No.3 Honorary Members th Annual Double Reed Conference, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, June 12-16, President s Message Nancy Ambrose King Report of the Executive Secretary/Treasurer Norma Hooks IDRS Sponsor-a-Member Program Martin Schuring CURRENT EVENTS Tributes to John Mack Compiled by Dan Stolper and Danna Sundet Harold s Report: IDRS 2006, Muncie, Indiana Harold Emert Photos from IDRS 2006, Muncie, Indiana Al Markel The 2006 Fernand Gillet Hugo Fox Bassoon Competition Doug Spaniol IDRS Elects Two New Honorary Members Martin Schuring Alex Posada: A Story of Courage and Grace Marsha Burkett Markneukirchen 2006 International Bassoon Competition: A Report William Waterhouse IDRS 42 The Second Annual Carolyn Hove English Horn Masterclass Bonnie Koch Schroeder Warm Regards from Cuba Lauren Rios Hernández The Fourth Annual Bassoon Day at McGill Stéphane Lévesque The Third Brazilian Meeting for Oboe and Bassoon Dwight Manning Peter Schoenbach Honored at SUNY Fredonia IDRS Membership Form A Bassoon Giant Retires Ronald Klimko Heckel at William Ring Oboists in the News Daniel Stolper Bassoonists News of Interest Ronald Klimko Blowing Hard Whilst London Blows Up Althea Ifeka Letters to the Editors ARTICLES Benjamin Britten and His Metamorphoses George Caird Arthur Bridet ( ) André Lardrot

5 THE DOUBLE REED 3 The French School of Bassoon Practice and Pedagogy Svetoslav Atanasov The Works for Bassoon of Gustav Schreck Daniel Lipori Research Comparison Roger Grundmann, Hans Krüger Not Just for Bassoonists: Expanding Kovar s Exercise on 5 Tones Daryl Durran Dirt, Dust, Crud and Junk Betty Asher Bassonicus Aura Versus Merit? Jefferey Cox Historical Oboes 15: Lorée Oboes of John Mack s Era Robert Howe Vibrato: No Longer a Mystery! Jan Eberle Bassoon Lite, Please... Divine Inspiration Protective Mozart-ical Custody Alan Goodman REVIEWS Bassoon Recording Reviews Ronald Klimko Zéphyros Winds: Music of Gounod and Mozart in Concert Pas de Trois: Music by Bernard van Beurden, Jindrich Feld, Don Freund, David Froom and Perry Goldstein Intrada Brazilian Dances and Inventions Bassoon Music Reviews Daniel Lipori Music from TrevCo Music Music from Boosey & Hawkes Music from Wehr s Music House Music from EditionsVIENTO Music from Gernot Wolfgang Bassoon Music Review Ronald Klimko Frederick W. Moritz: Two and Three Tone Exercises for Bassoon Guest Bassoon Music Reviews John Orford Concerto Burlesco Epigraphe nach Escher Clive Fairbairn The Seasons Oboe Recording Reviews Jeanne Belfy Twentieth Century Oboe Concertos Bach: Pièces pour hautbois & Airs de cantates Widerkehr: Chamber Music with Oboe Oboe Music Reviews Robert Krause 15 Inventionen by Johann Sebastian Bach Felix Mendelssohn: Romances sans paroles, Op. 30 pour hautbois et piano Ukrainian Music for Oboe and Piano Stolen Oboes and Bassoons Contributing Members Lost Sheep Advertising Index

6 4 HONORARY MEMBERS Günter Angerhöfer (1926) Lady Evelyn Barbirolli (1911) Lewis Hugh Cooper (1920) Gerald Corey (1934) Bernard Garfield (1924) Alfred Genovese Ralph Gomberg (1921) George F. Goslee (1916) Honorary Members Norman H. Herzberg (1916) James Laslie (1923) John Minsker (1912) Ivan Pushechnikov (1918) Mordechai Rechtman (1926) Lowry Riggins (1930) Roland Rigoutat (1930) Louis Rosenblatt (1928) Matthew Ruggiero (1932) Ray Still (1920) Daniel Stolper (1937) Laila Storch (1921) K. David van Hoesen (1926) William Waterhouse (1931) President s Award: Peter Klatt (Industry Liason), Jim Prodan (Archivist), Noah Knepper (Founding Member) D eceased H onorary M embers Maurice Allard ( ) Philip Bate ( ) Robert Bloom ( ) Gwydion Brooke ( ) Victor Bruns ( ) Donald Christlieb ( ) John de Lancie ( ) Robert De Gourdon ( ) Ferdinand Del Negro ( ) Willard S. Elliot ( ) Bert Gassman ( ) Fernand Gillet ( ) Harold Goltzer ( ) Leon Goossens, CBE ( ) E. Earnest Harrison ( ) Cecil James ( ) Benjamin Kohon ( ) Simon Kovar ( ) Dr. Paul Henry Lang ( ) Lyndesay Langwill ( ) Alfred Laubin ( ) John Mack ( ) Stephen Maxym ( ) Robert M. Mayer ( ) W. Hans Moennig ( ) Frederick Moritz ( ) Karl Öhlberger ( ) Fernand Oubradous ( ) Wayne Rapier ( ) Frank Ruggieri ( ) Sol Schoenbach ( ) Leonard Sharrow ( ) Jerry Sirucek ( ) Louis Skinner ( ) Robert Sprenkle ( )

7 THE DOUBLE REED 5 JOIN US FOR IDRS June 12-16, 2007 About Ithaca Ithaca is nestled in the heart of New York State's beautiful Finger Lakes region. Located roughly halfway between Manhattan and Toronto, this thriving, culturally diverse city of 30,000 combines small-town warmth and charm with cosmopolitan flair. Home to Ithaca College and Cornell University, the Ithaca area attracts visitors, students, and scholars from around the world. Rolling hills, breathtaking gorges, and splendid lakes offer countless outdoor activities. Fantastic restaurants, exciting nightlife, vibrant theater, mainstream and independent cinema, and live music abound. Ithaca is home to many eclectic artisans, award-winning wineries, towering waterfalls, museums and galleries, and plentiful shopping along the downtown Commons. Hotel & Campus Housing Numerous hotels in Ithaca have reserved rooms with conference rates. Please visit our website at IDRS2007.org for complete listings. You can also enjoy beautiful Ithaca College campus housing, all in close walking distance to concerts and exhibits. Single & double rooms are available - all include linens, parking and access to the Fitness Center & College Swimming Pool. Dining Campus dining offers a wide variety of eating spots and food options. A meal plan is available through campus dining services on our website. There are numerous excellent restaurants throughout Ithaca at convenient locations. Enjoy a special night of dining by participating in our around the town dine-a-thon. Details and sign-up available in the lobby upon arrival. Winery/Jazz Night Join us for a wonderful evening at one of Cayuga Lake s finest wineries, Sheldrake Point Vineyard & Cafe. Wine tasting, Hors d Oeuvres, a stunning view of Cayuga Lake and great double-reed jazz make this a not-to-miss event. Travel Fly directly into the Ithaca airport on US Airways or Northwest for the most convenient travel. We are located 60 miles southwest of the Syracuse, NY airport, and 90 miles southeast from Rochester, NY. Please contact Mary Ann Covert at travprof@bakertravel.net for help with airline travel. Conference shuttle service will be available to and from the Ithaca airport. Contact Us IDRS 2007 Whalen Center for Music Ithaca College Ithaca, NY Hosts: Paige Morgan Lee Goodhew Romm Fax: idrs2007@ithaca.edu

8 6 36TH ANNUAL DOUBLE REED CONFERENCE, ITHACA COLLEGE, ITHACA, NEW YORK, JUNE 12-16, 2007 Call for Proposals June 12-16, 2007 The Artistic Committee of IDRS 2007 requests that any individual or group interested in appearing at the 36th Annual 2007 Conference of the International Double Reed Society submit a written proposal of participation. There are four presentation categories: Artist Recital, Lecture/Master Class, the Avocational Series, and a new series, Attracting New Audiences for Classical Music. Artist Recital Recital proposals may be for a full program, minutes, a half program, minutes, or a single piece to be performed on a compilation program. Due to the high volume of proposals anticipated, performers are strongly encouraged to consider half programs or single-piece proposals. Accompanists will be available upon request. We are also interested in pieces written in or around 07: Please be concise and specific in proposals. Presenters are not paid to appear by the IDRS, nor will expenses be reimbursed. If presenters are sponsored, they may not advertise their sponsors from the stage. Lecture/ Master Class To propose a lecture, please submit a title and concise description of the lecture topic. Lectures may be up to 50 minutes in length. To propose a master class, please submit a title and concise description of the master class topic. Please request either a 50 minute or 90 minute time allotment. Avocational Series We are excited to continue this series. The IDRS recognizes that there are many talented double reed players who have chosen careers in fields other than music. The committee requests proposals by such players for either a single piece to be performed on a compilation program, or for roundtable discussions on topics relevant to the nonprofessional. If requesting a performance, please submit a live CD of a recent performance, including program information and total performance time. If requesting a roundtable discussion idea, please submit a title, concise description and a requested time allotment. Attracting New Audiences for Classical Music The 2007 IDRS Artistic Committee recognizes that there are double reed performers showcasing music in a different, creative, or unusual way. Examples would be performance with multimedia, dance, art, etc. We would like to request proposals by such players for either a single piece on a compilation program, a full recital, or a lecture/demonstration. Please include program idea, title, precise description, multi-media needs and a requested time allotment. Proposal forms may be downloaded at the IDRS 2007 Web site: All completed proposals must be received by December 1, Complete proposals may be mailed, ed as an attachment or faxed to: Paige Morgan/Lee Goodhew Romm Phone: or IDRS idrs2007@ithaca.edu Whalen Center for Music Fax: Ithaca College Ithaca, NY 14850

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10 8 36TH ANNUAL DOUBLE REED CONFERENCE, ITHACA COLLEGE, ITHACA, NEW YORK, JUNE 12-16, 2007

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12 10 36TH ANNUAL DOUBLE REED CONFERENCE, ITHACA COLLEGE, ITHACA, NEW YORK, JUNE 12-16, 2007

13 THE DOUBLE REED 11 Message from the President Nancy Ambrose King Ann Arbor, Michigan IDRS Conferences continue to exceed our greatest expectations, and this year s Conference at Ball State University was a testament to the fine planning, creative thinking, and organizational skills of our hosts Keith Sweger and Tim Clinch. Our thanks go out to both Keith and Tim, and their fine staff! We look forward to next year s conference at Ithaca College with all of the exciting performances, excellent master classes, exhibits and events that Paige Morgan and Lee Goodhew Romm have planned for us in beautiful upstate New York. NEW HONORARY MEMBERS At the conference s General Meeting, I announced this year s Honorary Members, chosen after the review of many nominations sent in by our membership. It is my great pleasure to once again recognize our newest Honorary Members, Daniel Stolper and James Laslie. Their profound accomplishments in the musical world and many years of dedicated service to our profession have placed them among the ranks of the world s most revered double reed musicians whose careers have been honored by IDRS. Their expertise has influenced countless musicians for decades. We deeply thank Dan and Jim for the great contributions they have made, and continue to make, to the double reed community and the musical world at large, throughout their lengthy and still very active careers. NEW COMPETITION It was also my pleasure to announce at this year s General Meeting the beginning of a new Young Artist Competition for oboists and bassoonists age 21 and younger, beginning in We are thrilled with the success of the Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox Competition, which each year attracts the finest performers under age 31 from the professional as well as the amateur community. With its success, however, we have become aware of the need for a competition focused towards the younger double reed artist. The new IDRS Young Artist Competition will alternate between oboe and bassoon (with 2008 being an oboe competition) complementing the Gillet-Fox Competition, so each IDRS Conference will host both an oboe and a bassoon competition each year. Look for more information on this exciting new competition next year! NEW COMMISSIONS I am also very happy to announce that IDRS has entered into contracts with four very prominent composers who will be writing works commissioned by our Society. My profound thanks to Executive Committee members Sandro Caldini, Terry Ewell, and Dan Stolper, who identified these fine composers. I am thrilled that we will premiere two works in 2007 commissioned by IDRS: a Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano by Colorado composer Bill Douglas, and a work for English horn and piano by Chicago composer Jan Bach. In addition, 2008 will bring a bassoon/piano work by acclaimed composer Libby Larsen, and in 2009 we ll receive an oboe/piano work by English composer Thea Musgrave. This is wonderful news for our double reed community and I know we all anticipate the completion and performances of all four works by these outstanding composers. A YEAR OF LOSSES Finally, we in the double reed community and musical world at-large are deeply saddened by the loss in July of another pre-eminent figure, oboist John Mack. His remarkable life as a performer and pedagogue touched all of us in the Society. As a valued and enthusiastic supporter of IDRS, he performed frequently at our conferences, and served as judge of the Fernand Gillet- Hugo Fox Competition numerous times. Those in IDRS will miss him profoundly, although his memory and influence in the double reed community continue to flourish through his many students who perform and teach throughout the world. He, along with the other great oboists we have lost recently - Earnie Harrison, James Caldwell, and Wayne Rapier - will never be forgotten.

14 12 REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/TREASURER Report of the Executive Secretary/Treasurer Norma R. Hooks Finksburg, Maryland THE PASSING OF AN ERA On July 23, two days before the start of our conference, we lost another great oboe player and one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the IDRS. John Mack was a renowned performer and teacher. He served as principal oboe in the Cleveland Orchestra from 1965 until his retirement in He served as chairman of the woodwind division at the Cleveland Institute of Music also from Though retired from the orchestra, Mr. Mack still continued to impart his musical knowledge wherever he could. He will truly be missed by the musical world and especially by his colleagues and friends in the International Double Reed Society. A celebration of the life and career of John Mack and a Memorial Tribute Concert is being held at Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, November 5, BRAVO!! The 35th Annual IDRS Conference at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana is now history. Keith Sweger and Tim Clinch have earned their GIANT MAR- GARITAS for their fantastic implementation of the conference. For an entire week the Ball State campus was alive with double reed activities. I was on campus the weekend before the conference to work with my staff, the staff of the Ball State conference bureau, and our many volunteers to set up the tables for the record number of exhibitors who attended this conference. WOW, what a display that made! My heartfelt thanks goes to everyone who worked with me. You did and outstanding job and I was so happy to have you helping me. We had exhibitors from Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Taiwan, in addition to those from the United States. It was an amazing array of everything double reed! I m sure if you talk to anyone about their time at this conference, they will share with you some of their memories of great performances, insightful master classes, and family reunions. These conferences are truly like gatherings of family who are scattered around the world. I personally was reunited with three people I haven t seen for over 40 years (Ball State Alumni) and it certainly made this conference a little extra special for me. Thanks for a GREAT JOB, Keith, Tim, Jack, Stefanie and all your staff and volunteers!!! INTERNATIONAL MAIL TO SOME COUNTRIES CAN ONLY BE SENT BY AIRMAIL If you sponsor an international member, you might consider upgrading their membership by including airmail. Some countries, including Viet Nam, South Korea, Czech Republic and Kazakhstan can only receive mail by air. It takes extra time when our mail processor has to deal with these issues. It also costs us about $40 extra to mail The Double Reed to these members each year. Please give us a hand with this expense. TIME AGAIN FOR DUES NOTICES! I don t know if it s as unbelievable to you as it is to me, but it s time to prepare and mail dues notices for Here are a couple issues I ve been dealing with concerning contacting members by mail and receiving payment. Street Addresses on University Campuses - If you live on a college campus, please find out what the street address is of your dormitory, apartment or other living space. No matter what you are told by the school, the post office doesn t want to deliver your mail without a street address. When we are mailing The Double Reed by bulk mail, copies with incomplete university addresses are returned to me or worse yet, trashed by the post office. This applies to university libraries as well as individual members. Canadian Checks - If you live in Canada, please be aware that checks from your Canadian bank accounts must be converted into US dollars, even if you ve written US Dollars on the check. At today s exchange rate student members would pay $39.41 Canadian, regular members $ Please make sure you calculate the proper exchange rate or send an international money order. Besides the difference in exchange rate our bank charges a conversion fee for checks from banks outside the United States.

15 IDRS Sponsor-a-Member Program Martin Schuring Tempe, Arizona THE DOUBLE REED 13 The IDRS established a Sponsor-a-Member program in 1995 for the purpose of enabling double reed players from around the world to participate and enjoy the opportunities of membership in our organization through the sponsorship of current members. The primary purpose of the Sponsor-a- Member program is to attract to our society double reed players who because of economic circumstances would not otherwise be able to join the IDRS. This is an important outreach mission of our society. Since the program s inception, sponsored members from the Peoples Republic of China, Vietnam, Lithuania, Ecuador, El Salvador, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Ukraine, Tartartstan, Russia, and South Africa have become IDRS members through the generosity of sponsors. An additional aspect of the program has been the exchange of letters and communications between sponsors and new members. In coordination with Norma Hooks, Executive Secretary, I will be pairing sponsors with potential adopted members. IDRS will honor sponsors requests for specific adopted members as well. Anyone may become a sponsor by requesting an adopted member and paying one year s dues for that individual. Sponsors may elect to pay an additional fee for first-class postage so that publications arrive more promptly. IDRS is thankful to all sponsors who have participated in this worthwhile project in the past, and looks forward to new sponsors becoming active in the program. If you are interested in sponsoring a member, or know of a potential member who needs assistance, please contact me for more information at: Martin Schuring School of Music 0405 Arizona State University Tempe, AZ mschuring@asu.edu SPONSORS ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA ARGENTINA BRAZIL BRAZIL BULGARIA CHINA(P.R.O.C.) CHINA(P.R.O.C.) CHINA(P.R.O.C.) CHINA(P.R.O.C.) COSTA RICA CROATIA CUBA David Sogg David J. Ross Glenn Harman Heidi Huseman Dewally John Towle Laurel Kuxhaus Linda Strommen, IU Oboe Studio Peter Zeimet Rebecca Nagel Shirley Robertson Barbara Orland Kevin Shackell Kathryn Sleeper Donald Vogel Jim Prodan Norma Hooks Patty Mitchell Gerald Corey Nora Schankin Marsha Burkett CZECH REPUBLIC Aaron Hilbun CZECH REPUBLIC Loretta Thomas CZECH REPUBLIC Nancy Ambrose King ECUADOR Rebecca Henderson ENGLAND, UK Dan Stolper GUATEMALA Terry Ewell KAZAKHSTAN Bill Chinworth KAZAKHSTAN Nicolasa Kuster LITHUANIA Chris Weait MEXICO Carlberg Jones POLAND James & Kimberly Brody RUSSIA Donna Ronco RUSSIA Ellen Sudia-Coudron RUSSIA Keith Koster RUSSIA Marc Fink RUSSIA Richard & Isabelle Plaster RUSSIA Richard Killmer RUSSIA Thomas Stacy SPAIN Craig Streett VIETNAM Steve Welgoss VIETNAM Troy Davis

16 14 CURRENT EVENTS Current Events

17 THE DOUBLE REED 15 Tributes to John Mack ( ) Compiled by Dan Stolper and Danna Sundet Members of the IDRS, and indeed the whole world of music, were immensely saddened by the death in July of John Mack, distinguished oboist and our esteemed honorary member. We send our deepest sympathy to the whole Mack family. Danna Sundet, a former pupil of Mr. Mack, and longtime first oboist of the Erie Philharmonic, and faculty member at Kent State University, has been working tirelessly to prepare a collection of memorial tributes. She generously shares some of them with us for this issue of The Double Reed. She is also one of the organizers of the memorial concert scheduled for November 5, 2006 in Cleveland s Severance Hall. The obituaries below originally appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and in the Akron Beacon Journal. They are reprinted here with permission. OBITUARY FROM CLEVELAND.COM Orchestra oboist, teacher John Mack dies at 78 Tuesday, July 25, 2006 Donald Rosenberg Plain Dealer Music Critic John Mack, the revered former principal oboe of the Cleveland Orchestra and teacher to several generations of superb players, died of complications from brain cancer Sunday at University Hospitals of Cleveland. He was 78. Mack, a resident of Cleveland Heights, was considered a giant in his field. He served as principal oboe of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1965 until his reluctant retirement, due to an eye condition, in During those 36 years, a record in the post, he played under three music directors - George Szell, Lorin Maazel and Christoph von Dohnanyi - and the conductor who would become music director in 2002, Franz Welser-Möst. Along with his legacy of performances and recordings, Mack taught oboists who hold positions in orchestras throughout the United States and abroad. Among them are principal players in the Boston Sym- phony (John Ferrillo), Cleveland Orchestra (Frank Rosenwein) and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (Elaine Douvas). Mack also taught two other current Cleveland Orchestra oboists, Elizabeth Camus and Jeffrey Rathbun. John Mack was an icon of the Cleveland Orchestra, said David Zauder, a retired member of the orchestra s trumpet section and personnel manager. He touched thousands of lives with his special way of helping. He made everybody better. When he wasn t performing in the orchestra, playing golf or regaling colleagues with amusing stories, often in the thick French accent of his esteemed teacher, Marcel Tabuteau, Mack shared his knowledge of his beloved, and notoriously difficult, instrument. He served as chairman of the oboe department and woodwind division at the Cleveland Institute of Music, taught in the Kent/Blossom Music program and held an annual summer oboe camp in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. Mack instructed students not only in the fine points of oboe playing and music-making, but also in the tricky and crucial art of reed-making. Oboe teachers don t really know how to make reeds, and if they do, they don t like to give away their secrets or know how to express it, said Rosenwein, who studied with Mack at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He was able to express very clearly how to make reeds and musically how to best express using the unique qualities of the instrument. Mack, whose playing was noted for a distinctive ripeness of sound and elegance of phrasing, attributed what he called the cosmopolitan nature of his oboe tone partly to Tabuteau, the longtime principal oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra, with whom he studied at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mack believed his own playing was marked by a tone of complexity and completion, he told The Plain Dealer in 2001, shortly before his retirement from the orchestra. The tone has to have enough gumption. Szell wanted the tone to be heard, even if it sounded false to you [onstage]. In a 1980 interview, Mack articulated what he felt was the key to one of the conductor s supreme achieve- CURRENT EVENTS

18 16 TRIBUTES TO JOHN MACK ( ) CURRENT EVENTS ments with the Cleveland Orchestra - balance. If you were a player who had a solo passage, Szell would direct his attention during that solo to you so single-mindedly that it was a rejection of the rest of the orchestra, and they psychologically accepted that, fell back and let their concentration go toward you, he said. It was as though the light had been turned on you and all other lights had been turned out. Mack was born in 1927 in Somerville, New Jersey, and took up the oboe in sixth grade. He studied with Tabuteau and Bruno Labate while in high school and with Harold Gomberg at the Juilliard School of Music. After Juilliard, he worked with Tabuteau at Curtis. Mack began his professional career as first oboe of the Sadler s Wells Orchestra, touring North America. He served as principal in the New Orleans Symphony for 11 seasons and in the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., for two before joining the Cleveland Orchestra. (One of the pieces he played during his first concert with the orchestra, Ravel s Le tombeau de Couperin, can be heard on The Cleveland Orchestra Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Compact Disc Edition.) He also participated in the Casals and Marlboro festivals. By the time he became principal oboe in Cleveland, he d already auditioned for Szell twice: the first time in 1953 at the Casals Festival in Prades, France, where he was playing assistant to Tabuteau; the second in 1959, when Szell hired another oboist as principal in Cleveland. When he finally won the Cleveland job in 1965, Mack discerned a different Szell from the tyrant of whom he d heard so much. A lot of people didn t like working with him because he was tough, Mack said in the 2001 Plain Dealer interview. I loved him. As demanding as he was, it seemed to me always for the sake of the music. It was never for self-aggrandizement. Similarly, Mack had a reputation for toiling endlessly to improve himself and to nurture his students. I feel he really revolutionized or redefined how oboe is taught, said Rosenwein. He knew he wasn t the most talented person. He really had to work for what he had. The tools he was able to give to his students let them in on how to become great. Mack derived as much joy recounting tales of Tabuteau, Szell and others as he did recalling favorite performances. He had every reason to take great pride in looking back on a wonderful life in music, said David Cerone, president of the Cleveland Institute of Music. He was the absolute epitome of all that it means to be an artist and a teacher. Yet Mack also was an artist who could look whimsically on life in the fast oboe lane while taking his art seriously. If you re going to play the oboe, you have to have elementary bravery, or you re in big trouble, he said in Some of them are nutty, wild and unreasonable. I call myself a quintessential Cleveland Orchestra player - orthodox, but zippy, and nonwacko. I hate wacko. FROM OHIO.COM In Appreciation Master musician, much more It was easy to find John Mack s phone number, even among the other John Macks listed in the Cleveland book. You just looked under John Oboe Mack. The former principal oboe of the Cleveland Orchestra identified totally with his instrument, and in turn, his name is known far and wide. I ve been thinking a lot about this great oboist and teacher since he died July 23. Mack had retired in 2001 as the principal oboe of the Cleveland Orchestra, where he had played since During that distinguished career, Mack made his mark both as a player and as a leader among musicians. He was always willing to speak up and take a position. Mack had stories galore about conductors, soloists, you name it. The tales included Mack s own teacher, the French oboist Marcel Tabuteau, whose studio at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia was a genealogical starting point for generations of American oboists. Continuing Tabuteau s tradition, Mack attracted students to the Cleveland Institute of Music and his famous oboe camps in North Carolina and California. In 1991, the composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich wrote an oboe concerto to celebrate Mack s 25 years as principal oboe of the Cleveland Orchestra. She told me then, The thing that most attracts me to John s playing is the subtlety and the vocal kind of quality to the phrasing and the color he brings to a line. As someone who studied the oboe, I loved Mack s own description of the oboe s sound. He said it was different from other woodwinds because in its tone, the nerves are a little closer to the surface. Something that Mack said about his father has stuck with me. His father used to say, Son, do not take No for an answer from inanimate objects.

19 THE DOUBLE REED 17 Mack s father taught him to step up to challenges, beginning with cajoling a flat piece of bamboo into a sweetly singing double reed. How are you ever going to get anything done if you say no? Every time you say no in order to avoid a difficulty or a challenge of some sort, you diminish yourself, Mack said. John Mack was all about saying yes to the challenges of life. His vitality, enthusiasm and soaring musicianship will be missed. Elaine Guregian can be reached at or eguregian@thebeaconjournal.com c) 2006 Beacon Journal and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. The following are memorial tributes gathered by Danna Sundet and are generously shared for publication in The Double Reed. FROM JOSEPH TURNER Remembering John Mack In the spring of 1964 I had just finished my first season as principal oboist of the San Antonio Symphony and was visiting my parents in Arlington, Virginia. I called Dick White, my first teacher, and he told me I should meet the National Symphony s new principal oboist, John Mack. The meeting turned into a two hour session in which Mr. Mack corrected my embouchure, articulation, and finger position, and showed me some of what could be done with a stable, resonant reed. Immediately upon the conclusion of the next season in San Antonio I returned to Arlington and began taking two lessons a week with Mr. Mack. He gave me at least two hours at each lesson, and charged ten dollars. We covered fundamentals, Barret, excerpts, and reeds. I don t recall that he showed me how to make a reed; he told me where I had gone wrong and made sure that I knew what a good reed should do. At this time I successfully auditioned for the principal position in Baltimore. Without his training I doubt that I would have won. (This was in a different era. There were no more than fifteen oboists at this audition.) He told me Do a good job in Baltimore and I ll get you into Marlboro. At Marlboro our relationship became more collegial. John continued to be an inexhaustible source of help but now it was focused on specific challenges as they came up in the repertoire we were performing. John did many amazing and amusing things in the summers I spent at Marlboro. In my first summer, the Festival Orchestra was performing and recording the Bach Orchestral Suites. John spent hours in sectional rehearsals with me and Pat Nott. During one of these, held in my dorm room, a neighboring French horn player began to practice at a very high pitch. John cried He ll have the whole camp playing sharp tonight! He rushed out the door, slipped, and fell flat on his back. I was sure he was hurt, but he jumped up and ran down the hall to correct the errant hornist. As we were warming up for a rehearsal of the Schubert Unfinished I mentioned that I had new cane that I liked. He asked to see some so I showed him a blank I had just tied on. In the few minutes before the rehearsal he made a wonderful reed on this new cane (and unfamiliar gouge and shape) and played the Schubert on it, beautifully. Another time we were rehearsing a wind serenade that had a movement ending with the second oboe playing low D while the first played Bf above. I was having difficulty playing the D softly enough. Finally John gave me a slightly disgusted look and said, You play the Bf, I ll play the D. I was annoyed and thought, OK, I ll play so softly that he ll lose it. I wasn t able to do it. No matter how softly I played, he played softer. I doubt if he even knew what I was up to. Preparing and performing the Beethoven Opus 87 trio was a highlight of my time with John. He coached Pat Nott and me on every note, coaxed and bullied us through our endurance problems, and in the weekly dining hall concert played with incredible bravura. The other Marlboro participants gave the performance an ovation of rhythmic applause, which was repeated at a formal public concert that weekend. I don t recall hearing rhythmic applause at any other time at Marlboro. Pat and I heard many of John s maxims, some of them many times. We each chose a favorite, wrote them on index cards and had John sign them. Pat chose A reed a day keeps the psychiatrist away. Mine was If you re going to go down, go down in flames. I kept mine for years, until I spilled reed water on it and the ink ran. John Mack was truly super-sized, as a performer, teacher, and human being. Hearing him play at Marlboro was a revelation. His love of playing and teaching are too well known to need any elaboration here. He both challenged and encouraged me at every lesson and I always looked forward to the next one. In CURRENT EVENTS

20 18 TRIBUTES TO JOHN MACK ( ) CURRENT EVENTS addition, he was as concerned for my personal wellbeing as he was for my career, for as long as I knew him. I went my own way after my association with John at Marlboro. Other than occasional phone calls and exchanging Christmas cards we didn t have much contact. When I needed his help or counsel, however, he was as warm and supportive as ever. It is hard to realize that this wellspring of energy and generosity is gone. We must try to take up the slack as well as we can, in our playing, our teaching, and especially our appreciation of the privilege of being musicians. Joseph Turner 1806 Thornbury Road Baltimore MD starturn@aol.com The following are responses from a series of questions asked of former students and associates of John Mack compiled by Danna Sundet. FROM PATRICIA BARRY Your name, address, contact information. Patricia Barry 0130 SW Thomas St. Portland, OR Describe when, how and where you met JM. After completing a master s degree at Northwestern University, I got my first job (1979) playing 2nd oboe in the Columbus Symphony. It was a part time job which I accepted, not only because I needed the income and the experience, but because I hoped that Mack would be willing to teach me as often as I could drive up to Cleveland. I called him up, introduced myself and asked if I could have lessons with him. He said, Yes. Now tell me about yourself...briefly. Whew! I was elated. away, I had fewer lessons, but went to the Oboe Camp several times. I checked in with him regularly for coaching for big auditions. Our relationship was always student/teacher or former student/teacher until just recently when he came out to Portland, Oregon to do master classes. He was here in March of 2005 and I have put the oboe aside and taken up another career, but went to his classes. What a rush of sentimentality and even grief that brought on. But I got to take him to lunch and have his attention all to myself. It was such fun conversing now as one adult to another and telling him about my projects (I rehab homes). I sent him before and after pictures of my most extensive project and he LOVED them. I was so looking forward to sending him pictures of the house I just re-engineered, along with all the drawings and plans. He would have been fascinated, I m sure. It is a huge loss not to be able to share that with him. I would love to have heard his response. Describe in your own words how you viewed JM as a teacher. Amazing. He is the one who finally taught me how to really play the oboe. It s as if I was adrift and lost on the oboe until he gave me the tools to tame the beast (to some degree!) Even more importantly, I finally gained some knowledge of how to construct a phrase by going through Barret and Ferling with him. I was absolutely clueless prior to that, having received nothing methodical from any other teacher. One of the most difficult things about the oboe is to get control of all the variables, simultaneously. There are so many choices to be made that one could spend a lifetime going down blind alleys. But intially, Mr. Mack helped me most by giving me decisive information. Do this, don t do that. That s good. That s bad. Sometimes his directions were so simple: Just make a good reed and blow. I never got tied up in knots of over analysis. Yet one of his greatest abilities as a teacher is to teach players to be self reliant and to solve problems. Describe your relationship with JM. How long did you know him, and how would you describe your relationship over the years, then and until the time of his death. If it changed over the years, please describe. (E.g. used to be student, then a colleague). I studied with him quite regularly for those 6 years I was in Columbus. Then as jobs took me further If you had to use a word or phrase to describe JM s teaching philosophy, what would it be? He teaches in a way that fosters self reliance, while still being totally generous with information.

21 THE DOUBLE REED 19 Did JM do something for you? If so, what? FROM BARBARA STEPHANS He taught me how to play. I had a song to sing and I was finally able to sing it. If you had to describe JM in one word or phrase, what would It be? He has a heart of gold. What are your favorite John Mackisms (expressions unique to JM), and discuss the context. Never take no from an inanimate object. This seems to be a favorite of many others, but I think of it almost daily now as I wrestle with my house renovations. Relate one or more inspirational or other stories about JM. This isn t really an inspiration story, but is a simple concept of Mack s that I think about quite often. One time he was talking about clipping the tip of the reed and how to decide which blade would be shorter, wondering if he was missing out on a truly great reed by maybe choosing the wrong side, etc. But then he said he decided that he would always just make the decision and the other not chosen would be like the dark side of the moon. He would never see it. It makes life s decisions easier. I remind myself I will choose one over the other and the other is like the dark side of the moon. What do or will you miss most about JM? I just miss his presence. I miss saving up little stories or anecdotes that I might relate to him. I would always try to imagine what witty response he might come up with. As someone said, the world is a lonelier place without him. Describe when, how and where you met JM. I met John Mack at an oboe symposium held at the University of Miami in 1973 or 74. My oboe teacher at the time, Julian Balogh, of the Miami Philharmonic, organized the event, luring the country s top oboists with Golf at a top Miami course, no doubt! John was joined by Robert Bloom, John DeLancie, and Ray Still. It was a privilege and an amazing opportunity to hear them all perform, but I got hooked on John Mack, watching him make a great reed faster than I d ever seen anyone do! I liked his rapid fire way of talking and how he wanted to share his knowledge and secrets. So, I started to write to him, asking to study with him. He did not write back. Finally, I looked him up in the phonebook. And there was the listing...john Oboe Mack. I called him and he aked Are you that person who keeps writing me letters? He then said, You re persistent. I think I ll teach you. I replied, Great. But, don t you want a tape? You ve never heard me play. He said, Well, you re a student of Big Julie s, so I know you must play well. And I like your persistence. A short time later, I moved to Cleveland. Describe your relationship with JM. How long did you know him? If your relationship changed, please describe. (e.g. used to be student, then colleague) I studied with John privately in 1974 and 1975, with a couple return trips for brush-up lessons. We stayed in touch all through the years. When I went into television production as a career, I asked him if it bothered him when his students wound up in professions other than music. He said, as long as they brought a passion to what they were doing and gave it their all, he felt his time had been worthwhile. CURRENT EVENTS What do you believe drove JM to be who he was? What do you think was his driving force? Where do you think his energy, inspiration, drive, mentoring, etc. came from? His father most importantly. Then Tabuteau. Did JM do something for you? If so, what? When my apartment in Los Angeles was ransacked and my oboe was stolen, Mr. Mack came to my rescue, sending me an oboe to play on until my insurance company could supply the funds for a new one and a new supply of oboes arrived at Bob Gilbert s. Relate one or more funny stories you remember about JM. I loved his analogies. The way he got you to think

22 20 TRIBUTES TO JOHN MACK ( ) CURRENT EVENTS about music. Like the time he motioned in the air like he was casting a fishing pole, to describe how to play a particular phrase. Relate one or more you experienced yourself. I used to tape my lessons, so I could listen to them the following week. At times, he would want to share something that he d never want on tape, so we d chuckle and turn it off for awhile. If you had to use a word or phrase to describe JM s teaching philosophy, what would it be? Words to describe him: Devoted: He was devoted to his family, the oboe, his students and to living life to its utmost. Joyous: You could see the joy he felt when he saw that you understood an idea or technique he was trying to get across to you. He was eager to teach those eager to learn. Discerning: Some teachers know when something doesn t sound quite right, but can t explain how to change what s wrong. But Mr Mack could always verbalize how to fix whatever was wrong. That s a whole different level of discernment. And he could show you how to enliven your playing, so it didn t sound boring. What influence has JM had in your career and or personal life? When I found out Mr. Mack had passed away, I felt as though a family member had passed on. I was trying to explain to friends what he meant to me and found myself thinking about it for several days, wanting to put it into words. As mentors go in Hollywood, where I work as a producer, usually it is a matter of You scratch my back, I ll scratch yours. You support the executives and gradually they give you more responsibility and acknowledgement. But Mr. Mack wanted you to do your best for you, yourself. That is indeed rare. The time I spent in Cleveland, with Mr. Mack was spent to better myself and how many times will any of us find ourselves in that kind of environment in our lifetime? How many times in our lives will anyone pour that kind of attention and energy and encouragement into us? I think John s influence on me, was to do my personal best. Actually, it was the realization that I could do better than what I thought was my personal best. I never thought about it until his death, but now I see that when I help a young production assistant or refer them or other colleagues to a job opening, it s due in part to the influence of my parents who were youth group advisors and always had me welcome the new kids...but also in part due to Mr. Mack s influence, to always take an opportunity to help people along. A production assistant dubbed afternoon breaks from work, when I d talk about various shows I had worked on, as Storytime with Barb. That, I could have only gotten from John. If you had to describe JM in one word or phrase, what would it be? INSPIRATIONAL What will you miss the most about JM? I will miss his zest for life. I will always be able to put on a record or CD and get to hear him play. But I will miss not getting to talk with him ever again. And miss his enthusiasm, humor and zest for life. FROM BILL HEBERT John Mack and I first met in the halls of The Juilliard School in Manhattan in He was 19 and I was 23 - both registered as students - he on oboe and I on flute. After one year, John transferred to The Curtis School in Philadelphia while I remained at Juilliard to graduate and then came to Cleveland. Fast forward to 1965, John was appointed by George Szell as solo oboe when we met once again on a Cleveland golf course. Ten years later, my son Martin auditioned as a possible oboe student of John, was accepted, and subsequently entered CIM. Martin s learning experience with John was an outstanding one and even after playing professionally, he often returned to Cleveland for advice and coaching from John to great advantage. For the many years we spent making great music together as colleagues under George Szell, I now look back with great pride on that glorious era of The Cleveland Orchestra with its world renowned reputation. John, It was great fun!

23 THE DOUBLE REED 21 FROM JOEL S. COHEN, PhD. Relate one or more you experienced yourself. Your name, address, contact information Joel S. Cohen, PhD. 91 Hawthorne Ave. Akron, Ohio Describe when, how and where you met JM. I was playing oboe with the University of Akron Summer band back in High School around Mr. Jackaboise the dirctor, suggested that I get lessons from JM, Mr. Jackaboise gave me Blossom Music Center s phone number. I called and connected with JM. Describe your relationships with JM. How long did you know him? If your relationship changed, please describe. (e.g. used to be student then colleague) I can remember JM showing up at my house for my lesson with a long box of oboe reeds under his arm with his oboe, and I asked JM, can I see those, and JM said never mind, those are just reeds, and at that point, JM dropped them on my front porch stairs, JM s response to that was, now they are really never mind reeds. I felt really bad and embarrassed. (What a way to start a lesson) I kept my mouth shut from then on! If you had to use a word or phrase to describe JM s teaching philosophy, what would it be? Pestalozzian. JM believed in the inner dignity of each individual regardless of your pursuits. What influence has JM had in your career? CURRENT EVENTS I studied with JM during the summers of , and once in a while during the year, and on and off during my studies at various colleges and universities, and the second JM oboe camp. JM would drive his sports car (a two seat expensive car, as I recall it got stolen in Cleveland) from Blosson to my house in Akron. After the lesson my Mother would have tea and special eats. JM would tell us stories about his career as an oboist, and how he ended up in Cleveland. I can remember my father asking JM this question, Do you think my son has potential? I can sort of remember JM saying, Do you think I would drive all this way for nothing? (I wanted to crawl into a hole, I was an embarrassed high school kid at the time.) Even though I did not end up playing professionally, JM gave me inspiration, and encouragement that has kept me playing oboe in my own special way. Did JM do something for you? If so, what? JM wrote one recommendation for me to Ohio State Music School. Relate one or more funny stories you remember about JM. I have JM s picture from the Plain Dealer September 12, This was a poster that was blown up of JM. I remember JM saying, I look drunk. Since music is my avocation, my private students are exposed to his teachings through recordings and my recollections of past lessons. In your personal life? JM was very compassionate to everyone and I try to hold that same ideal. What are your favorite John Mackisms (expressions unique to JM), discuss in the context. I can remember JM talking about the flute oboe thing called fluteoboe. You must get that going. If you had to describe JM in one word or phrase, what would it be? Nurturing. Describe in your own words how you viewed JM as a teacher. JM was a phenomenal teacher. JM s ideas would just flow from words; To his fingers through the oboe; GOD if I could just do that? I would say to myself. His way was very inspirational even to my trying to please him at every lesson; otherwise I would feel guilty if I did not put my all into my lessons and practice. I liked how JM would play around with the acoustics of the oboe, using nail polish in the bell, just all kinds of stuff. JM s reeds, well I liked play-

24 22 TRIBUTES TO JOHN MACK ( ) CURRENT EVENTS ing on JM s worn out reeds, they were fantastic. Does that tell you the quality of reeds JM produced? Don t I wish I could!!!!!! Make a reed as good as his worn out reeds? YES! YES! Describe how you viewed JM as a musician, performer and/or member of an orchestra. JM was the Tiger Woods of music. JM loved golf. JM would win all major tournaments if music had such a thing. What do you believe drove JM to be who he was? Where do you think his energy, inspriration, drive, mentoring, etc came from? People like JM are a gift from GOD, I wish I could think of a better anwer for you, but that is what I believe at the moment. (Danna, guys are not supposed to get teary eyed, but I must confess, this was one tough assignment for me.) What will you miss the most about JM? Just knowing JM is no longer with us. FROM CAROL BERNHARDT 470 Marion Ave. Mansfield, OH Phone: caroboe@earthlink.net I first met John Mack in 1974 at his home. I had been admiring the playing of oboists I had heard in various orchestras including high school regional and state orchestras and I discovered that they all studied with John Mack. I was around 30 years old, married, with two daughters at the time. I had read that if you want to be the best you can be you should study or associate with the best in your field. It was becoming more and more evident that for the oboe that was John Mack. Finally I overcame my fear of rejection and fear of driving to Cleveland and called Mr. Mack to see if I could study with him, thus beginning a 30 year stretch of lessons. I found Mr. Mack to be very analytical of both the music and the mechanics of playing and unlike some fine players, he was able to communicate what he wanted and how to go about getting it. Everything was done for the musical effect not just for the purpose of having a certain embouchure, etc. Whatever it took to get the right musical effect. I have always loved to play lots of notes the more the better! But I didn t play musically and couldn t play slow pieces worth 2 cents. I asked Mr. Mack one time about how people learn to play musically. He said, Well, some people just naturally play that way; some people have to be told how to do it (that was me!!), and some people will be told and still won t be able to do it. I remember the day I played an etude for him and he stepped back and said Did you ever think you would be able to play like that? Quite a compliment coming from him! He had a great way of putting the polish on a person s playing. Mr. Mack always treated me with respect and kindness. I remember not too long after I started taking lessons from him, he said You know when you first started coming here I felt you thought I looked down on you. You realize that has never been the case. He was very good at reading people and had a great knack for using good psychology. He never told me I HAD to do something but rather would say something like, you would do yourself a favor if you would learn to do this or the audience would love you if you play it this way. So, of course, I would do what he suggested! I always returned home from a lesson energized and with new ideas and a new way of looking at the music. Mr. Mack changed not only my approach to playing the oboe but also my approach to teaching. One time when I was at his house for a lesson, the vacuum cleaner was sitting out. He said he had started to clean his studio but then he picked up an oboe and five hours later he realized the room still wasn t cleaned! But he said I figured more people are going to hear me play the oboe than are going to see this room. Around Christmas time in the mid 80 s, my husband and I were waiting in the Cleveland Airport for our daughter to arrive from New Jersey. I suddenly spotted Mr. and Mrs. Mack at the same gate. It turned out they were flying to New Jersey to see Mr. Mack s father and would be flying on the same plane in which my daughter would be arriving. So we had a nice chat while waiting for the plane to arrive. At the last minute he had decided to take an oboe with him saying his father would probably like to hear the oboe being played. Special things which Mr. Mack did for me over the years include: 1. Coming and pushing my car across four lanes of traffic on Cedar Rd. I was in a terrible thunderstorm on my way to his house. The car sputtered

25 THE DOUBLE REED 23 Danna Sundet and John Mack enjoying lunch together. This photo is my favorite last photo taken at Judson Park while visiting John. I would frequently visit with him over meals or walk with him down to a library nook for a different atmosphere and we would sit and talk. CURRENT EVENTS and completely stopped on Cedar Rd. at a place where there were no streets or driveways going off to the right. Because of the storm it would be several hours before any of the places I called could come out so Mr. Mack came and pushed (with his big car) my car across to a side street on the left. By then my lesson was almost gone but the person coming after me was also having problems because of the storm. So I ended up having a full lesson before the next person arrived and then when Mr. Mack had to leave to go to Blossom he let me wait in his waiting area until my husband and father arrived to rescue me. 2. When I asked where to buy ungummed cigarette (OCD) papers because the tobacco store here in Mansfield didn t have them and the RJ Reynolds Company said I would have to buy a gross, Mr. Mack sent a box of the papers home with me. He said he would let me know the cost later but whenever I asked, he didn t know so I never did pay for them. 3. When my husband died, Mr. Mack called that evening to offer his condolences. He had heard from one of his CIM students who played on a concert that I was to have played that day. I really appreciated that he would take the time to call me. I feel very fortunate to have studied with John Mack and to have attended his oboe camp at Wildacres several years. He was an unique person one who loved music and who never stopped learning or trying to improve. A wonderful example for us all!! FROM PETER CHRIST When I first met John Mack at Marlboro in 1964 he had only just been engaged with the Cleveland Orchestra, but he was already a well-known player and I was delighted to make his acquaintance and play with him. He was obviously a true student of the oboe in the best sense of the words. I was impressed not only by his playing but by his knowledge of the inner workings of the instrument and by his willingness to share his experience with others. Just a couple weeks into the session he offered to repair my oboe, at no charge, and he obviously knew intimately all the intricacies of the instrument. We played several concerts together at Marlboro but one I will always remember included the Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, with Pablo Casals conducting. We subsequently recorded this work for Columbia Records (now Sony). The slow movement ends with quiet chords, first in the harpsichord, then strings, then oboe; then the sequence repeats (with different notes), a total of three times before the final chord. The third oboe part, which I was playing, has a low D, then a low C then a middle Bf, before the final low E. Casals wanted each chord softer than the one before, which was easy for the strings but not

26 24 TRIBUTES TO JOHN MACK ( ) CURRENT EVENTS so easy for the oboes. At one point in the rehearsal Casals asked for even softer low notes from the third oboe. I was very impressed and delighted when John spoke up in my defense and said Maestro, the third part is very difficult; you are asking him to do something that is very difficult. to which the maestro replied I know it is very difficult, but either it is right or it isn t. I managed to play it as softly as he wanted by taking off my sock and the oboe bell and putting the sock over the oboe. John had actually played that third oboe part in an earlier recording with Tabuteau on first and Casals conducting, so he knew the problems in playing the part. John was very good to me in other ways that summer, like when he recommended me to play English horn with the Santa Fe Opera. Unfortunately, I couldn t take the job because I had another festival I was going to, but I greatly appreciated his willingness to take a chance with me, a young aspiring oboist whom he had just met that summer. We were out of touch for several years after Marlboro until I was approached by Robert Woods of Telarc Records who asked if I would like to take over their two John Mack solo recordings to release on my label, Crystal Records. I jumped at the chance and it was wonderful not only to have those two legendary albums on Crystal but also to renew acquaintance with John. In the next few years he did two more albums for Crystal. The solo recordings have been among our top selling CDs, and it continues to be obvious to me that John was one of the most respected oboists in the world. As is well-known, John Mack s students occupy top positions in orchestras around the world. His influence in the oboe community cannot be overstated. His beautiful tone has been a model for countless oboists through the years. I will never forget attending a concert of the Budapest Festival Orchestra in Budapest and being extremely impressed with the tone of the first oboe. I later found out that he had been a John Mack student. I should have known. John will be missed more than any of us can imagine. FROM RAY PANCOST It was with great sadness that I heard of the passing of John Mack. I had the privilege of studying with him for two summers at The Blossom Music Festival in the early 70s, and found him to be one of the most inspiring and knowledgeable oboe teachers I had the good fortune to study with. I have continued for these past more than three decades to pass on his legacy to my oboe students. I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor and know that he will be missed by all in our community. Please Celebrate with us the Life and Career of JOHN MACK. A Memorial Tribute Concert Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio Sunday, November 5, 3:00PM ALL John Mack oboe students are invited to join together in performing the premiere of Sinfonia (for Choirs of oboes and English horns) composed by Margi Griebling-Haigh especially for this occasion. RSVP, performers only. DSundet@sbcglobal.net

27 THE DOUBLE REED 25 Harold s Report: IDRS 2006, Muncie, Indiana Harold Emert Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Prelude: Faster than a speeding bullet, a motorbike overcomes a speeding taxi heading towards Rio de Janeiro s Tom Jobim international airport. A bespectacled American-Brazilian oboist-composer hastily scurries out of his taxi and collects 15 copies of his new CD Potpourri ready just in time to fly with it to its launching at the Muncie IDRS 2006 oboe-bassoon convention. Tuesday, Muncie, Indiana - A visitor from a far-off planet called Brazil, is a bit shocked by this announcement which greets him as he arrives at ultra-modern George Bush international airport in Houston, Texas. Be careful what you say to authorities... you could be arrested! But strange things seem to happening these days in his old country. Out of curiosity, the visitor asks: This airport is named after which Bush? The response: Number two. (In reality the elder George and not George W. but in reality isn t George second these days to George W.?) En route from Houston to Muncie, Indiana, aboard one of those narrow airplanes which makes it difficult for our pleasantly plump air stewardess to serve 30 passengers, I down the only freebie on the plane, a cup of coffee, and strike up a long and stimulating conversation with a native of Austin, Texas. The subject: Brazilian soccer - for his eight-yearold is a rising star! I seem to be the first ET to arrive at Indianapolis and instead of dancing girls and singers as we have in Bahia, Brazil, the bus is not there to pick me up. So I tie an oboe reed and start scraping in the shuttle bus terminal to make sure I am not mistaken by authorities to be in the Hoosier State for any other reason than to attend a Double Reed convention. After a few hours wait - are we in Brazil? - many of the smiling faces I have known from four past conferences in various parts of the globe are seated aboard what our guide calls the psychotic express en route to the Ball State Campus. You know that the Convention has begun because the conversation is about reeds, tubes, Japanese oboes taking over the market, etc. Sorry I can t give you on the spot report job on the opening concerts because the bassoonist who will accompany me on my Thursday morning 15 minutes of fame recital, my old classmate, retired New York Philharmonic member Lennie Hindell found me somehow in my dormitory room and had me doing what I should be doing: practicing. I did hear however excellent reports about the recital by bassoonist Arthur Weisberg s family with his son, John shining as a young oboist, according to one spy. My late arrival also resulted in my missing what sounded like a fascinating lecture: The English horn in Russian music by Leonid Sirotkin, and a number of interesting recitals and a tribute to three distinguished oboists: Earnie Harrison, James Caldwell and Wayne Rapier - all of whom I had met at past conferences or in Caldwell s case, in Rio de Janeiro. This listener, however, did get to hear a very stimulating first night recital performance featuring the Jean Francaix Quartet with Grover Schiltz, recently retired from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, making it seem easy to play the English horn; Pauline Oostenrijk, Dutch oboist premiering for my ears Serenade Op.3 (with a string trio) by Nico Hermans; and England s Emily Pailthorpe, oboe, and Canada s Stephane Levésque, bassoon, accompanied by Robert Palmer, piano, giving a sprightly, theatrical version standing up of the Poulenc Trio. The bravery medal goes to Robert Williams, bassoon, for his courage to open the IDRS convention s evening concerts with Three Recital Pieces by Julius Weissenborn, played as if it s not nerve-wracking to play in front of oboists and bassoonists from all over the world. Well, what more can I report tonight? Be careful about what you say or you can be arrested! Wednesday, (Studebaker Dorm, room 807) - I had thought of writing to the IDRS2006 organizers prior to this Conference - as I have at the four other meets I ve attended - inquiring where I could partake in my daily workout or swim. Forget it, because just walking around this enormous - and often confusing (for novices) - campus is a daily workout which led one colleague to puff: I have to take a rest and will not go to the next concert. CURRENT EVENTS

28 26 HAROLD S REPORT: IDRS 2006, MUNCIE, INDIANA CURRENT EVENTS At every Conference what always surprises me is meeting the young double reed players in their sixties, seventies and even eighties who are starting out on a musical adventure most of us have taken for granted since we were teenagers. They include Al Markel, who has become the IDRS Conference official photographer, among others. But when Al is not clicking his lens, or praising a car windshield spray which really does dry the oboe up in emergencies, he wants to learn more and more about reeds. I and others advise these youngsters to buy their reeds because they are not in their teens and have a lot of exercise and repertoire practicing to do in their limited time. But they retort they want to make those reeds themselves in the American tradition. Without mentioning names - in order to avoid possibilities of being accused of promoting products - I was pleased to encounter at breakfast this morning a new bassoon maker based in Frankfurt who does not fear competing vs. Heckel, Fox, etc. And for the first time a representative for a Spanish cane company is among the crowd and confirms to me - a visitor who reported on wines and cane in Brazil - that the cane in Spain grows on the plain near the wine region. I meet many familiar faces and people who greet me with... I feel as if I know you - always read your e mail. (So far have NOT encountered any cyberspace foes - but I am sure they will appear at the moment I least expect.) Among the queries I receive from even some of the best musicians in the world is how do you get scheduled to perform on IDRS Conference? The answer is not only practice, but send out a proposal with usually a tape and alternative programs well in advance. (Ever try to plan what you are going to have to perform nine months to a year before the event?) You will have to live, day and night with this program, come or go, good weather or rainy days, health problems, finances going up and down, etc., and my advice is: perform and record your program many times if possible prior to playing for your critical peers. (This observer broke his wrist and had it repaired in 2004 prior to performing in Melbourne. Other performers tell me of similar experiences prior to the big moment.) But getting back to the Conference, to those who went to the Aussie 2004 meet, organizer-oboist Anne Gilby is here with her own booth of goods, CDs from Down Under, and Washington state bassoonistpublisher Gordon Solie keeps on turning up looking younger. Suggestion for future IDRS Conferences: allow us in to the rehearsals - no one has the time or energy to get to all the concerts. I heard through a crack in a door French oboist Francois Leleux rehearsing the Strauss Concerto and it sounded wonderful indeed! Well, enough for today in what of course is incomplete report. Final question: Where do you find in Hoosier land a converter plug for a South American shaver? Thursday - CNN, Fox, etc. should come down to Garfield the cat s birthplace and visit Ball State University to broadcast to the world the other side of America in these turbulent times. Here I and others who live abroad are gathered around a group of mostly well-off Americans who have exchanged their comfy homes and families to live in cell-like dormitory rooms out of a Van Gogh painting (only with showers and toilets on each floor and a dining room /cafeteria called the Atrium) all for the love of music and specifically double reeds. This description above of us double reed fanatics does not exactly fit in with the stereotype of materialistic, money-grubbing inhabitants of the land of Uncle Sam and other parts of the world. After surviving my own D day, or performing my fifteen minutes of fame /or notoriety without my scheduled pianist (I couldn t find my scheduled rehearsal room on time, so she cancelled out), I am now FREE as a bird to enjoy the rest of my fifth IDRS Conference...if I can manage to find the halls! I have learned a very important lesson from my 15 minutes of fame/notoriety: Make an omelette from symbolic broken eggs, always have a few extra pieces in your repertoire just in case. (I adapted before the recital a piece I wrote for flute transposing it to the oboe) and NEVER, NEVER miss a rehearsal on the Muncie campus! But that s past history. The day includes very interesting happenings for these eyes and ears. I had never heard a piece for four trombones and one oboe with the bones spaced around the auditorium. Kudos Greg Steinke with your Music for Chief Joseph. (I would prefer the piece with a narrator dressed up in full Indian headdress, but I didn t write this one). And kudos again to Holland s Pauline Oostenrijk for a Baroque mini-recital performed on the modern oboe which with its lovely style and phrasing echoed for these ears the original Baroque oboes. Kudos also to the North American/ Japanese Bassoon Quartet, Gerald Corey, Chuck Holdeman, Kiyoshi Koyama and Jo Ann Simpson, interpreting a quartet by Brazil s Francisco Mignone in a style which displayed music knows no boundar-

29 THE DOUBLE REED 27 ies and nationalities. Before a needed lunch break, this listener also enjoyed the Arkansas State University Double Reed and Piano Trio. Surprise! Dan Ross not only makes gouging machines but performs a fine oboe! The repertoire included a Trio by Rosey Lee (b. 1960) who was present for the applause and one by Willard Elliot ( ). I personally would like to hear more works played at IDRS conferences with live composers rising from their seats for applause...or boos. It s all part of the musical game. Kudos to Linda Strommen, of Indiana University, for two video conferences on An Objective Approach to Reed-Making. What patience and attention to details! Overheard conversation: The guy who designed this campus must have escaped from a looney bin. I managed to find my way down the Amazon river but can t find the music school...(to a visitor from Brazil) How s the weather in Argentina?... Finally one last observation...the local people are really lovely, friendly and helpful. There s an early Gershwin musical with a script which reads: Where prior to playing Broadway the whole cast tries out the musical in the Midwest in a locale similar to Muncie, with the choo choo train passing and the buildings resembling silos for corn and wheat. The first few days away from the big city are rough for adaption but eventually the laid back way of life captures the hearts of everyone and no one wants to return to Broadway s bright lights. Could this be your correspondent s fate by Sunday (if I ever find my way to the building where the shuttle bus leaves at 6 am to the airport)? Maybe by report no. 4 we will have more news on whether Muncie will decide to commemorate annually the birthday of Garfield the Cat! Final Report (after escaping from Muncie) - (Editor s note: Mr. Emert s attempt to complete his full report on IDRS2006 in Muncie was unfortunately delayed by a leak in his roof which threatened to drown his wireless computer to function at Ball State s Studebaker luxury dorm. After an escape worthy of flight to freedom at 6 am Sunday morning, walking backwards with his oboes, baggage, and all the IDRS purchases he could stuff into two bags - including an English horn cloth warmer which resembles a bird cup to attach to one s stand for reeds, and a button which reads Shmuck go home and practice - he is trying to continue his report. Please excuse any omissions.) Realityville (Ft. Lauderdale airport en route to Brazil) - Another unforgettable IDRS Convention has ended and although I can t say I left my heart on the Muncie, Indiana campus, real life often seems like blank spaces between IDRS Conventions. So again I urge you regular IDRS internauts Eduardo Flores, Herb, David Lurie in the US, and long distance comrades in Down Under to try to get to the next one scheduled for Ithaca. Why? It s not only all the wonderful concerts like Gordon Hunt s elegant Mozart Concerto, Alex Klein s stunning Berio Sequenza, but the master classes permitting one to hone up those skills he or she thought were in top form. Or it s exchanges of conversations with colleagues from all over the world who show you that you re not alone in the problems, musical, emotional, workwise, etc. that you face every day. Or it s an opportunity to see the latest developments in our field, especially these instruments which are always getting better and better and their auxiliary accessories. Personally again I enjoyed so much performing on the last program in the double reed band with oboe and bassoon band arrangements of Bach, the Turkey Reel, Pavane by Faure, etc., ably led by goodhumoured Chris Weait and demanding Steve Paulson. The efficiency of this new generation of double reeders is astonishing, to put it moderately; difficult performances in few rehearsals is astonishing to these ears; looking and hearing around I heard few mistakes from an age group which ranged from adolescents to the elderly. The master classes I particularly cherished, and really it was a personal delight to attend a master class by Alex Klein before a standing room only crowd. The atmosphere was good humored and enlightening. Klein claimed, for instance, that the Mozart Quartet third movement with its crazy skips was like The Rite of Spring of its time and attempted to capture the off-the-wall personality of Ramm, the oboist to whom it was dedicated. (How strange it was for this former teacher - when Alexandre was an adolescent - of this Paganini of the oboe - to raise his hand and ask a question!) There were so many stars during this IDRS meet that I haven t time to cite them all but certainly Frank Morelli s tour de force in the Ezra Laderman work will be remembered. We also were treated to what sounded to my ears like the Pavarotti of the bassoon, Theodore Soluri performing excerpts from the operas of Puccini, Donizetti and Ponchielli. (I still think it is just as difficult to play slow and beautifully as it is to perform virtuosity.) CURRENT EVENTS

30 28 HAROLD S REPORT: IDRS 2006, MUNCIE, INDIANA CURRENT EVENTS Since I heard his astonishing L Api by Pasculli at the IDRS Greensboro Convention I have become a Joseph Salvalaggio fan and he didn t disappoint us this time out with a mysterious work he commissioned, entitled The Phantom Drum by Elizabeth Raum, which is a contemporary answer to Pasculli. I would love to know more about this composer. I must also cite Martin Schuring s elegant Bach Concerto in F major. After Pat McFarland s lovely cool and collected performance of a beautiful Concerto for English Horn by Larry Shackley, I spoke briefly with the composer and learned he currently teaches in South Carolina and has had experience composing for films. I predict this work will become a standard part of the English horn repertoire, just as I had predicted the dancing and performing work which Diana Doherty premiered in Melbourne would go far. (She has since performed it with the New York Philharmonic and in the UK). Many more comments, observations, etc. - Due to Al Markel s insistence and perseverance, our dorm improvisation group again got together - three years later - (we first met in Greensboro, North Carolina) until the wee hours of the morning and to my surprise none of the sleepers in the dorm complained. The sounds to my ears - after a few hours of getting the feel of each other - weren t any worse than many contemporary works I ve heard or performed. I feel as if I have just departed the university or conservatory and all my friends and colleagues with whom I share a common love. And that s what these IDRS Conventions are about: love of our double reed instruments, its repertoire and...the unusual path and mysterious new world we enter due to our passions. Two of the people I got to know in Classical Chat were Tammy Kintner, a multi-woodwind player from Wenatchee, WA; and through her introduction, Patrick McFarland, principal English horn with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. With Tammy s encouragement, in the summer of 1997 I wrote a five minute Pastorale for English horn and orchestra, hoping that one of my AOL friends might someday perform it. A year later, I added two outer movements to complete a concerto, which I then submitted as my Master s thesis. Pat expressed interest in the piece, and over the following years we touched base now and then to discuss how we might arrange for a performance. I prepared a piano reduction so he could use the concerto in chamber recitals, but we still longed for the chance to present the piece in its original orchestral form. The opportunity finally came with the 2006 IDRS convention at Ball State University, where Pat, backed by a fine chamber orchestra directed by Stuart Malina gave the world premiere. I m grateful to Pat for his persistence and his support of my work, and to Stuart for his instinctive, enthusiastic conducting. I m also grateful to a lovely English horn-playing grad student at Eastman in the mid-70s, whose name I can t recall, but whose performance of Sibelius Swan of Tuonela sent shivers down my back. I have never forgotten that concert, which I believe inspired me to think that some day, I might write an orchestral piece calling for the beautiful, haunting voice of the English horn. AN ANECDOTAL ACCOUNT OF THE CONCERTO FOR ENGLISH HORN AND OR- CHESTRA BY LARRY SHACKLEY My Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra may be the only such work to have been conceived in an Internet chat room. In the mid-90s, when I was working on my Master of Music in composition at the University of South Carolina, I was also a new America Online subscriber. I discovered that there was a Classical Chat room where highbrow musicians let their hair down to discuss music, players, composers, and the joys of the musical life. Several regular members were players with A-list orchestras; others were amateur players or simply lovers of classical music.

31 THE DOUBLE REED 29 JULY PHOTOS BY AL MARKEL, HAMPTON, VIRGINIA CURRENT EVENTS

32 30 IDRS 2006, BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, MUNCIE, INDIANA, USA, JULY CURRENT EVENTS

33 THE DOUBLE REED 31 CURRENT EVENTS

34 32 IDRS 2006, BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, MUNCIE, INDIANA, USA, JULY CURRENT EVENTS

35 THE DOUBLE REED 33 The 2006 Fernand Gillet Hugo Fox Bassoon Competition Doug Spaniol Indianapolis, Indiana Photos by Norma Hooks 2006 Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox Competition winner Bence Boganyi. The final round of the 2006 Fernand Gillet Hugo Fox Bassoon Competition was held on Friday, July 28 in Ball State University s Sursa Hall at the IDRS Conference in Muncie, Indiana, USA. The level of performance among the five finalists was exceptionally high this year. There are many people who contributed to the success of this year s competition. I would like to start by thanking Michael Burns and Stéphane Lévesque who served on the Advisory Committee and helped in selecting repertoire and securing judges. The repertoire selected for the preliminary stage of the competition was: Otmar Nussio, Variations on an Air by Pergolesi; J.S. Bach, Prelude, Allemande, and Courante from Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor; Tansman, Sonatine; and Mozart, Sonata, K. 292, performed with piano (not with cello). Thirty-nine young bassoonists from eight countries entered this year s competition. I was very grate- ful to have a distinguished panel of Preliminary Round judges, who gave very generously of their time to evaluate these 39 recordings. These judges were Per Hannevold (Norway), Julien Hardy (France), Janis McKay (USA), Gareth Newman (UK) and Marc Vallon (France/USA). This esteemed panel selected as finalists Bence Boganyi (Germany), Rian Craypo (USA), Fredrik Ekdahl (Sweden), Harrison Hollingsworth (USA), and Fany Maselli (France). There was also a very distinguished panel of judges for the final round comprised of Gerald Corey (Canada), Sue Heineman (USA), Frank Morelli (USA), Magnus Nilsson (Sweden), and Barrick Stees (USA). For the final round repertoire, these judges selected 25 minutes of music from the preliminary round. They settled upon the Bach Allemande, the first movements of the Mozart and Tansman, and the complete Nussio. All of the finalists gave outstanding performances of this repertoire. Ultimately, Bence Boganyi was declared the first prize winner and was awarded USD8000. Sadly, I was unable to attend Saturday evening s concert that included his performance of the Nussio, but judging from his performance on Friday morning, I m sure it was quite amazing. Fredrik Bence Boganyi accepts his award from IDRS President Nancy Ambrose King. CURRENT EVENTS

36 34 THE 2006 FERNAND GILLET HUGO FOX BASSOON COMPETITION CURRENT EVENTS L to R: Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox Competition Bassoon Chair Doug Spaniol, IDRS President Nancy Ambrose King and competition fi nalists Harrison Hollingsworth, Fredrik Ekdahl, Bence Boganyi, Fany Maselli, Rian Craypo. Ekdahl was awarded second prize and USD3000. Rian Craypo, Harrison Hollingsworth, and Fany Maselli were each awarded USD1000 for being named finalists in the competition. I would like to extend my gratitude to Conference Hosts Timothy Clinch and Keith Sweger and their staff for helping to make the competition and conference work smoothly. I would also like to thank IDRS President Nancy Ambrose King for her help and guidance along the way. Special thanks go to Dr. Robert Palmer of Ball State University who accompanied all five finalists brilliantly. The 2007 competition will be for oboe with the final round held at the IDRS conference in Ithaca, New York, USA. Details may be found in this and other issues of The Double Reed and on the IDRS website. Bassoonists may look forward to the 2008 competition with the final round being held at that year s IDRS conference in Provo, Utah, USA.

37 THE DOUBLE REED 35 IDRS Elects Two New Honorary Members Martin Schuring Tempe, Arizona Each year, the International Double Reed Society appoints a committee to select honorary members of the Society. The committee makes recommendations to the Executive Board, who make the final determination. Honorary Membership is the highest honor the Society can bestow, recognizing outstanding achievement in the areas of double reed performance, teaching, reed making, repair, etc.; most often, many of these and other activities are combined into one extraordinary career. This year s Honorary Members are oboist Daniel Stolper, and bassoonist James Laslie. This year s committee was comprised of Martin Schuring, chair, William Winstead, and Matthew Ruggiero. DANIEL STOLPER Daniel Stolper has been involved with the IDRS since its inception. Following the example of Gerald Corey s very successful newsletter, To the World s Bassoonists, he started a counterpart for fellow oboists - To the World s Oboists - in He continues as co-editor of The Double Reed magazine of the IDRS. Dan Stolper is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Robert Sprenkle. After graduation, he did further work with Robert Bloom, John Mack, and Heinz Holliger. While still a teenager, he played beside his teacher in the Rochester Philharmonic and the Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra for three seasons. He was also first oboist of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and can be heard on their distinguished series of recordings on Mercury/EMI. After receiving his BM, MM, and the Performer s Certificate in oboe, he joined the Daniel Stolper San Antonio Symphony as first oboist, a position he held for five seasons. He later played first oboe in the New Orleans Philharmonic. During these years, he made many solo appearances in concertos of Handel, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Strauss and in the Bach oboe d amore concerto. He was soloist in the first US performance of the Oboe Concerto by Bohuslav Martinů. He joined the faculty of Michigan State University at East Lansing, became first oboist of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Richards Quintet, MSU s ensemble-in-residence, in the late 1960 s. He has given masterclasses at all the important music schools of Australia, in the People s Republic of China, and in Japan; at the Cincinnati Conservatory (as part of the American Oboist series of classes), the Eastman School, the Peabody Conservatory, the Hartt College of Music, the University of Washington in Seattle, the University of Oregon in Eugene, and the University of Colorado in Boulder, Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida International University in Miami, Arizona State University in Tempe, Boise State University in Idaho, and the University of Texas at Austin. He has also given courses at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, and the Guildhall School - all in London, and at the Conservatoire in Birmingham. He has given recitals in New York, Washington, London, Mexico City, Sydney, and Tokyo. He has also served on the juries of some important international competitions - the Castello di Duino (at Trieste, in Italy); the Lucarelli Competition for Solo Oboists in New York, and the Isle of Wight International Competition in England. He continues as a member of the faculties of the Interlochen Arts Academy and the CURRENT EVENTS

38 36 IDRS ELECTS TWO NEW HONORARY MEMBERS CURRENT EVENTS Interlochen Arts Camp. Five of his pupils at IAA have been named Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Many of his students, from both MSU and IAA now play in professional orchestras - from Canada to Australia -and all across the US, and others teach on college faculties. He served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts in the fields of chamber music/new music and professional training in music for six years in the 1980 s; he also served as an on-site evaluator for the NEA during this James Laslie time. Aside from the oboe, his interests include aquariums, indoor plants, gym workouts, travel, and his two Birman cats, Speedo and Vivo. JAMES LASLIE James Laslie began his career working with his father in He then worked with Frank Aman in Elkhart, Indiana, who was an apprentice to August Heckel in Germany. Jim began fulltime bassoon repair and restoration in He has established a reputation as a master craftsman and restoration artist. His attention to every detail and overall aesthetic approach to bassoon repair has made him world famous. His client list is a virtual Who s Who from the bassoon world. Not only bassoonists from the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Cleveland, Chicago, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Symphony and Opera, but bassoonists from England, Israel, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and South America. He performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for 30 years and the Sirocco Wind Quintet for 50 years. He has been on staff at the Glickman- Popkin Bassoon Camp for 28 years. His musical and repair skills are only surpassed by his skills as a story teller and limerick king.

39 THE DOUBLE REED 37 Alex Posada: A Story of Courage and Grace Marsha Burkett Carlisle, Pennsylvania a nice young man! I heard people say multiple times during this What year s IDRS conference. They were talking about Alex Posada, who, with his striking features of Mexican and Italian heritage, stood tall and proud, exuding confidence, warmth, and a happy spirit throughout the entire five days I got to know him. Although it was his first Conference, it was instantly that Alex immersed himself in these five days of double reed heaven - attending recitals, concerts, master classes, visiting music dealers, participating in music reading sessions, and all the wonderful activities which double reed conference goers do. Meeting people, making new friends, and taking pictures for lasting memories... I could tell Alex didn t want to miss or forget a single thing. And how fortuitous that Frank Morelli, his future (and now current) bassoon teacher would be in attendance! After having the pleasure of meeting and talking with Frank and attending his master class, I knew Alex would have a wonderful mentor by his side as he entered college at Manhattan School of Music this fall. No one would ever guess unless they knew his story, that just 2 months before the conference, Alex s whole world as he knew it had turned upside down. It was May 6th, 2006, that proud parents Esther and Alejandro Posada had attended Alex s spring concert at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where Alex performed on bassoon with the high school orchestra. Upon returning home from the concert, their family van was struck by another vehicle. Alex, his 9 year old brother, and a friend sustained injuries, but Alex lost both parents in this horrific accident. News of the accident reached the IDRS news list (which now is in a different format and is called The Forum). Alex s story not only caught my eye, but tugged at my heart until I had an idea and started a small campaign. I thought I could raise enough money to send Alex to the IDRS Conference in July. From my own experiences at these Conferences, I pictured Alex having a joyful time there as well. It worked - from start to finish! Money was collected from IDRS members and forwarded directly to a newly established scholarship fund for Alex and his brother. The donations totaled over $1, and his trip would be covered. Not only did IDRS members donate funds to send Alex to the conference, but IDRS officers and co-hosts Keith Sweger and Tim Clinch waived several of his Conference fees. Prior to the Conference and during regular communication with Carolyn Beck, Alex s high school bassoon teacher, I learned that she and Delores Stevens were the driving force behind a new scholarship fund established on behalf of Alex and his brother, his only sibling. LACHSA moved immediately and enthusiastically along with the entire community in coordinating a benefit concert to kick off the scholarship fund. Carolyn also helped Alex with final plans for college as he had already interviewed, auditioned, and had been accepted to several music schools. His choice was made when Carolyn contacted the Dean of Manhattan School of Music and he granted Alex a full scholarship With a heavy heart but full of courage and focusing on his young brother s recovery from the ac- Alex Posada and Marsha Burkett. CURRENT EVENTS

40 38 ALEX POSADA: A STORY OF COURAGE AND GRACE CURRENT EVENTS Alex Posada and Frank Morelli. cident, Alex completed his senior year of classes, attended his prom, took final exams, and graduated in June. It was during the school s award ceremony that Alex was presented a new Fox bassoon of his very own - money raised through the scholarship fund. At the close of the Conference, Alex and I had time to visit and reflect on the last few days along with sharing some of his life stories with me. Alex had a wonderful time at the Conference and his heart was filled with gratitude for so many people coming to his aid with their generous gifts of money, support, and friendship. He was grateful for his family, friends, and teachers. And he was so appreciative of his parents for a wonderful life and that his brother would recover completely. Alex brought tears to my eyes during this twilight time. During my drive home the following day, I had time to think about the Conference and compared it to those of previous years. This year was completely different for me. My focus had always been about ME. But this time, it was about Alex. The idea had started in raising money as a gift for Alex, but I received an important gift as well; a friendship and lesson from a young person who is teaching me what the human spirit can endure. It has been said that the greatest gift parents leave behind in this world are their children. I believe it now, since I have met Alex. Alex is doing well and is happy these days at Manhattan School of Music. He enjoys his classes, and ensemble work, and especially his bassoon lessons with Frank Morelli. The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization, has established the Posada Family Fund. Donors should make checks out to the LACHSA Foundation with the Posada Family Fund on the memo line. Donations are tax deductible. Donations graciously and gratefully accepted by: Posada Family Fund LACHSA Foundation Library North, Room State University Drive Los Angeles, CA 90032

41 THE DOUBLE REED 39 Markneukirchen 2006 International Bassoon Competition: A Report William Waterhouse London, England When my colleague the eminent Dresden horn-player Peter Damm, who organises an annual international competition, invited me not only to join his jury this year but also to chair it, I entertained doubts. These were hardly lessened when I was told that the job would also involve choosing both jury and repertoire. In my early twenties I had entered for three such competitions myself, and gone on later to serve on a number of juries. Having set down my ideas on the subject in my recent Menuhin Guide, did I still want to stay involved? But an invitation like this coming from abroad was a challenge that would offer a rare chance to test out ideas of my own. So May 2006 found me in charge for nine days at Markneukirchen, that remarkable little town in Saxony which for the last couple of centuries has been a leading centre of musical instrument manufacture. This particular competition for under 30 year olds is held annually for a pair of different orchestral instruments, this year being once again the turn of clarinet and bassoon The first prize is worth EUR 5,000 (as against EUR 8,000 at Munich). Sponsors include the Free State of Saxony and the local musical instrument manufacturing industry. Our list was full, 91 bassoonists having applied from 25 different countries; however of these no more than 43 showed up. Of these, 14 were female, 42 were on fagott, and one on basson. The countries represented were: Germany - 7 Austria, Czech Rep., Hungary, Poland, Turkey - 9 Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal - 6 Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine - 4 Cuba, US - 2 China, Japan, S. Korea - 15 Our seven-man jury was to consist of three German nationals and four foreigners. I considered that at least two of us should still be active as performers. In the event our jury, in order of seniority, was as follows: Mordechai Rechtman ISR-Tel Aviv. William Waterhouse GB-London Valery Popov R-Moscow Alfred Rinderspacher D-Mannheim Karl-Otto Hartmann D-Freiburg i.b. Stephan Weidauer D-Saarbrücken Stefano Canuti I-Parma Klaus Thunemann from Berlin had unfortunately to be replaced at the last minute through illness. FIRST ROUND [a] BACH Johann Sebastian Partita BWV 1013 [b] FRANÇAIX Jean Deux Pièces SECOND ROUND - [a] from memory [a] BACH Johann Christian Konzert in B VIVALDI Antonio Concerto in a F.VIII 2 VIVALDI Antonio Concerto in e F.VIII 6 VIVALDI Antonio Concerto in a F.VIII 7 [b] ACKER Dieter Monodie APOSTEL Hans Erich Sonatine op 19.3 JACOB Gordon Partita YUN Isang Monolog [c] DUTILLEUX Henri Sarabande et Cortège NUSSIO Otmar Variazioni TANSMAN Alexandre Sonatine (1952) THIRD ROUND [a] BOEDDECKER Philipp Frdch. Sonata sopra la monica FASCH Johann Frdch. Sonate in C SCHAFFRATH Christian Duetto in f TELEMANN Georg Philipp Sonate in f [b] BERWALD Franz Konzertstück DAVID Ferdinand Concertino op12 HUMMEL Johann Nepomuk Konzert in F WEBER Karl Maria von Konzert op 75 WEBER Karl Maria von Andante & Rondo op35 [c] KOECHLIN Charles Sonatine op 71 LONGO Alessandro Suite op 69 SAINT-SAENS Camille Sonate op168 ORCHESTRAL FINALE - from memory MOZART W.A. Konzert K.V. 191 CURRENT EVENTS

42 40 MARKNEUKIRCHEN 2006 INTERNATIONAL BASSOON COMPETITION: A REPORT CURRENT EVENTS Second Prize winner Philipp Zeller. While a jury can seldom be unanimous, its chairman would wish to preside over a consensus regarding basic principles of assessment and marking. Accordingly I drew up in advance a set of guide-lines to help us identify the best mix of interpretation, ability and personality. These we discussed and agreed upon at a preliminary meeting. The following principles of what to look for were agreed on: in matters of phrasing and accentuation, awareness of the supporting harmony and bass-leading a variety of dynamic and accentuation receptiveness to diverse styles and epochs credit for boldness, given that the repertoire permitted choice between higher / lower technical demands stylish use of agogic, ornament, notes inegales, lead-ins, cadenzas, reflecting an awareness of up-to-date Baroque / Classical performance-practice musicality - even in spite of technical flaws - rather than mere accuracy / speed an international view regarding tone-colour, fagott vs basson: vibrato to be differentiated, rather than unvaried and permanent good communication with the public. Third Prize winner Vaclav Vonásek. This was my program: what principles had guided my choice? Since for the final round the Mozart Concerto was stipulated, the earlier rounds needed to select (ideally with a minimum of dissent) three competent Mozarteans. Command of every style should be a requisite, while allowing each candidate enough individual choice, especially in the 3rd round of 40, to build his own balanced program. In the event, every piece on offer was chosen by one or other competitor (the editions to use being prescribed). Selecting the set pieces for the crucial first round posed a special challenge, since it is this twenty-minute hurdle that must serve to eliminate over half of the runners. Unaccompanied Bach - in this case a transcription of the flute Partita - proved a vehicle capable of an infinite variety of interpretation, requiring personal decisions regarding breathing and phrasing. The two highly contrasting Françaix pieces from 1999 were new to everyone - even to the Paris-trained bassoniste. After all, the old Beckmesser principle of marking no longer works these days, most renditions now being comparatively error-free! So what were my personal impressions of what transpired? Standards of finger technique and accuracy were high, as were those of tonal evenness and strength. Over recent decades there has been a massive increase in the number of makers and players worldwide - and this has helped to bring about improvements in bassoon design and manufacture. Key-clatter is now a thing of the past, given the relatively new instruments in universal use here. Intonation problems seemed rare, although the de facto tuning of the piano to a pitch of 443 Hz was nowhere spelled out. But while standards of dedication and idealism were high, those of artistic imagination were much less so. Too often speed, power and conformist accuracy seemed to be the main aim. Not a single performer of Vivaldi appeared to be acquainted with any of the authoritative recordings of his music made in recent times in Italy. Our prescribing of repeats in the Baroque, in order to invite ornamentation,

43 THE DOUBLE REED 41 usually seemed to backfire. Just how with it are the teachers out there? On the other hand I found myself ravished by the poetry and tonal beauty of one performer s Françaix (not a prize-winner, alas). Another, using extreme imagination and daring, presented each of the Bach Partita movements in a different style: in the finale, chromatic step-sequences became glissandi! In the orchestral finale there were moments of drama when the 27-year old soloist stopped dead in his tracks. Resuming, he only got a bit further before coming to another abrupt halt. Consternation! Allowed a third try, he made it to the end unscathed - it had evidently been a case of sheer nerves. And the result? We withheld a first prize, awarding second to Philipp Zeller from Berlin (age 25), and third prize to Vaclav Vonácek from Prague (age 27). Our third finalist, Rodion Tolmachev from Russia, received a consolation prize. For the record, our clarinet colleagues, with a field of 89 contestants, awarded likewise no first, but two second and one third prize. At the concluding concert of finalists Philipp gave a polished performance of the Mozart Concerto, whilst Vaclav negotiated Isang Yun s Monodie with sovereign mastery. A few thoughts in conclusion. It was regrettable that such a large number of original applicants had failed to show up; by so doing, many who had registered late had had to be turned away. And then a bassoonist whom we d advanced to the 2nd round withdrew, giving as reason that, not expecting to advance beyond the 1st round, he d failed to prepare further. Eminently sensible was the attitude of those contestants who, after being knocked out, stayed on to listen - rather than quit in disgust (they d been allowed to quiz jury-members as well). There seemed an excellent spirit amongst the participants themselves - as there certainly was amongst the jury! Fascinating visits to two local bassoon factories were laid on, and the office staff cared for our needs with great efficiency. For me it was a privilege to oversee an event of this kind, and I felt that it had been most enjoyable and worthwhile for all. CURRENT EVENTS

44 42 IDRS WWW IDRS WWW IDRS Podcast

45 The Second Annual Carolyn Hove English Horn Masterclass Bonnie Koch Schroeder Sandy, Utah THE DOUBLE REED 43 tick TOCK tick TOCK tick TOCK Counter Terrorism Unit, Los Angeles: Hey boss, Division just sent this photo over. The Provo field office needs our help to infiltrate a cell. What do we have here? This just looks like a group of ordinary musicians. Why does Division think these guys are trouble? Look again. Those aren t ordinary oboes they re playing, they re [music cue] English horns! Do you think Bauer can handle this one? Not a chance. He knows ballistics, not bocals. He s trained in Krav Maga, not William Kraft mantras I think there s only one agent for this. You re right get Agent Hove in here. Is her cover deep enough for this? Ought to be starting her nineteenth year as solo English horn player with the Los Angeles Phil, two critically acclaimed solo CDs That gets her in the door, but will that give her cred with these people? You remember how we worked it in Vladivostok first a recital with a local BYU prof, Jeffrey Shumway yeah, she can give her first public performance of John Marvin s Five Pieces, leave them completely spell bound with the unaccompanied Recitativ und Arie by Rudin, and wow em with a great high G at the end of the Ferlendis Concerto. Think she ll need backup? Not a bad idea. What was the name of that special contractor we used when Almeda got a swab stuck up his Chudnow, Mark Chudnow Yeah, right. Better send him too to help out with maintenance and repair. Plus the English horn crazies will be so busy buying his gold and silver blingbling, they ll forget about making trouble. Get em both on a plane to Provo pronto On June 14th, 2006, two dozen English horn enthusiasts descended on Provo, Utah for the Second Annual Carolyn Hove English horn Master Class. The four day event was sponsored by Brigham Young University and hosted by Geralyn Giovannetti, professor of oboe. The twelve participants and twelve auditors came from all over the country and represented a diverse range of backgrounds, from professional players prepping for the San Francisco audition, to recent high school graduates, music educators and a firstcall studio doubler looking to improve his English horn chops. Something I noticed immediately was the amount of time Carolyn was able to spend with each player. She never seemed rushed or on a timetable, yet we covered so many orchestral excerpts and so much solo literature. In fact, the solo repertoire seemed only limited by the number of players, not the time available. One aspect of master classes that I really enjoy is hearing the guest artist describe in words the mental picture she has in her mind while she plays the abstract music on the page. Here are just a few of the outstanding images Carolyn shared with us: the swan is swimming faster now The mood for Tristan is cold, dark, and dreary for this solo in Rhapsodie Espagnole you are wearing a red dress with a flower behind your ear low and slow, low and slow As well as giving us great alternate fingerings, Carolyn was able to do some myth-busting for us, myths from our well-intentioned oboe teachers that some of us had been carrying around for years: the English horn is NOT simply a big oboe. Some techniques that work on the English horn are the exact OPPOSITE of what you would do on the oboe. Try it this way and see. In addition, all the participants got to meet with Carolyn in groups of two or three for private reed making sessions. A unique feature of this master class was the participant recital given at the end of the week. We had to really be on our toes to quickly turn our solo pieces around from Carolyn s coaching to public performance. As an accompanist, pianist Amalie Wickes was outstanding. Big thanks go to Carolyn for sharing her great knowledge and enthusiasm with the class, to Mark CURRENT EVENTS

46 44 THE SECOND ANNUAL CAROLYN HOVE ENGLISH HORN MASTERCLASS for working around the clock to repair our instruments and to Geralyn for bringing us all together. CURRENT EVENTS Sir, Agent Hove is on her way in for the debrief. Great. How d it go? Smooth as silk. That s wonderful. I hope we don t have another day like this one. Uh sir, Division picked up some chatter word on the street is that BYU is going to host the IDRS conference in This time it could be hundreds of double reed maniacs causing trouble. Start canceling leave I want everybody to be up on this tick TOCK tick TOCK tick TOCK Bonnie Koch Schroeder is the principal oboist for the Orchestra at Temple Square, a member of The Prevailing Winds Quintet, and currently an adjunct faculty member at Utah State University and Weber State University.

47 THE DOUBLE REED 45 Warm Regards From Cuba Lauren Rios Hernández Havana, Cuba Among the most impressive moments I have ever experienced, finding the oboe has been the greatest one. When I started to study it, I didn t know how much it would all mean to me. Six years ago a very old teacher put an oboe in my hands and said, BLOW! My breath became a song, a new voice I didn t know - something like a moan but passionate. Two years later my teacher was gone but through his guidance, playing the oboe became the most beautiful adventure I have ever undertaken. CURRENT EVENTS Lauren Hernandez with her oboe teacher Jesús Avilés. Lauren during high school recital Occasionally delicate, inaccessible, or even sickly, my oboe sometimes sang very quiet like a whisper or a snore slightly deafening! My first years in the National School of Music in Havana were like that. There the teacher and first oboist from the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, Jesús Avilés, handled this incipient labor. His tireless work as teacher and also as friend, allowed me to totally immerse myself into finding out the real sense of what an oboe player is and its huge dimension. With my teacher I had the privilege of playing in the National Symphonic Orchestra and last May I had the honor to offer my first concert as soloist at my high school graduation. In September, I will begin study at the Superior Institute of Arts to become a professional oboist. A friend told me about the chance to join the IDRS and I started to look for the way I could apply for a membership. Mrs. Norma Hooks and Mr. Martin Schuring found a sponsor. They found me an incredible person - Marsha Burkett. In a blink, Mar-

48 46 WARM REGARDS FROM CUBA CURRENT EVENTS Post script: Lauren and I became fast friends through with the help of a translation website: freetranslation.com. We have even spoken on the phone while quickly typing our chat to translation and reading it in each other s language! Lauren speaks no English and I speak no Spanish - but the language and bond of music has brought us together for a lasting friendship. Please consider sponsoring a student to the IDRS. You may open to them a whole new world and give yourself an unexpected gift. The cost is minimal and the rewards are limited only by your imagination. Contact Program Director Martin Schuring: m.schuring@asu.edu. Sincerely, Marsha Burkett, Member IDRS Oboe/English horn Pennsylvania, USA marshaburkett@earthlink.net Lauren Hernandez with her family. sha became my friend. She helped me discover a new world, full of double reed knowledge. She brought joy to my days and helped support me during uneasy moments. I hope that many people understand the importance of this project Sponsor-a-Student and what happiness it brings to young people like me to find a new Mentor and friend. In the IDRS I could find very good information not only about the oboe, contests, and master classes, but feel a true connection with people who understand that the full surrender to music is neither to be insane nor a waste of your time. It is the most beautiful chance to be alive! Lauren Rios Hernández, Member IDRS juanrios58@yahoo.com August 2006

49 THE DOUBLE REED 47 The Fourth Annual Bassoon Day at McGill Stéphane Lévesque Montréal, Quebec, Canada The fourth annual Bassoon Day at McGill took place at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montréal on March 18, Events took place throughout the day, and students, amateurs and professional bassoonists of all ages attended. The day began with exhibits from Justin Miller s Miller Marketing Company, Canadian bassoon maker Benson H. Bell and Montréal woodwind specialist Pascal Véraquin. Bassoonists had the opportunity to try Moosmann, Bell and Schreiber bassoons, and to sample as a wide selection of bassoon accessories, bocals, reeds and cane. Our special guest this year was Laurent Lefèvre, principal bassoonist of the Paris National Opera Orchestra and teacher at the National Superior Conservatory in Lyon. This was Mr. Lefèvre s first North American performance since moving to the German system bassoon, as well as his first master class appearance in Canada. McGill University bassoon students Alexandra Eastley, Michael Kreiner, Laurence Messier and James Woods performed in the master class, accompanied by Louise Lessard on piano. The Bassoon Day came to a close with the annual Bassoon Extravaganza concert, which included Peter Schickele s Delta Jukebox performed by Stéphane Lévesque, Fraser Jackson of the Toronto Symphony and Louise Lessard on piano; a spectacular performance of Alain Bernaud s Hallucinations by Laurent Lefèvre and Ms. Lessard; Alexandra Eastley, Michael Kreiner, Tania Lavergne and Georgeanne Banker performing two works by Mathieu Lussier; and various ensemble works played by MSO bassoonists Stéphane Lévesque, Mathieu Harel, Martin Mangrum and Mark Romatz, including the flashy Maurice Allard arrangement of Kreisler s violin showpiece Le Tambourin Chinois, with Mr. Lefèvre on the solo part. As usual the concert ended with the traditional bassoon ensemble finale, with a record 36 bassoonists on stage. We look forward to welcoming you to the fifth anniversary edition of Bassoon Day at McGill on Saturday March 24, 2007, with special guests Jeffrey Lyman of the University of Michigan and Whitney Crockett of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. About the author: Stéphane Lévesque is principal bassoonist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Professor and Bassoon Area Coordinator at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. CURRENT EVENTS

50 48 THE THIRD BRAZILIAN MEETING FOR OBOE AND BASSOON The Third Brazilian Meeting for Oboe and Bassoon Dwight Manning Athens, Georgia CURRENT EVENTS The Third Brazilian Meeting for Oboe and Bassoon took place June 15-17, 2006 at the Arts Institute of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) in the state of São Paulo. It was successfully hosted by professors Paulo Justi of Unicamp and Lucius Mota of the Tatuí Conservatory of Music. Approximately 100 oboists and bassoonists were in attendance this year. Oboe masterclasses were presented by Alexandre Ficarelli of the University of São Paulo, and Dwight Manning of the University of Georgia. A bassoon masterclass was presented by Noel Devos. Reedmaking workshops were presented by Dwight Manning (oboe) and Francisco Formiga (bassoon) of the Symphony Orchestra of the State of São Paulo. A series of fascinating lectures were presented during the three-day meeting: Baroque Oboe by Natalia Chahin (La Petite Bande); Ergonomics and Physiotherapy for Instrumentalists by Cristina Porto (School of Music of Brasilia) and Rose Miriam Furtado; The Historical Evolution of Double Reed Instruments by Kátia Kato (Unicamp) and Paulo Justi; Acoustics and Experimentation with Double Reeds by Leonardo Fuks (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro); and Arundo Donax Research by Ebnezer Nogueira (University of Brasilia). Bassoonist and instrument maker, Hary Schweitzer, (University of Brazil and the Symphony Orchestra of Brasilia, retired) presented a film and lecture-recital regarding bassoon construction in Brazil. The legendary French-Brazilian bassoonist Noel Devos spoke on My Close Musical Association with Heitor Villa-Lobos. His historical personal testimony was preceded by a stunning performance of the Villa-Lobos Duo for Oboe and Bassoon by Luis Carlos Justi (oboe) and Aloysio Fagerlande (bassoon), both of the University of Rio de Janeiro and Quinteto Villa-Lobos. Formal afternoon and evening recitals included works by a wide variety of composers. Israel Muniz (oboe) of the Symphony Orchestra of the State of São Paulo and Fabio Cury (bassoon) of the University of São Paulo were accompanied by pianist Josely Bark. Hary Schweitzer performed Brazilian compositions in collaboration with bassoonists Flavio Figueiredo and Fabio Cury, pianist Elza Gushikem, and percussionist Paulo Marques. On the final evening recital, bassoonist Ricardo Oliveira was accompanied by pianist Tais Valim Perez; Ebnezer Nogueira, bassoon, collaborated with Elza Gushikem, piano; and oboist Dwight Manning performed with Unicamp pianist Mauricy Martin. Plans are already underway for next year s meeting and beyond - events and activities are certain to include a wide scope and draw double reed musicians and scholars from the international double reed community.

51 THE DOUBLE REED 49 Peter Schoenbach Honored at SUNY Fredonia L. to R.: Phillip Kolker (standing), Jack Gillette, Peter Schoenbach, David McGill, with Nadina Mackie Jackson (l.) and pianist Mary Cobb (r.) up front. Dr. Peter J. Schoenbach was honored December 4th, 2005, in a celebration held in the new Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music, commemorating the ten years that he served as Director. It was the second major performance in this new venue, which was built as part of a major renovation of the Mason Hall building in which the School is housed. The awardwinning hall seats a little over 500 and is intended to complement the smaller Diers chamber hall, and the large one in the neighboring Rockefeller Performing Arts Center. Long-term International Double Reed Society member, bassoonist Schoenbach invited several of his closest colleagues to perform in the program which he entitled, Bassoonery. These included his fellow Fredonian, Dr. Jack Gillette, professor of bassoon, principal bassoons of the Chicago and Baltimore Symphonies, David McGill and Phillip Kolker, and the distinguished Canadian bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson. The program consisted of ensemble pieces from the timeless repertory created by both the Bubonic and Caliban Bassoon Quartets and solos by each of the participants, assisted on the piano by professors Mary Cobb and Linda Gillette. The participants provided commentary on the repertoire. Peter Schoenbach also served as sabbatical replacement for the bassoon students several years ago when professor Gillette was on leave. He spent the winters of 2005 and 2006 as visiting professor at the University of South Florida, and the 2004 winter semester lived in Barcelona, Spain where he was doing research on the state of music in Spain today. Peter continues on the Fredonia faculty as an instructor in such courses as World Music, Latin American Music (his specialty), and the Freshman Seminar, a course he created for all new music majors until his recent retirement in the fall of CURRENT EVENTS

52 50 IDRS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM International Double Reed Society Membership Application For the calendar year of January 1 - December 31 of New Renewal Please TYPE or PRINT (You may also renew/apply on-line at: Name (Last) (First) Address: (Students should use home address to assure receipt of publication) (City) (State/Province) (Postal Code) (Country) Phone (Area) (Number) Business Phone Fax Number Address Instrument(s): Profession or affiliation: (orchestra, school, business) ANNUAL DUES $ Regular Member $ Student Member $ Institutional Subscriber (For first class postage, add $35.00) CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS $ & Up Benefactor Member $ Patron Member $ Donor Member $ Sustaining Member Methods of Payment: Check, bank draft, or money order enclosed Charge to Visa/Mastercard account below Card Account Number 3 Digit Security Code Expiration Date (Back of Card) Print name as it appears on credit card (Signature required for Credit Card payment only) MAKE PAYMENT PAYABLE TO THE IDRS IN US$ FREE OF CHARGES TO THE PAYEE. ALL CHECKS SHOULD BE DRAWN ON A US BANK IN US DOLLARS. Mail application and payment to: Norma R. Hooks, Executive Secretary/Treasurer International Double Reed Society 2423 Lawndale Road Finksburg, MD USA Phone (410) FAX (410) norma4idrs@verizon.net

53 THE DOUBLE REED 51 A Bassoon Giant Retires Ronald Klimko McCall, Idaho As a symbol of a passing era, one of America s most important bassoon teacher/performers has stepped down from his teaching post. Master bassoonist/teacher Christopher Weait, longtime bassoon professor at the Ohio State University, Columbus, and a teacher responsible for many bassoonists presently professionally engaged around the world, has retired from his position at the University as of May, Chris, who has been a fervent supporter and participant in the IDRS, came to OSU in 1984, following his service as principal bassoon of the Toronto (Canada) Symphony under the baton of Ozawa, Ancerl, and Sir Andrew Davis. He also performed with the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the USMA Band, and as a soloist with Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band. Chris has guest taught at Eastman and Indiana University and in Canada, Argentina, and Chile as well. He has also been active as a composer and arranger and has recordings out on the CBC, Crystal, d Note and Innova labels. Finally Chris is also the author of five pedagogical books, including Bassoon Reed Making and Bassoon Warm-ups. On May 20th 2006, the Ohio State University School of Music presented a day of festivities in honor of Chris retirement. The activities included: a slide show of his former and present OSU bassoon students, and exhibit of mementos from Chris long career, and an information table for the newly established Wilson-Weait Bassoon Scholarship fund at OSU. Highlight of the day s events was a concert entitled Bassooner or Later: Marking Christopher Weait s Retirement from Teaching at Ohio State. The concert included the world premieres of David Ott s Suite for Bassoon and Piano, and The Changeling for oboe, bassoon, double bass and percussion - a work commissioned to honor professor Weait; prize-winning Woodwind Trios from the Johnstone Woodwind Composition Competition; and bassoon ensembles by Bertoli, Weissenborn, and Weait by the OSU Bassoon Ensemble. The Grand Finale was Tchaikovsky s 1812 Overture by the Mighty Bassooner or Later Bassoon Band consisting of all bassoonists attending the concert, with the audience providing the chimes and cannon. Surely a joyful finale for a joyful bassoonists career! Congratulations Chris! Live long and prosper! CURRENT EVENTS A COLLAGE OF CHRISTOPHER WEAIT S MUSICAL CAREER A young Chris Weait (middle) with bassoonist Steve Paulson (left) and IDRS Honorary Norman Herzberg (right).

54 52 A BASSOON GIANT RETIRES CURRENT EVENTS Chris conferring with IDRS Honorary Member the late Viennese bassoonist Karl Öhlberger. An older Chris in Chile with (l. to r.) Paulina Gonzàles, bassoon professor Maldonado, Jorge Espinoza, Carilina Gonzàles Zebullos (co-ordinator of the performance), Chris, and Felipe de Stefano, a member of the Santiago Philharmonic.

55 THE DOUBLE REED 53 CURRENT EVENTS With the Obohio Ensemble (l. to r.) Robert Sorton, oboe; P. Bailey Sorton, oboe d amore; Sarah Hamilton, English horn; Chris Weait, bassoon.

56 54 A BASSOON GIANT RETIRES CURRENT EVENTS The Weaits on their 25th (Silver) Anniversary. Chris in action. Obohio in performance on the boat at the 1993 Minneapolis IDRS Conference. Chris conducting a masterclass on bassoon warm-ups.

57 THE DOUBLE REED 55 British Double Reed Society Heckel at 175 William Ring London, England (Reprinted with permission from the Double Reed News of the BDRS, No. 75, Summer 2006, pp ) Sergio Azzolini playing Vivaldi. William Ring, in the company of William Waterhouse, takes a journey of anniversary and reminiscence that includes bombs and bassoons. The bassoons were the objective, the bombs were en route and, fortunately, incidental. I had opened my mouth in haste when chatting with Bill Waterhouse late last year, and as a result found myself enjoying his company to attend a very special event in Germany in early March. We chose to drive (I d offered to be the chauffeur) and took five days for the round trip. Any such expedition with Bill is going to include diversions to places both fascinating and edifying, and we took as many opportunities as time allowed! I found myself receiving a guided tour of Europe discovering many aspects that have so shaped our culture here in the UK, not least those things relevant to our music heritage and indeed the development of the modern bassoon. What was the event? The bassoon maker Heckel was founded in 1831, so 2006 is their 175th anniversary. They chose to celebrate this notable occasion with a concert and buffet lunch for invited guests in the splendor of Schloss Biebrich near Wiesbaden in Germany, overlooking the Rhine and only a few yards from the Heckel workshops. The concert opened and closed with exhilarating and very sensitive performances of two Vivaldi bassoon concerti (d minor FVIII No.5 and e minor F VIII No.7) by Sergio Azzolini, in the animated style that is his trademark. Then Dag Jensen performed the Sonatine by Alexandre Tansman with great skill; the slow movement was especially smooth and beautifully phrased. Wolfgang Schottstädt played the very interesting Trio for heckelphone, viola and piano by Paul Hindemith. Interleaved were spoken contributions from Ralf Reiter, the current managing director of Heckel, Gerhard Meinl representing the Association of German Instrument Makers (and himself director of a very successful instrument making firm), Dr. Gunther Joppig, Curator of the Musical Instrument Museum in the Munich Stadtmuseum and Dr. Klaus Schröter from the Wiesbaden Chamber of Commerce. Particularly enjoyable and informative were the contributions from Gerhard Meinl and Dr. Joppig. Herr Meinl was able to point up the very astute (almost modern!) marketing programme that Johann Adam Heckel and Wilhelm Heckel undertook notably in the second half of the nineteenth century, bringing their instruments to the notice of composers and influential musicians such as Wagner and Richard Strauss, and to a wider public through events such as the Great Exhibition in London in Dr. Joppig gave a fascinating and comprehensive history of the firm. A CURRENT EVENTS

58 56 HECKEL AT 175 CURRENT EVENTS lavish programme-book had also been produced for the occasion. At the end of the afternoon the Reiters were kind enough to admit some of us to look at the firm s museum, which consists of early examples of their own instruments and of other makes of bassoon. The Heckel concert actually fell at the end of the tour; in the days before we had briefly been able to enjoy visiting other places as well, including the beautiful spa town of Baden Baden, a sojourning place lor many musicians and cognoscenti; we did not quite make it to the spa, but it looked sorely tempting and not expensive! We visited the firm of Georg Rieger, maker of reed-making machines and tools in Gaggenau, near Baden Baden. The workshop is all that you would expect of a modern German manufacturer. It was so spotless and tidy that it seemed you could almost eat off the floor, and the items he makes are no less beautifully prepared and clean in their execution and the way they function. One could quote Wilhelm Hermann Heckel: In the world of music, only the best will do! We were also able to visit friends of Bill who were themselves bassoonists and historians of musical instruments, and saw several bassoons of the mid- and late-nineteenth century. Most fascinating of course is to attempt to chart the development of the bassoon through these models, tracking makers innovations and determining which ones were of influence. These instruments date from the very period when the firm of Heckel was refining its key system, at a time when it was only one of many makers, and not yet enjoying the unique high reputation it does today. Schloss Biebrich

59 THE DOUBLE REED 57 CURRENT EVENTS Bill Waterhouse with Sergio Azzolini. Evolution is never a straight line; we are still far from having a certain map of who was doing what and when, what musical reasons they chose to do it and who most influenced whom. However, what is clear is the very high standard of workmanship evidenced in the instruments we saw, and the range of solutions that bassoon makers produced (are we so The Rieger workshops. imaginative these days?) to bring their instruments to an acoustic and musical standard matching other members of the woodwind family. The weather and road conditions were mostly kind to us, and we therefore had the opportunity to stop off to admire impressive cathedrals in Speyer and Aachen (indeed we only made it to the Channel Tunnel with very few minutes to spare). Aachen s Carolingian Cathedral dating from the ninth century is sadly lacking in imagery of bassoons (but no less interesting for that!) but the Suermondt Museum across town houses the very famous painting of The Bassoon Player. This was previously ascribed to Hermann Hals, but in the most recent museum catalogue published in early 2006 the ascription has now been changed to that of Follower of Jan Steen. As is so often the case, there is no substitute for see-

60 58 HECKEL AT 175 CURRENT EVENTS Wing joint from Haseneier bassoon c1850, Heckel Collection massive V2 rocket storage and launching facility near St Omer, just behind Calais. Bill had been witness to the period at the end of WWII when these missiles were being aimed at London, a little over 60 years ago. Only D-Day had prevented the launching of vastly greater numbers of the devastating V2s. It is an utterly shocking place, and an important reminder to younger generations of our ability to inflict unspeakable horrors on our fellow humanity: pictures never quite convey the full effect of visiting such a place. Why should I mention this in an article about bassoons? For the very reason that our journey was to affirm the best and noblest values that music brings to our lives, that transcend generation and nationality. I wish to acknowledge what we owe to the firm of Heckel, that they and other instrument makers have added to our experience of music. Let us look forward to celebrating their 200th anniversary! Front keys on Heinrich Berthold bassoon, Stuttgart. William Ring wishes to express his gratitude to the generosity of his employers, Howarth of London, for assistance in making this trip possible. ing an original; no reproduction of this painting that I have yet seen has managed to retain the detailed shading which tells so much about the construction of the instrument and the reed. The brushwork is very fine and precise, and we spent a long time discussing what we could see, observing details that we think we have not seen discussed elsewhere. (The museum staff were getting jittery at our very close analysis and hovered anxiously!) Results of our discussions will have to await Bill s forthcoming book on the bassoon in the Yale University Press Musical Instrument Series. And the bombs? On our way south we visited La Coupole, a museum recently built on the site of a

61 THE DOUBLE REED 59 Oboists in the News Compiled by Dan Stolper Palm Desert, California Aryn Day Sweeney including Zubin Mehta, Jeffery Tate, Peter Schreier, and members of the Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra. As well as giving solo recitals throughout the United States and England, she was recently a featured performer on CBC Radio 2. Dr. Sweeney has been a member of several established ensembles including Chicago Civic Orchestra, Windsor Symphony, Orchestra X, the Zephyr Wind Quintet, Dearborn Symphony, Plymouth Symphony and Orchestra Canton, Adrian Symphony, the Debut Orchestra, and the American Youth Symphony. In addition, she was also awarded scholarships to several exclusive music festivals including the Sarasota Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Hot Springs Music Festival, and the North Carolina School for the Arts International Music Program. Being interested in scholarly research, she is collaborating on the publishing and recording of works by the Baroque composer Joseph Fiocco for oboe and harpsichord. She has been on the faculties of Wayne State University, Wayne Community College, and also teaches at the Idyllwild Summer Arts Festival in California. CURRENT EVENTS ARYN DAY SWEENEY, has recently been appointed Lecturer of Music at Mesa State College and principal oboist if the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra in Grand Junction, Colorado. Dr. Sweeney was a recent prizewinner in the 2005 Barbirolli International Oboe Competition. As a recipient of a prestigious Frank Huntington Beebe Foundation Fellowship to study abroad, she received a Solo Artist Diploma from the Royal College of Music in London, England. She also holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Masters of Music Degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas and her Bachelor of Music Degree, Cum Laude from the University of Southern California. Her primary teachers have been Nancy Ambrose King, Robert Atherholt, Allan Vogel, Neil Black, and John Anderson. She has performed with several prominent artists LIANG WANG is the new principal oboe of the New York Philharmonic, a position to which he was appointed by Music Director Lorin Maazel in He was previously the principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a position to which he was appointed in 2005 by Music Director Paavo Jarvi. Mr. Wang was born in 1980 in Qing Dao, China, into a musical family: his mother was an amateur singer, and his uncle was a professional oboist. Liang began his oboe studies with him at the age of seven. In 1993, Mr. Wang enrolled at the Beijing Central Conservatory studying with Professor Zhu Dun, and two years later he became a full-scholarship student at

62 60 OBOISTS IN THE NEWS CURRENT EVENTS the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California. During his time there, he was the Jack Smith Award Winner at the Pasadena Instrumental Competition, a two-time winner of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Fellowship, and also a winner at the Spotlight Competition of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Wang completed his bachelor degree in 2003 at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Philadelphia Orchestra principal oboist Richard Woodhams. While at Curtis, he was a fellowship recipient at both the Aspen Music Festival, where he studied with John de Lancie, the former principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Music Academy of the West, where he was a Career Grant recipient. Mr. Wang was the second prize winner at the 2003 Fernard Gillet International Oboe Competition and a prizewinner at the 2002 Tilden Prize Competition. Since graduating, Mr. Wang has been appointed principal oboe in many different orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, the Grant Park Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Shanghai Festival Orchestra and the San Francisco Contemporary ensemble. He was also appointed associate principal oboe of the San Francisco Symphony by Michael Tilson Thomas. He was also featured as a guest principal oboist in the Chicago Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. An active chamber musician, Mr. Wang has appeared in such festivals as the Santa Fe Chamber Music Society and the Angel Fire Music Festival, collaborating with artists such as Mark Neikrug, Ida Kavafian, Ursula Oppens, and William Pruecil. He also performs as a soloist, having appeared with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra in Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto and in Santa Fe with oboe concertos of Marcello and Vivaldi. As a teacher, Mr. Wang gave master classes at Cincinnati Conservatory, he also held the position of oboe faculty member at the University of California at Berkeley for the time he was in San Francisco. the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Baltimore. Hughes has been a featured soloist with the Met Chamber Ensemble, Seattle Symphony, Savannah Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and the Sinfonietta Polonia in Poland. Active at many festivals worldwide, Hughes has performed chamber music at the Marlboro, Santa Fe, and Seattle chamber music festivals, served as principal oboe of the Aspen Chamber Symphony and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and has appeared at the Lucerne, Sarasota, Salzburg, Spoleto, and Tanglewood festivals. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hughes has been on the faculty at the University of Washington and has given master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory as well as the Poznań Academy in Poland. He holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. His teachers have included John Mack, Elaine Douvas, and John de Lancie. Nathan Hughes NATHAN HUGHES has been appointed principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and to the faculty of The Juilliard School beginning the fall of He previously served as principal oboe of the Seattle Symphony and as acting associate principal oboe of the San Francisco Symphony. In addition, Hughes has performed as guest principal oboe of the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics as well as Eastern Music Festival completed another successful season this past July. Oboe students at the festival played a wide variety of repertoire including: Rite of Spring, Symphony Fantastique, and Pictures at an Exhibition. Chamber music, private lessons, masterclasses and seminars were also offered. In addition, students attended performances and masterclasses by world-renowned artists such as Joshua Bell, the

63 THE DOUBLE REED 61 CURRENT EVENTS Eastern Music Festival oboists from left to right: Karen Birch (faculty), Jennifer Moore, Pamela Masterson, Noelle, Sara Phillips, Randall Ellis (faculty), Evan Ocheret, Carl Oswald, Kristin Leitterman, Lindsay Flowers and Stephanie Tobin (not pictured, Susan Eischeid, faculty). Canadian Brass, Ellis Marsalis and Frederica von Staade. This summer Randall Ellis and Mark Hill served on the faculty and performed as principal oboe with the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra, the festival s professional orchestra in residence. More information about the festival can be found at www. easternmusicfestival.org. The 6-week summer season of Interlochen Arts Camp s 79th year included many performances by some 20 high-school-aged oboists participating in two bands, two orchestras, and many chamber groups, and many more by middle-school oboe students (whose Interlochen stays were either three weeks or six weeks in duration), who also performed in band, orchestra and chamber music ensembles. The camp s flagship ensemble, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, performed weekly concerts under its resident conductor Jung-Ho Pak, and also played Gustav Holst s suite The Planets under guest conductor Gerard Schwarz, music director of the Seattle Symphony and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; another highlight was the orchestra s performance of the Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 under Otto Werner Mueller, conductor of the Curtis Institute of Music s orchestra. Soloists with the WYSO included violinist Nadia Salerno Sonnenberg and pianist Van Cliburn. Oboe faculty members included Donna Conaty, professor at Ohio University at Athens and principal oboist of the Pro Musica Orchestra of Columbus; Jared Hauser, principal oboist of the Orlando Philharmonic, and member of the faculties of Florida International University at Miami and Lynn University, Boca Raton; Robert Krause, principal oboist of the Amarillo Symphony and professor of oboe at West Texas A & M University at Canyon; Daniel Stolper, professor emeritus, Michigan State University and instructor of oboe at the Interlochen Arts Academy; and Linda Strommen, professor of oboe at Indiana University at Bloomington. Assisting the faculty was Nik Taylor, an alumnus of both the Arts Academy and the camp, and a 2006 graduate of the Eastman School of Music; he is currently a graduate student at Indiana University. These artists were kept busy performing in a series of faculty chamber music recitals, which included the following works: Beethoven s Symphony No. 7 (in the harmonie version for nine winds) included Mr. Stolper and Ms. Strommen; bassoonists were Jeffrey Lyman and Eric Stomberg; Shawn Jones played the contrabassoon. A performance of the Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds,

64 62 OBOISTS IN THE NEWS CURRENT EVENTS Interlochen Arts Camp High School Oboists Season: First row left to right: Neal Rea (CA), Matt Lengas (WI), Maria Hernandez Escobar (Venezuela), Melissa Hooper (TX), Lindsey Kleiser (OH), Linda Strommen (faculty), Ashley Rollins (TN). Second row left to right: Nik Taylor (faculty assistant), Rebecca McGuire (IL), Katherine Magruder (TX), Trevor Mowry (IL), Dan Stolper (faculty), Nathan Mills (TX), Lindsey Reymore (FL), Robert Krause (faculty). Back row left to right: Robert Snider (NM), Paul Lueders (MA). [Not pictured: Mary Kausek (OK)] Interlochen Oboe Faculty, 2006 Season L to R: Dan Stolper, Pauline Oostenrijk (guest), Bob Krause, Jared Hauser. WYSO Oboists: L to R: Nathan Mills (Austin, TX); Melissa Hooper (Portland, TX); Paul Lueders (Needham, MA); Katherine Magruder (El Paso, TX)

65 THE DOUBLE REED 63 Interlochen Oboe Faculty, 2006 Season: L to R: Bob Krause, Linda Strommen, Dan Stolper. K. 452 included Mr. Stolper and Mr. Stomberg, and the Zelenka Sonata #4 in G Minor was performed by Mr. Stolper, Mr. Krause, and Mr. Stomberg; along with Byron Hanson, harpsichord, and Gary Gatzke, double bass, doing the continuo duties. Linda Strommen performed the sinfonia to J. S. Bach s Cantata #12 (assisted by the Avalon Quartet and other string faculty members); she also performed this work at the Muncie convention of the IDRS later in the summer. Pauline Oostenrijk spent a few days soaking up some Interlochen atmosphere reliving many memories from her student days there as principal oboist of the WYSO fresh from her successful performances at Muncie. Ms. Oostenrijk is first oboist of the Residentie Orchestra of the Hague and professor at the conservatories in the Hague and in Amsterdam. She inspired the student oboists at Interlochen with energetic and creative masterclasses. Also on board for another summer season was Heidi Chisholm Wolfgang, the New York area s most sought-after oboe repairperson. Heidi studied the oboe at Interlochen for many summers and also graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy; she is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. More information about Interlochen s programs can be found at COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENTS The 56th ARD International Music Competition for 2007 of Munich includes a category for oboe. The competition will be held in Munich from September 4th through the 21st, Deadline for applications is April 30, For further information, write: Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD Bayerischer Rundfunk D Munchen Telephone: FAX: ard.musikwettbewerb@brnet.de Web: The Third Henri Tomasi International Competition for Woodwind Quintet will be held in Marseille, France from February 26 through March 3, More information can be obtained at: Bureau du concours / Administrative Address Institut Francais de Instruments à Vent bp Marseille cedex 01 Tel: ++33/ Fax: ++33/ vents.institut@wanadoo.fr Web: CURRENT EVENTS

66 64 BASSOONISTS NEWS OF INTEREST Bassoonists News of Interest Ronald Klimko McCall, Idaho CURRENT EVENTS BASSOONISTS ACTIVITIES In August, 2006, bassoonist James Jeter, along with oboist Sarah Davol, participated in the 2006 White Mountain Fine Arts and Music Festival at the Mount Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. A variety of works were performed including the Mozart piano/winds Quintet K. 452 and the Divertimento # 14 K. 270; Mendelssohn s Concertpiece #1 for clarinet, bassoon and piano; Bagatelles for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon by Giovanni Mayr; and other works by Beethoven, Ibert, Victor Herbert, Gershwin, Salzedo, Bender and Jerry Bock. Earlier, in June 2006, Dr. Jeter also taught and performed at the Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. Christopher Jewell, assistant principal bassoon of the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra in Washington, D.C., gave a recital and masterclass at the University of Missouri, Columbia, on April 19th, Hosted by bassoon professor Rodney Ackmann, the recital included the following works: Tango Etude #1 by Astor Piazzolla (a transcription of the flute work); Silent Woods by Dvořák (a transcription of the cello work); Concerto in C minor, F VIII #14 by Vivaldi, the Koechlin Sonate; and the Poulenc Trio, performed with MU oboe professor Dan Willett. Daniel Matsukawa, principal bassoon of the Philadelphia Orchestra, performed the Weber Bassoon Concerto on May 5th, 6th, and 9th, 2006, with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Peter Oundjian on their regular subscription series. In a review of the concert in the Philadelphia Inquirer, music critic David Partrick Stearns glowingly praised the performance: Matsukawa s tone combined the best parts of tenor saxophone and French horn, and you could have changed your mind 10 times during the performance as to what parts of his range you liked the most his tenorish top notes or his rich, baritonal bottom notes. All of them had vibrant shimmer, and even the widest melodic leaps were stylishly phrased. He was suave without being superficial, technically fearless but never flippant. On August 13th and 14th, 2006, a group of prominent bassoonists from the Northwestern US gath- ered in McCall, Idaho, as the McCall Bassoon Band for the third installation of their annual Music Below C Level concert. This year s band included bassoonists George Adams, Barbara Bell, Tom Crossler, Alan Goodman, Susan Hess, Ryan Hare, Kesley Hoskins, Patty Katucki, Ronald Klimko, Daniel Lipori, Janelle Oberbillig, Alex Reid and John Reid. Assisted by Jeffrey Parnett, piano and percussion, the group performed: Fanfare for the Common Bassoon by Copland/Klimko; Quoniam tu solus sanctus from Bach s B minor Mass, arranged by Gordon Solie; A Vivaldi Frolic arranged by Loren Glickman; Latin Etude #3 by Bill Douglas; the first movement of the Bach/Vivaldi Concerto BWV 593; Penny Lane by the Beatles/Bubonic; and Alma Llanera by Gutierrez/ Duarte. The special works on the concert included the world premiere of Sinfoniette 2006 for six bassoons and contrabassoon by University of Oregon doctoral composition/bassoon student Alex Reid; along with Alex s beautiful arrangement of Samuel Barber s Adagio for bassoon ensemble; and a trio of contrabassoons (!) playing the Polka and Turkish March from the Weissenborn Trios. On April 27, 2006, Michigan State University, East Lansing, bassoon professor Michael Kroth gave the premiere performance of the new Concerto for Bassoon and Chamber Ensemble: Avatar by Dana Wilson with the Michigan State University Chamber Winds. Michael described the composition as a terrific new work for bassoon. Hopefully we will hear more about this work in the future. Jennifer Collins Monroe, acting contrabassoonist of the Cincinnati Orchestra, gave a masterclass and recital at Ohio University, Athens, on April 24, 2006, as a guest of OU bassoon professor Michael Harley. For the recital, Jennifer was joined by pianist Wendy Blackwell in performing works by Corrette, Bozza, Schulhoff and Rossini. Ted Soluri, principal bassoon of the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Symphony, gave a faculty recital at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, on April 2, The concert was entitled Beg, Borrow, or Steal, since none of the music on the program was originally written for the bassoon. Assisted by pia-

67 THE DOUBLE REED 65 nist Paul Trasnsue, the program included: Vocalise by Rachmaninoff; Mahler s Lieder eines farhenden Gesellen; Beethoven s Romance #2 (originally for violin); Stravinsky s Suite Italienne (originally for violin and cello); and five arias by Puccini, Donizetti, Saint- Saëns and Ponchielli. Claire Nicholson, a student of Butler University (Indianapolis, Indiana), bassoon professor Doug Spaniol, performed the Vivaldi Bassoon Concerto in A Minor (RV 498), accompanied by the Kokomo (Indiana) Symphony on March 18, 2006, as co-winner of that orchestra s Concerto Competition. Claire is a junior at Butler University. Congratulations, Claire! Bassoonist Carol Lowe has been appointed the new professor of bassoon at the Crane School of Music at SUNY, Potsdam, New York, beginning in the fall, Carol is a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and a student of UNCG bassoon professor and IDRS Archivist Michael Burns. Congratulations, Carol! Bassoonist and reed maker James Kopp led a seminar at The Royal Academy of Music, London, on September 18th, 2006, at the invitation of British early bassoon instructor Andrew Watts, who is also principal bassoonist in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The topic of the seminar, attended by Royal Academy of Music students and London professional bassoonists, was Matching Reed Designs to Cane Characteristics. Chicago contrabassoon specialist Susan L. Nigro gave an alumni recital at her alma mater, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois on October 12th, 2006, assisted by Mark Lindeblad, piano. Works performed were the Sonata in Bf Major by Girolamo Besozzi; BassNachtigall for solo contrabassoon by Erwin Schulhoff; the Quintet Op. 63 (originally for contra and string quartet) by Willy Hess; the world premiere of ContraBassooNova (Um Imaginacao do Brasil) by David Stybr; Adagio in Sol Minore (originally for strings and organ) by Tomaso Albinoni; Four Greek Myths for Contrabassoon and Piano by Elaine Fine, and Divertimento per Controfagotto (originally for contra and strings) by Otmar Nussio. The University of Idaho, Moscow, was the scene of a lot of bassoon activity in September, On September 7th and 8th, guest bassoonist Leyla Zamora, bassoonist and contrabassoonist with the San Diego Symphony, gave a masterclass and performed a recital on campus, assisted by Jonathan Mann, piano; Quentin DeWitt and Kevin Kovalchik, marimba; and U of I bassoon professor Susan Hess. Compositions by Bordeau, John Steinmetz, Paquito D Rivera, Marcello, Ridout, and Meza were featured on the recital. Then on Monday, September 11th, bassoon professor from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Dan Lipori gave a masterclass for the students of both Idaho and Washington State University; and on September 12th, the Intermontane Bassoon Trio (Susan Hess, Dan Lipori and Ryan Hare-bassoon professor at Washington State University, Pullman), performed a recital at the University of Idaho. Works on the program included: Bassoon Trios by Castil-Blaze, Presser, Weissenborn and Brubeck, along with solo works performed by each of the bassoonists. Finally, on September 19th, Susan Hess performed Michael Daugherty s Dead Elvis, and joined bassoonist Ryan Hare in a performace of Mozart s Marriage of Figaro arranged for wind octet as part of the chamber music series Music from the Palouse. THE BASSOON SCENE IN THE TAMPA, FLORIDA, REGION From bassoonist and professor Peter Schoenbach comes this interesting report on bassoon activities in the Tampa Bay area of Florida: I have had occasion to spend the last two winter semesters at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and gradually became familiar with the bassoon scene there. The Florida Orchestra has a very strong section made up of Marc Sforzini, Maurizio Venturini and John Kehayas as principal, second and contra. John Kehayas teaches at USF, so we have gotten to know each other through students, and recitals he has played at the school, which last semester included one he shared with principal bass of the Florida Orchestra, Dee Moses. Maurizio Venturini played a rousing performance of Dead Elvis, but the high point of bassoon activities was undoubtedly the premier performance of a new Concerto for Bassoon, by USF emeritus Professor Hilton Jones which Mark Sforzini played with the FloriMezzo Orchestra at the Palladium Theatre as part of a series he puts on in St. Petersburg. The soloist in the Concerto, Mark Sforzini, studied bassoon with John Hunt, David McGill, William Winstead and Laurence Morgan. He holds the MM from Florida State (1991) and after two seasons with the Florida West Coast Symphony, has held the principal bassoon post in Tampa since Mark is also an exceptionally talented composer whose works have been performed by the Florida Orchestra, and CURRENT EVENTS

68 66 BASSOONISTS NEWS OF INTEREST CURRENT EVENTS in a chamber ensemble made up of principals of the orchestra. His compositions reflect a lively sense of humor as well as technical skill. Also an Overture of his was recently played by the Florida Orchestra. The composer of the Concerto, Hilton Jones, studied composition at Eastman with Samuel Adler and Wayne Barlow, and organ with Russell Saunders. He has served as Music Director for a number of Super Bowls. The Concerto, a full-blown three movement piece for bassoon and large orchestra, is technically challenging, musically appealing, and worthy of a place in the repertory. The first and last movements have lengthy cadenzas and are extremely virtuosic. The second movement is very expressive, with highly ornamented lines against a lush accompaniment. The piece is accessible, albeit contemporary, and the bassoon line manages to carry through despite the size of the accompanying ensemble In his performance of the work, Mark Sforzini s background as composer enabled him to have insights into this new Concerto, which enhanced his interpretation greatly. INFORMATION OF VALUE TO BASSOONISTS From bassoon professor Eduardo Sirtori of Évora University, Portugal, comes the following information which might be of interest to some of you younger bassoon students interested in studying in Europe. Professor Sirtori is in the process of setting up a new bassoon studio at the University. The city of Évora is 150 km East of Lisbon and the University, founded in 1559, is an important cultural center for the area. Studying there costs between Euros per year, and there are many scholarships for foreigners. For further information one can check the website at: and for information on Professor Sirtori one can check his webside at: The Second Competition of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition has been announced for June 11, 2007, to take place at Ithaca College, New York, just prior to the IDRS Conference there next year. The Competition, which is open to women bassoon players who are citizens of the Americas (North, Central, and South America), or who are enrolled in school in the Americas during the year prior to the competition and who have not reached their 24th birthday by June 11, 2007, carries a First Prize of $9,000 and performance/s-one at the IDRS Conference following; Second Prize of $5,000, and a Third Prize of $2,500. Other finalists (up to five) will receive $ each. For more information, including entry application forms, repertoire, etc, one can contact Director Nicolasa Kuster at: Nicolasa Kuster, Director MQVC Wichita State University, School of Music DFAC 53 Wichita, KS USA Tel: Fax: Nicloasa.Kuster@wichita.edu The Australasian Double Reed Society (ARDS) has a new website that you are invited to check out at: Also, the Polish bassoonist Sylwester Daniel Janiak, who performs with the Breslau Opera Orchestra in Poland, has an interesting website you can check out at: And finally, the ever busy unofficial photographer of the IDRS Conferences Al Markel, has established a website of photographs from the Muncie 2006 Conference, the Austin 2005 Conference, and the Greensboro 2004 Conference at: flickr.com/photos/ @n00/. Be sure to check out Al s valuable contribution. AND FINALLY: A BIT OF HUMOR (BUT JUST A BIT ) Those of you who heard bassoonist/conductor Stephen Paulson introduce the Percy Grainger tune Handel in the Strand at the mass double reed ensemble finale at this years IDRS Conference in Muncie, will forgive him, I hope for the following horrible pun: I m not familiar with this piece, so it leaves us stranded, but I think we can Handel it.

69 THE DOUBLE REED 67 Blowing Hard Whilst London Blows Up Althea Ifeka London, England English/Australian oboist Althea Ifeka describes the evolution of her new CD, From Leipzig to London, and how she struggled to complete her project as terrorists attacked London on 7/7/2005. As double reed players, we do not find the idea of an oboe-and-piano or a bassoon-and-piano duo to be in any way unusual, although it sometimes seems that way to concert promoters, a few of whom appear only to schedule such recitals in synchronicity with visitations by Halley s Comet! However, I think that even we would agree that an oboe-and-harpsichord duo is a rarity on the concert platform, particularly when the oboe is a modern rather than a Baroque instrument. For both harpsichordist Katharine May and myself, our duo is the result of an interest in Baroque music which was developed in childhood. Whilst I played trio sonatas and recorder consort music every Monday evening for years with a few friends, under the tutelage a highly accomplished amateur musician who was an anthropologist colleague of my mother at the Australian National University in Canberra, Katharine was studying the piano in Nottingham, England, with her mother, but finding herself constantly drawn to the music of Bach, Scarlatti and early classical composers. When I returned to England to take my A-Levels, my teacher Valerie Darke, whom I had first met three years previously, had since changed from the modern to the Baroque oboe, and was firmly established in the London period-instrument scene. We therefore spent a lot of time over the next few years working hard on Baroque style, whilst continuing to explore the interest in contemporary music which I had inherited from my Australian teacher, Sharman Pretty, who had herself been a pupil of Holliger. At the time of being invited on to the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme - a scholarship scheme for young professional performers - in 1992, I was in partnership with another musician who doubled on both piano and harpsichord. At the end of the first year on the Scheme I was struck by the contrast in the number of engagements I was offered for the two combinations: thirteen oboe-and-harpsichord recitals contrasted with just one for oboe and piano. That gave me to think that it was helpful to offer something a little more unusual to concert promoters. In my second year on the Scheme I began my partnership with Katharine, and since then we have developed a large number of programmes covering a range of national styles from the 16th, 17th, 18th and 20th centuries. In 2000 I decided to branch out a bit, and undertook two orchestral trials on English horn with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. These trials left me much more comfortable with the lower oboes than had previously been the case, so Katharine and I decided to add them to our programmes. This has proved to be a point of real interest to audiences. Obviously original repertoire for oboe d amore or English horn with harpsichord is almost non-existent, so we have had to find suitable works and transcribe them. Our first piece was the Viola Sonata in G minor by Henry Eccles, which I (a former viola player) knew well. The ranges of the viola and English horn are almost identical and the sonorities so similar that there was almost nothing to do: just a simple transposition from the alto clef. Finding a good piece for the oboe d amore was more difficult, and Katharine came up with the idea of looking at the Bach viola da gamba sonatas. After much discussion we chose BWV 1028, and she transcribed her part down a minor third from D to B major. The gamba part was left in D major with an adjustment of the clef to make it suitable for the oboe d amore. The range fitted perfectly, apart from the occasional low note in the final movement. The only shortcoming of this arrangement is that in addition to being obliged to play most of the sonata in B major, Katharine has the delightful task of wrestling with the harmonically complex third movement in that well-known Baroque key, Gs minor. Meanwhile, I coast along in the relatively easy keys of D major and B minor: exactly the way things should be done! The success of this transcription encouraged us to find something else for the English horn, and we CURRENT EVENTS

70 68 BLOWING HARD WHILST LONDON BLOWS UP CURRENT EVENTS settled on another gamba sonata - BWV Many of you will know this in its better-known guise of the Trio Sonata for Two Flutes and Continuo in G major (BWV 1039). In the viola da gamba version, which is an arrangement made by Bach himself, the gamba takes the second flute part, whilst the right hand of the harpsichord plays the first flute part. We thought that Bf major would exactly fit the English horn s range, and found a version of the Trio Sonata in that key arranged for two recorders. Katharine plays from that keyboard part, whilst my part has gone through a more complicated transposition. In the old version of our evening recital programme, Johann Sebastian, we actually played both of these sonatas in addition to the little G-minor sonata BWV Between them we played two twentieth-century pieces, one of which was Stephen Dodgson s Suite in D, one of our repertoire staples. This was our only recital programme which did not contain any continuo sonatas at all, and it ended up forming the nucleus of our CD repertoire. When we began discussions with Jeremy Polmear of Oboe Classics early in 2005, he was adamant that the repertoire for the disc should be artistically and intellectually coherent. This meant that we explored two completely different programme themes and repertoire lists before we finally found the right one: a disc of obbligato sonatas (wherein the oboe and harpsichord parts are of equal complexity and importance) from the 18th and 20th centuries. I had mentioned to Jeremy the role of Lady Barbirolli (Evelyn Rothwell) and Valda Aveling - our oboe and harpsichord duo predecessors - in inspiring a number of works for the combination, and he suggested that we include them in the programme. These works included the Dodgson which we knew well, Gordon Jacob s Sonatina - which I had for years steadfastly refused to play after doing it to death at the age of thirteen - and Elizabeth Maconchy s Three Bagatelles, which we had played through once but not performed. Once the repertoire was settled and the recording arrangements made, Jeremy and I sallied forth in May 2005 to interview Lady Barbirolli in her home in north London. We found her to be in excellent form. Well into her tenth decade, she was full of recollections and anecdotes about the past, and had a keen enjoyment of her garden, of which she gave us a tour. She talked about her partnership with Valda, and a great deal about working closely with Gordon Jacob as he wrote a number of pieces for the oboe. She and Valda gave a recital at the Purcell Room in London in 1972, prior to recording for HMV (complete with charming picture of dog with gramophone!). It transpires that Dodgson, Maconchy and Head all presented the duo with pieces which were premiered at this concert, complemented by some Baroque sonatas. We were very interested to hear about the piece by Michael Head, and a quick trip down to T.W. Howarth, the famous oboe shop near Baker Street, located Siciliana, which we have used as the closing item on the disc. It was decided that we would use Richard and Susanne Hughes of Meridian Records to record and produce the master disc at their usual venue - St. Edward the Confessor Church in Mottingham, south-east London - which has a wonderful acoustic. We eventually settled on three days in July to record the whole thing: Thursday the 7th, Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th. I must confess that I might do things differently next time I record: seven or eight hours a day for three days on a double reed instrument was a really long, hard blow. Anyway, a lot of discussion went into the planning of the session times, and I m very glad that it did. We decided to record basically from midday to 7 p.m. each day, which would allow Katharine and myself time to arrive at the venue without having to get up at the crack of dawn or spending too much time travelling during the rush hour. Our plan on the first day was to arrive at 10:30 to set up, tune and settle the harpsichord. Had we decided to start any sooner, it s possible that I might never have made it there. When I arrived at my local station in east London on Thursday July 7th, I was just in time to hear an announcement that there had been a complete power failure on the underground system, which sounded rather implausible, bearing in mind the fact that the system uses more than one power station. Feeling suspicious I therefore took the overground train into Fenchurch St. station, and gave thanks as we travelled into London that I was not on the tube: we passed train after train at a complete standstill stranded on the tracks. As we approached Shadwell and the Aldgate area, the sky was filled with helicopters, and it was clear that something was up. Outside the station all was chaos, with many roads roped off and a considerable police presence. I decided to try to get a taxi from Tower Hill to London Bridge station, and unbelievably I got one within five minutes, as someone made way for me at a street corner where we hailed the same cab at the same time, a piece of un-londoner-like courtesy which absolutely astonished me, and from which I still haven t completely recovered! Anyway, after many detours my taxi driver and I made it

71 THE DOUBLE REED 69 to London Bridge, where I was able to board another overground train to Mottingham. En route it became clear through the conversations of other passengers that London had suffered a major terrorist attack. Needless to say I was late for my own sessions (the cardinal musician s sin), arriving at about a.m., but at least I made it there, unlike some of my fellow citizens, who unfortunately will never have the opportunity of travelling into work again. Once we had all calmed down, settled in and begun recording, it became apparent that things would not proceed as expected. The four explosions in central London meant that air traffic was re-routed away from the centre and over south London. We suddenly found ourselves under a flight path, and this made our task increasingly difficult. Take after take of good material had to be discarded owing to aircraft noise. I had serious doubts at the end of the second day whether we could complete the recording in time, and spent an almost completely sleepless night thinking about it. However, we did just manage to complete everything with an extra hour of recording time: at 8 p.m. on the final day the recording was wrapped and the sessions successfully completed. Making From Leipzig to London has been a wonderful challenge at every stage of the proceedings, be it the planning, the recording or the writing of programme notes for the booklet. I am delighted that the disc has been completed, and I hope that people will enjoy listening to it. However, it does have a poignancy attached to it that I never anticipated: it will forever be linked in my mind with the tragic and unforgettable events that July day on the London Underground. CURRENT EVENTS Althea Ifeka, 2006 From Leipzig to London is available online from www. altheaifeka.com, where further information about the Ifeka/May oboe and harpsichord duo can also be found, or from

72 70 Letters to the Editors LETTERS TO THE EDITORS CURRENT EVENTS Hi Ron, I really enjoyed reading many of the current double reed articles in this current issue. Particularly the bassoon acoustics article, The Not-Quite-Harmonic Overblowing of the Bassoon by James Kopp enlightened my understanding about how several of the bassoon fingerings really work. I took a course in musical acoustics in graduate school over 20 years ago, which served as an introduction and helped me to think about music from a different part of the brain than usual, but it raised more questions than it answered. This article by Mr. Kopp has really filled in many of the gaps and blanks in my understanding. I expect and hope to be a better teacher and player because of this article. I m writing you, especially, as editor, to suggest we add a Letters to the Editor section to the journal, to further discuss articles that have just appeared, express appreciation for really illuminating articles and further advance the aims of the society by increasing still more the communication between members. Most other magazines and journals I read have Letters to the Editor as the first feature, although I hesitate to suggest that I want to add to your work load! Hopefully it would add enough goodness to the journal and to each of the members to be worthwhile. It s just an idea. Do you by any chance have an address for James Kopp? I d love to communicate with him more about this work he has done in acoustics of the bassoon. Thanks so much for all you do to make IDRS run as well as it does, especially the journal. Mark Lindeblad mlindeblad@sbcglobal.net interesting. The author s citation of research by John Backus brought a smile as I remember taking a Musical Acoustics class from him in 1961 as a freshman at U.S.C. First, I would like to address three fingerings shown in Figure 7 (pg. 68). 1) Fs3 Standard: I believe the fingering should be 2/3 x x x x x(f) w Fs Cross-finger vent ⅔ of 1. [Opening the cross-finger vent ( half-hole ) by only ¼ is not sufficient to prevent growling. ] 2) Gs3 Standard: should be 1/4 x x x x x Af w Cross-fingering vent ¼ of 1. [Opening more invites squawks, especially in slurs.] 3) Mode 3 Cs4 long. It is shown as x x x o x x F cs D [Since the purpose of the long fingering is to raise and strengthen this note, adding the D key to the long fingering raises what is on many bassoons an already sharp fingering. I was taught never to use D on the long cs4. On Heckel bassoons with the ring mechanism for R1, you can use the fingering x x x x o x F cs D to great advantage. Dear Ron: After reading James Kopp s article The Not- Quite Harmonic Overblowing of the Bassoon in the latest Double Reed (Vol. 29, No. 2), there is some information that I would like to add. I found the article very informative in very many aspects. The why of our contorted 4th mode fingerings was especially Secondly, I would like to correct the impression that the speaker keys (flick or octave keys) are held open for the notes A3 to C3 in order to raise the pitch. The keys (termed octave keys by my teacher, Frederick Moritz, are held open to assure clean attacks and facilitate slurs up from the first mode and down from certain notes in the third mode. Flatness of A3 to

73 THE DOUBLE REED 71 C3 is an issue I have never encountered. In fact, Mr. Moritz spent many hours filling in the tone holes for these notes to lower them, so I could hold the octave keys open as a regular part of the fingering. This is how he was taught, by his teacher Emil Hoffmann, and how he taught me and many others to play. My new Heckels have tone holes of special sizes, established by Mr. Moritz for this reason. Many great players flick these keys to achieve the same security of attack and slur. As a matter of fact, the whisper vent in the bocal is too small to effectively act as an octave key. Were it to be large enough, then Fs3 through Gs3 would be hopelessly sharp. It is a definite compromise and one that does not prevent burping of A3 to C3 on attacks and insecure slurs. I would be very interested in James Kopp s explanation of the fingering for Fs4 that I use. It is Ef o x x x o o Bf It appears to be a regular overtone of B2. On many bassoons it is pretty sharp, but with the Moritz tone hole dimensions it is quite well in tune. Dr. Backus also made an interesting point in class that the long finger holes of the bassoon begin to assume the role of secondary bores and the author s comments on the cut-off phenomenon explains that very well. He theorized that was why the Boehm system denatured the tone of the bassoon, because the tone holes were where in the correct acoustical position and not drilled on long diagonals to accommodate the human hand. All in all, a great article and my comments are not intended to detract in any way from the author s fine work in assembling this information. Dr. George Adams Music Director & Conductor, Idaho Falls Symphony Instructor of Bassoon, Brigham Young University Idaho and Idaho State University 30 Aug 2006 Dear Sir, I very much enjoy receiving each edition of The Double Reed. Just a small point of information: I m sure the demotion of our Head of State - that is, HM the Queen, was quite unintentional (see page 95, Vol 29 No.2). The caption should, of course, read HM and not HRH. Regards, Graham Wright Dear Dan, Page 39 states that Jim Caldwell studied with Tabuteau. By now Jim would have had to have reached around 80 to have done so. Unfortunately Tabuteau was long gone and de Lancie was in charge. There are very few of us left who had any lessons with the master; only one who is still teaching, Louis Rosenblatt. Yours respectfully, Stevens Hewitt CURRENT EVENTS (Editor s note: In my review of Sara Watkins s recorded performance of Plumeri s Windflower (in DR, Volume 29, No. 2), I speculated that Sara had studied with Ray Still and John Mack. Patricia Nott and several other readers reminded me that she had studied with Wayne Rapier at Oberlin and with Ray Still at Northwestern, but never with John Mack. My apologies for any confusion I may have caused. - DS)

74 72 ARTICLES Articles

75 Benjamin Britten and His Metamorphoses George Caird Birmingham Conservatoire, England THE DOUBLE REED 73 George Caird looks at the Composition Sketch and the Fair Copy of Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op 49 Roland Haupt On Thursday 14 June 1951, the Aldeburgh Festival promoted two concerts by the Cambridge University Madrigal Society under the direction of Boris Ord. The programmes included English madrigals, Jacobean part-songs and twentieth century music. In the first concert in the Parish Church at Aldeburgh at 11.00am, Benjamin Britten s Hymn to St. Cecilia (1941) was performed and in the second concert, performed on The Meare at Thorpeness at 4.30pm, the oboist, Joy Boughton played a new work by Benjamin Britten, specially written for the occasion. This first performance of Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op.49 is well documented by Sarah Francis: Ben wanted Joy to play the Six Metamorphoses after Ovid standing on a raft, but she felt unsafe, so compromise was reached and she stood on an island (Francis 1994, 4-7). In fact, a touching note in typescript on the Fair Copy made for Joy Boughton states: The first performance took place in a punt on the boating lake, The Meare, at Thorpeness. At one point this copy blew into the water, causing the ink to run on some of the pages, a charming but elemental comment for this allegorical work. It should be noted, however, that Francis is of the view that the mishap took place at the second Aldeburgh Festival performance in Sarah Francis makes the point that the Metamorphoses, like Benjamin Britten c most of Britten s music, was written for a specific person, in this case, Joy Boughton. Her personality and musicianship are integrally bound up with the work. Francis believes that Britten did not see the oboe as limited in range and certainly not superficial as some commentators such as Frank Howes (1951) did: ARTICLES It is a slight but pretty idea for its setting. The oboe s tone carries well in the open air. Miss Boughton is an accomplished artist, instrumental accompaniment could not easily be managed in mid-meare and something unpretentious, faintly pictorial, goes well with the imaginative word-painting of Weelkes and his madrigalist contemporaries. (Howes, 1951) Joy Boughton was a star pupil of Leon Goossens and was an obvious choice to join the English Opera Group at an early stage. She played with the group in many performances of Britten s works including the first performance of The Turn of the Screw. The distinguished oboist Sidney Sutcliffe recalled his impressions of her when she was a senior student on his entry to the Royal College of Music: Her playing always gave me tremendous pleasure. She was an inspiration to me. 1 Francis has also pointed out that, as the daughter of the composer Rutland Boughton, Joy would have known her father s work including the operas written for Glastonbury with all their mythical and Arthurian content. Joy was a well-read, talented, sensitive though strong-minded oboist whom

76 74 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES explored, it is touching that the day of the premiere, 14 June, was in fact Joy Boughton s birthday. This study sets out to look at a remarkable work from historical, literary and musical viewpoints and to discuss its position in relation to Billy Budd and other John Vickers, The Rutland Boughton Trust Joy Boughton ARTICLES Britten clearly admired, the rightful recipient of this great work. Despite some intriguing letters (Boughton ) which reveal Joy s wonderful personality and insights into the subsequent recordings of the Metamorphoses, it is sad that no information has been found on the preparatory work which Britten and Boughton did together, probably in the month prior to the first performance, save for assumptions about the alternative ending to Arethusa based on the source material to be discussed here. Nonetheless, with this close connection between composer and oboist Fritz Curzon Sarah Francis Benjamin Britten, Fair Copy, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid. works written at the time. It could be argued that the Metamorphoses were written as light, occasional pieces for the setting of the first performance. But could their musical quality be seen as fine examples of Britten s chamber music writing and rightful precursors of the later unaccompanied suites for solo cello? Could Britten s knowledge of the oboe, gained through his writing of the Phantasy Quartet, Op 2, written for the great oboist Leon Goossens, the Temporal Variations and the Two Insect Pieces give the composer a special affinity with the oboe? Could Britten s extraordinary literary skill bring a unique view of the work of Ovid in these pieces? And could this understanding relate to the larger themes, which he was exploring in his operas, to date Peter Grimes, Albert Herring, The Rape of Lucretia and Billy Budd, but later The Turn of the Screw, A Midsummer Night s Dream and especially Death in Venice? It is hoped a wider debate on the place of the Metamorphoses will be forthcoming. The Metamorphoses were probably completed only shortly before the first performance (Mitchell, Reed, Cooke 2004; Reed 1993, 42-73; Banks 1999, 95). Paul Sacher Foundation

77 THE DOUBLE REED 75 Looking at Britten s pocket diaries for 1950 and 1951, it is striking just how busy the composer was, working on Billy Budd and on a new edition of Purcell s Dido and Aeneas (with Imogen Holst) as well as performing, rehearsing and attending performances of his works. In the six weeks leading up to the first performance of the Metamorphoses, Britten conducted the first and subsequent performances of Dido, performed at the Wigmore Hall with Peter Pears and attended performances of Lucretia, Albert Herring, Let s Make an Opera and other works. The most likely time for the work s commencement is March 1951, when the diary does indicate some free time. Pears left for Amsterdam on 14 March and Britten, it seems stayed in Aldeburgh. The diary has the pages for March torn out and then nothing till the 28th where, remarkably, the only entry consists of an opening for Niobe written in light blue ink, beautifully complete with expression marks and phrasing in place: Of course, the positioning of this sketch in the diary does not necessarily mean it was written at this time. Could the missing pages have had more of the Metamorphoses on them, Pan perhaps? Whatever the timing of composition, the work was certainly written only just in time to be referred to in the groundbreaking Commentary by Donald Mitchell and Hans Keller in which the editors wrote of this work: It is a real open-air piece written by way of relaxation during the creation of Billy Budd Like in Ovid s poems, the movements present dramatic scenes in lyrical form, for which purpose the expressive tone, as well as the limited range of the oboe seemed most suitable. (Mitchell and Keller, 1952, 211) It is worthy of note that the pre-publication score of Billy Budd had Op 49 as its opus number instead of its final Op 50 could this indicate a late decision to publish the Metamorphoses? (Mitchell et al 2004, 664). The connection between the Metamorphoses and Billy Budd is an intriguing one and will be discussed in relation to the composer s work with Ovid. For now, it is enough to comment that the open air setting for the premiere is appropriate for Ovid s vision as set out in his immortal opening lines: Of bodies changed to other forms I tell: You Gods, who have yourselves wrought every change, Inspire my enterprise and lead my lay In one continuous song from nature s fi rst Remote beginnings to our modern times (Ovid, tr. A.D. Melville, 1986) This grand ambition seems out of scale with Britten s miniature portraits but the reflection of nature, the connection between the present day and the beginnings of time and the cyclic significance of my lay in one continuous song should be noted. In Mitchell and Keller s Commentary, Paul Hamburger (1952, ) points out that the Metamorphoses is only the sixth published chamber work that Britten had written to date: The reason for their infrequentness may be found in the fact that modern many-movement form, and particularly sonata form, allows no patent solutions for the conscientious composer. Of course, Britten had written many chamber works during his schooldays as well as some more substantial unpublished works, including the Temporal Variations. But the formal point is well made and certainly the Metamorphoses can be seen as a patent solution as, while the structures of these pieces are ternary with the exception of Bacchus, the cycle as a whole is a tour-deforce of melodic invention based on distinctive themes which are developed to reflect the metamorphosis in question. The key structure for the six movements takes us from a Lydian mode on D in Pan, to the affirmation of D in Arethusa, by way of Phaeton, built on juxtaposed and unstable dominant sevenths on C, through Niobe s Df major, Bacchus in F (with sections in A and C) and Narcissus C major/minor. A number of analytical studies have been done on the work or individual movements, notably Peter Evans insightful commentary (Evans 1979, 306-7), an analysis of four of ARTICLES

78 76 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES ARTICLES the movements by Stephen Hiramoto (Hiramoto 1999, 23-26) and an intriguing analysis of Pan by Nicholas Cook (Cook 1987, 253-9), which sees the piece as an ABAB form constructed on a set of cadential phrases each ending in a pause. Jane Peters (Peters 1987) argues that the Metamorphoses should be looked on as a multi-piece showing a common approach to motivic development and an overall structure for the work as two groups of three pieces. Edwin Roxburgh suggests that a separate study is needed on the Metamorphoses in relation to Britten s use of harmony: For me the most important aspects of the Metamorphoses are in the diatonic structures of the harmony. The implied triadic progressions of the single line establish a harmonic backcloth to each piece containing important references to the characterisation of each subject. For instance, Phaeton has no key signature but begins on a dominant seventh of F major (as the opening of Beethoven s First Symphony). At bar 3, the dominant seventh transfers to Af major. These modulating dominant sevenths form the constantly migrating structure of the whole piece, an important aspect of the metaphorical connection with the title. We can see this happening in each movement. In Niobe, Df major passes to A minor (major?); the coda of Bacchus has the repeated Cs followed by arpeggios of E major, G major, B minor, Ef major, a startling series of triadic associations worthy of Bartók; the echoes in Narcissus are never made with the same-key triads, thus distinguishing the subject from the refl ection; Arethusa s fl owing arpeggios contain at least two different triads in each cascade creating a characterisation of constant movement. 2 The idea of writing for a single unaccompanied instrument is of course not unique to Britten. The character pieces for recorder, Der fluyten lust-hof, by Jacob Van Eyck and Telemann s Fantasien for solo flute are early genre works for comparison, whilst Britten will have drawn influence from Debussy s Syrinx for solo flute (1913) and more tenuously from Stravinsky s Three Pieces for solo clarinet (1919). The fact that Britten chooses the same Ovidian story as Debussy for his first metamorphosis, Pan, is interesting in itself and appears to be in keeping with the classical tradition of reworking old mythical stories as exemplified by Virgil s and Ovid s use of Homer (Graf 2002, ). Mervyn Cooke observes that Syrinx can be seen as part of a French tradition of using Greek myths as subject matter, citing Roussel, whose stage works include Bacchus et Ariadne and Aeneas, as example. 3 Roussel s solo work for flute, Joueurs de flûte (1924) does contain movements entitled Pan and Tityre, but continues with wider inspiration in a third movement entitled Krishna. Julie McQuinn (2003) points out that Debussy made great use of the erotic power of the syrinx, not only in this solo work but also in the Prélude à l aprèsmidi d une faune, the Epigraphs Antiques and especially in the Chansons de Bilitis. Syrinx, originally called La Flûte de Pan and written for Gabriel Mourey s play, Psyche, was only re-discovered in Britten would have been aware of Marcel Moyse s first recording of this seminal work (Walker, 2006). This point will be of interest when discussing Ovid s influence on European art (Caird 2006). Gordon Crosse (1976) sees the strong influence of Bach in these pieces, especially in the arpeggiated middle section of Niobe and the opening of Arethusa. Britten would naturally be drawn to these greatest of all unaccompanied works, the cello suites and the sonatas and partitas for violin. The choice of the oboe as the medium for these classically inspired pieces needs some discussion. Britten must have known of the syrinx (bound rows of tube reeds) and its relationship to the flute in Debussy s solo work. But he may have been drawn to the qualities of the equally ancient single or doublereed aulos which, argues Linda Ardito (1999, 67-72), represented the opposite of the sensitivities of Apollo s lyre and was associated with the Dionysian cult and accompanied dance, poetry, song and drama in rituals of praise for Dionysus (Bacchus), god of wine, fertility and mysticism. Ardito goes on to say that Apollo s string music had a therapeutic power whilst the aulos, with its characteristic shrill and powerful sound, could draw its listener into the dark depths of the Dionysian realm where the elemental, random and impulsive mingle. Frank Mulder (no date) associates the aulos as expressing ecstasy, emotion and unreason in his programmatical analysis of the Metamorphoses. Furthermore, the aulos was associated with mourning according to Boethius, it led the procession of mourners and more generally, was used to accompany Greek tragedies. The choice of oboe for the work could, therefore, be more to do with the weeping of Niobe and the central theme of Bacchus story. But nonetheless, in keeping with Ovid s explanation that Pan was moved by the sound of the wind in the reeds, Britten may have drawn the connection with the reeds that grow by rivers and marshes in East Anglia, not least at nearby Minsmere, Snape or in Thorpeness, and the instrument that Pan fashioned. From the time of the first performance, the Metamorphoses have found their place at the very

79 THE DOUBLE REED 77 Heinz Holliger heart of the oboe repertory. After the first broadcast by Joy Boughton in a live relay which went out on the BBC Third Programme on 3 October 1952, these miniature masterpieces were recorded live for the radio again by Boughton in December This second broadcast apparently suffered a mishap in which the BBC announcer spoke before the last phrase of Niobe, an incident referred to in an apologetic note to the composer: Monday 30th Dear Ben You are owed an apology & it wasn t my fault! The announcer cut into Niobe & I wasn t able to turn her into a mountain! I am so sorry it so horrifi ed me that I hardly remember Bacchus 1st half I could have wished that **** announcer elsewhere. Just in case you didn t hear the pieces I thought I d better write & tell you, & thank you so much for all your help so many people have said nice things about them to me. Boughton, 1953 the 1952 first broadcast. The published edition by Boosey and Hawkes in its yellow cover with red print, dated 1952 and reprinted in a paler yellow in 1968 and subsequently in blue and black with added metronome marks, has been an essential possession of most oboists across the world. The number of performances and recordings are surely countless and these include interpretations by significant players including Sarah Francis, Janet Craxton, Heinz Holliger, Maurice Bourgue, Gordon Hunt and Nicholas Daniel. In short, the Six Metamorphoses after Ovid is a work of extraordinary stature and has influenced many subsequent composers in the writing of solo instrumental music. It is hardly surprising, then, that these pieces are brilliantly written for the oboe and this must contribute to their lasting and pre-eminent status in the repertoire. Britten s letter to Sylvia Spencer in 1935 (Mitchell et al. 2004, 369) illustrates the composer s commitment to and understanding of the instrument. The tantalising comment that an orchestrated suite, based on the Two Insect Pieces, was on the way is especially of interest (Moore 1993). Ranging from ARTICLES This letter, written at the end of December 1953, was followed on the 10 January 1954 by another suggesting to Britten that they (the BBC) should replace the curtailed Niobe with her own recorded version from the year before (Boughton, 1954). The fact that the existing BBC recording from the National Sound Archive has Niobe placed after Bacchus seems to indicate a further error by the BBC (Boughton 1952). The announcer on this recording refers to the first performance last year which must confirm it as Janet Craxton the oboe s lowest note, Bf (for the depths of Phaeton s plunge) to high f for the last flicker of a bat s wing at the end of Bacchus (a semitone advance on the range

80 78 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES ARTICLES of the Phantasy Quartet), the oboe s characteristics are completely and remarkably understood. Britten makes it capture the dazzling allure of Pan, the expressive despair of Niobe and the beauty of Narcissus whilst also bringing energy and even danger into Phaeton and Bacchus. He asks the oboe to play exquisitely quietly (Niobe and Narcissus especially) and also raucously and brazenly (Phaeton and Bacchus). Sarah Francis reports that Britten asked Boughton what was difficult to play on the oboe and all that Boughton told him (a sharp to b trill, downward slurs etc.), he included. Britten obviously wanted to push the instrument to its limits. Note should be taken of the oboist, Natalie Caine s memory of Britten regretting that oboists seemed not to be able to play raucously enough in relation to her own rendition of the Oration of the Temporal Variations (Caine, no date) Britten is renowned for his Mozartian ability to compose music in his head and to develop highly detailed visual images for his work. Imogen Holst points out: The search for the right notes keeps Britten working very hard for hour after hour and day after day.. he listens in his mind s ear to the way the notes he has written that morning are taking their place in the overall shape of the music. This shape may have been in his thoughts for many months before he began putting anything down on paper. (Holst, 1966, 52). Conversely, Colin Matthews view is that Although Britten claimed that he would usually have everything in his head before committing himself to paper, the evidence from certain works makes it clear that this Coutesy of the Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh Benjamin Britten, 1951 Pocket Diary. was not always the case. 4 Given the busy schedule which Britten had in the spring and summer of 1951, the Metamorphoses could be seen to be one such work. Britten s ability to visualise is described by Donald Mitchell in connection with Billy Budd (Mitchell 1993, ). This accurate and vivid imagination surely places obligations on the interpreter of Britten s music. Nevertheless there is an ambiguity around Britten s visualisation no more apparent than in Billy Budd, where the surface picture is subsumed within a much more profound musical meaning. In the Metamorphoses, this leaves the oboist to handle such an ambiguity between simple depiction and more subtle musical and emotional realisation. Edwin Roxburgh, who studied the work with Joy Boughton, supports this view and feels that Boughton understood the sophistication of this ambiguity. 5 It is true that Britten was always keen for his music to be played accurately. Boughton s advice to students points this out: Britten, Joy declared, knew what he was doing: it is all written down..play what is there (Francis 1994) Janet Craxton also reported this commitment to accuracy after her recording sessions of the Metamorphoses at the Snape Maltings, passed on to generations of her students in lessons. 6 Even so, the music requires freedom of interpretation and for this reason, there are many questions to ask about the relationship between accuracy and licence. But despite the clarity of Britten s writing and the concept behind the work as set out in the published edition, the Metamorphoses seem still to have mysteries and ambiguities which need exploration. As Mitchell and Keller point out, the six movements are inspired by characters in Greek legend from Publius Ovidius Naso s great poem and are obviously depictions of these characters and the stories surrounding them. The characters are encapsulated in Britten s appended subtitles ( Pan, who played upon the reed-pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved ). But what the exact characters are in relation to the stories and why Britten chose them from the hundreds available in the Ovid classic poses some interesting questions about the work as a whole. With these thoughts in mind, the first part of this study seeks to look at the musical text of the Metamorphoses and the two main sources of the printed edition, the original Fair Copy now

81 THE DOUBLE REED 79 ARTICLES Benjamin Britten, Composition Sketch, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Geneva, and the Composition Sketch held by the Britten Library at the Red House in Aldeburgh. Both of these contain fascinating information on the composition process and also give some leads to Britten s intended characterisation. A thorough discussion of the Ovid classic, the characters selected by Britten and how these are interpreted by oboists will be dealt with later.

82 80 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES Sufficient for now will be a close look at what Britten actually wrote. THE COMPOSITION SKETCH The Composition Sketch consists of three double sheets of 28-stave manuscript paper, written in pencil in Britten s clear and firm handwriting. The pages are laid out as follows: 1r Six Metamorphoses, Op 49 Composition Sketch 1v blank 2r Pan Phaeton (beginning) 2v Phaeton (remainder) 3r Bacchus 3v Bacchus 4r Narcissus 4v blank 5r Arethusa (beginning) 5v Niobe Arethusa (remainder) 6r blank 6v blank ARTICLES Imogen Holst s view that much of the composing took place in Britten s mind before putting the music on paper is born out by some of the movements which appear in an almost completed form. Niobe, especially, seems to be more-or-less copied from an earlier source, most likely straight from the composer s mind although we do have the short opening from Britten s 1951 diary. Other movements, notably Bacchus and Arethusa, are less finished and include material, which is not eventually included in the final versions. Examples below are from the Sketch or Fair Copy in the following respective sections; those marked a, for instance 1a, are from the published edition and are for comparison. Bar numbers relate to the Sketch, Fair Copy and Edition and occasionally differ. Material, which is crossed out or rejected, is un-numbered. Pan Pan is one of the more complete versions in the sketch but there are a number of intriguing differences, which could clarify some interpretative issues in this subtle and remarkable piece. Firstly, Britten writes an accent under the opening a, with a delayed diminuendo in the first bar:

83 THE DOUBLE REED 81 This could give weight to the view, reported by Janet Craxton, that Britten saw Pan as a frightening personality as well as the benign god of the woods and fields. The trace of an a at the beginning of bar 2 shows Britten rejecting this figure as an ornament of the first bar in favour of an answering motif: In bar 4, it looks as though Britten wrote the opening quintuplet over a faster motif with demisemiquavers in it. This he rejects, perhaps to enable the slide in bar 5 to grow out of the slower quintuplet: What seems certain, though, is that he is retaining the quaver pulse to the end of this first section as there is a trace of a triplet motive at the end of bar 4, and a clear indication of a 3-4 split of the first beat and triplets in bar 5. Note should also be taken of the pp marked on the D at the end of this section. ARTICLES

84 82 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES It could be argued that in arriving at his final version Britten does ask the performer to move from a quaver to a crotchet pulse in bar 4. The third beat of bar 4 is rubbed out and rewritten as a quintuplet in the Composition Sketch and the first beat is eventually rationalised to a semiquaver quintuplet in the edition. In Ex 5 the double slur at the end of the bar will account for the rubbed out notes. It is generally accepted that a quaver pulse is intended for the opening of the second section. It is interesting, though, that, in the Composition Sketch, Britten asks for an accelerando in the first bar of this section which is delayed to bar 7 in the printed edition. Britten probably made this change to ensure that the section started calmly enough. With this change in place he is also able to shorten the final crotchet a to a quaver. But the early version is an important signal towards the constant ebb and flow of the pulse in this piece. This ping-pong ball rhythm is the key to the performance of the piece. ARTICLES An important detail to note at the end of this middle section is the slower mordent onto the final as, following a more rapid diminuendo.

85 THE DOUBLE REED 83 A fortissimo at the recapitulation in bar 9 seems to have been rejected in favour of a forte, probably to allow for a greater climax at the end of the work. Had Britten retained this dynamic, the cs in this bar would have been highlighted in keeping with Cook s a-cs-d framework for the piece (Cook 1987). In this same bar, Britten tried out a more flamboyant resolution to the phrase, but rubbed these notes out in favour of the falling scale (cf bar 5). The answering phrase of bar 10 brilliantly mirrors the penultimate phrase of the opening section (bar 4) thus setting up the long melisma and the final bars. This answering phrase has a very marked diminuendo in the Composition Sketch giving visual emphasis to the need for a real sense of silence before the Lento ma subito accel. Most interestingly, Britten also wrote the word Comminciando (starting.slow but suddenly getting faster) before Lento emphasising the drama of this moment. But he drops this word in the Fair Copy. A further clue that the composer saw the accelerando of this section as beginning from a very still point is provided by the sketch version of bar 11: The slow triplet on the second beat gives the opening of the phrase a much more poised and held-back feel than in the final form. In the melisma, group 7 is written as a triplet and dotted quaver and there are two crossed-out figures simply showing the composer trying and rejecting different turns of the phrase. Furthermore, the double value semiquavers begin a beat earlier in group 13; could these relate to the triplet mark which Britten uses in group 2? Lastly, the final trill lacks the acciacatura d a small but interesting detail: ARTICLES Two other rhythmic matters are of significance to the performer. In bar 12, Britten writes eight semiquavers in two groups of four and then `crosses out the final two:

86 84 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES The eight semiquaver version would require the performer to retain a crotchet pulse, albeit with some licence to relax the tempo. The six semiquaver version, however, surely asks the performer to revert to a quaver pulse, reminiscent of the middle section. The divided crotchet beat after the pause in bar 13 would support the idea that the performer begins this penultimate bar, feeling quavers. Notice the accelerando in the Sketch in this bar. Finally, the trace of a quaver rest before the three-note coup-de-grace and its rejection in favour of a comma gives credence to the idea that the use of the comma throughout could represent a downbeat or an upbeat and of course could be interpreted in varying lengths during the piece. Here, the comma (like the erased rest) is arguably on the beat and very short. Phaeton ARTICLES The Composition Sketch of Phaeton is striking in the differences of phrasing throughout based on the opening: The slurs and lack of accents give an effect which clearly was not biting or energetic enough for Britten. Nonetheless the slurs do show us something about the rhythmic drive of the music and perhaps the need to avoid an over-dry approach to the articulation. The asymmetric bar lengths come over more obviously in this version as a result of the slurs. Notice the Vivo ritmico marking, remembering that the printed metronome marks of the modern edition are still nearly twenty years away. (see below, Metronome marks) A lower start to bar 5 and two extra beats to bar 10 are crossed out in favour of the final version. These notes are difficult to read but could be:

87 THE DOUBLE REED 85 In bar 9, the first beat has been added on to the front of the line with a handwritten extended staff showing that this beat could have been an afterthought. The fact that the second and third quavers of this beat are slurred is an added complexity here: In the Sketch, bars 11 and 12 seem to lack a bar line between them: More interesting is the rather hazy end to the first section which looks like this: ARTICLES The first two slurred beats are crossed out and do not survive but give a lead to the composer s invention in relation to the last line of the piece. The extended ending is unclear, but again provides an intriguing possible link to the middle section. The middle section is slurred as we all know it but there is a whole line of material crossed out from bar 22:

88 86 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES Where the music of Pan seems almost complete in the sketch, we see here Britten making decisions about the length and shape of this middle section, favouring the economical and finely balanced final version. It is exhilarating to see the composer s logic at work. The final section has no agitato marking. This, with the racier phrasing might suggest a faster tempo for the whole piece (cf the later metronome marks). Some rubbing out in bar 30 continues the feeling of Britten revising as he goes here, though a dn second note as Phaeton hits the water is probably an error, but note the unslurred crotchets. It is worth writing out this section from the Sketch to show Britten s original intentions: ARTICLES The double fs in the final bar is clear but does not survive and Britten writes a double pause (as though two bars) before the final phrase. Not necessary, he eventually decides, but we must give time for this mythical catastrophe to sink in before all is gone in a puff of wind! Finally, Britten writes a first version of the last line and then crosses it out. The threenote ending is reminiscent of the end of Pan, perhaps. Bacchus The next movement in the sketch is Bacchus although it is marked 4. This could be because Britten already had a near-perfect version of Niobe in his head and was using the sketch to work on the less finished movements. It could also be that he was following the sequence of stories in the Everyman edition of the Metamorphoses that he appeared to use (Golding 1943; Caird 2006). Certainly, Bacchus is very incomplete in the sketch and there is much rejected material which can illuminate the final version.

89 THE DOUBLE REED 87 Firstly, Britten begins with a sixteen-bar opening for Bacchus in D major: This may have been rejected because he realised the key would pre-empt the D major of Arethusa in the overall key scheme. The fact that the tonality is being worked out in this way is really significant as we see Britten making an important structural decision even with much of the material already created. The F major opening is then fully stated with one small difference in that there is a comma rather than a pause at the end of bar 5. The F major tonality seems much righter for this piece and is arguably a delayed resolution of the C7 chords in Phaeton. The crossed out second idea, gives an intriguing alternative version for the second section and a possible reference to Billy Budd: ARTICLES

90 88 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES The second section in the Sketch is similar to the printed edition with some minor differences, but note the dot on the first a which clears up one small anomaly from the final version: The third section gives us an extra beat in bar 29 which is later removed: The fourth section, lacking the final direction Con moto, consists of a considerable amount of material which can be laid out as follows: ARTICLES

91 THE DOUBLE REED 89 ARTICLES CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

92 90 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES ARTICLES These sketches work on the material for the spinning wheel effect (Caird 2006) with (i), (ii) and (vii) yielding recognisable patterns though by no means finished. (iii) and (vi) deal with the recapitulation of the opening motif, whilst (iv) and (v) play with the minim pause and arpeggio bat idea Britten eventually sets out this section more or less notatim in (viii) with two improvements to the ending (ix and x). NB: examples ii vii are crossed out in the Sketch.

93 THE DOUBLE REED 91 The sketch of Bacchus represents work in progress and comparison of this with the final autograph will demonstrate the extent to which Britten organised his thinking away from the page. Narcissus Marked Lento only, Narcissus appears fairly complete in the Composition Sketch. Interesting differences are: Bar 7 Bar 9 gf crossed out extra quaver a flat and added upbeat in turquoise ink: Bar 17 Bar 22 no tie on the en two cfs (see Fair Copy, below): Bar 23 a cn trill following a group of three semiquavers. Then three upbeat semiquavers into the final sections: ARTICLES This c n will have been rejected as too much of an arrival before the final section in C. After a line of crossed out material : the last two bars in this Sketch version are of real interest:

94 92 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES Here, the diminuendo is missing at the end of bar 28 and the extra three quavers lengthen the end and keep the 6/8 pulse going. By cutting these beats, Britten arrives at a 9/8 bar as in the printed edition. Could this have been a sop to the breath control of oboists? Niobe Written neatly and compactly at the top of Arethusa s second page, Niobe is the most completely perfect movement in this sketch. Whether Britten had completed an earlier version and simply copied it out is not known, although the diary entry indicates that he had made a start in March The only substantive point of comment is that Britten omits bars 20 and 21 at the beginning of the last section, writing them separately below with an insertion arrow. The final phrase, senza espressione, he writes with an added two bars, again omitting these for the shorter and arguably more breathable version of the edition. Other details are: ARTICLES Bar 4 the diminuendo is continuous into bar 5 Bar 13 mp rubbed out Bar 16 there is a crescendo over one beat to the top df Bar 17 no animando is marked (n.b Joy Boughton s 1952 broadcast has quite a marked animando) Bar 19 begins with a diminuendo Bar 20 has a rallentando marked Bar 24 crossed out illegible notes on second beat leaving a 3/2 bar for the edition. Arethusa The Composition Sketch of Arethusa begins with three crossed out false starts which have an interesting variant for bars 6 and 7 in the first; and another one for bars 5 and 6 in the third:

95 THE DOUBLE REED 93 It is then more or less possible to reconstruct the final version from the Sketch. The opening section is written out as is but it should be noted that the ending is reconsidered in the Fair Copy with some ambiguities to resolve (see below). The central section initially has only two phrases prior to the Animando. The first is as in the printed edition but with a long crescendo from pp to the third bar and then a similar diminuendo. These bars are bracketed with a question mark. The second phrase appears to be identical with the final version though some notes are very indistinct. A third phrase is written at the end of the movement as an afterthought: The final section of the sketch is, with one exception, in keeping with the final edition, although Britten begins at the second bar here and inserts the first as an afterthought. The exception relates to bars 10 and 11 of this section (bars 71 and 72 of the edition) where the following bars are inserted in place of the repeated figure finally arrived at. The words from the beginning are written over these bars with a bracket: THE FAIR COPY ARTICLES Written in ink, the autograph score contains far fewer surprises but nonetheless repays investigation. Dedicated with the words For JB to play on the Meare and dated June 14, 1951, we are reminded of the reason for the work, an open air concert with madrigals and a chance for Britten to explore the inspiration of Ovid s natural world. Sarah Francis makes the point that the subtitles are written in this copy in Joy Boughton s handwriting with the words on the first page: Before each piece Inscription. Could these subtitles or inscriptions have been co-authored by Boughton? Pencil markings seem to indicate that this score was used at the time of the first performance. These include breath marks for the oboist in Pan and Narcissus and the tell-tale o for a forked f putting these marks down as Boughton s own. Interesting features of this score are: Pan who played upon the reed-pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved The opening bar has crossing out and the third comma is a large one giving support to the variability of the lengths of these.

96 94 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES Phaeton Who rode the chariot of the sun for 1 day & was hurled into the river Padus by a thunderbolt The main point here is that the existing articulation is now in place with no slurs to be seen. The crossed-out accent on the third beat weakens the argument that Britten forgot to put an accent here. Nevertheless, this is the only instance of a missing third beat accent (cf bar 6): There is still no agitato for the third section.the 2 +1 slurs are here still and in bar 32, the quavers are slurred 3 +2 with a further slur over all five at the beginning of the bar. Niobe (who) lamenting the death of her 14 children, was turned into a mountain Lacks the who in the subtitle. The two extra bars are still in the final phrase showing this is a last-minute rejection, maybe based on Joy Boughton s performance. Certainly there are in and out breath marks from her in these final phrases! ARTICLES Bacchus at whose feasts is heard the noise of gaggling women s tattling tongues & shouting out of boys Apart from a pair of missing slurs (p5, line 2, bar 1), this version is now as we know it until the last section. The words, Con moto, are still absent and when we arrive at the first long low C, extra notes are still in the arpeggios: Two beats of semiquavers are also inserted engagingly in the flourish before the final C:

97 THE DOUBLE REED 95 Narcissus who fell in love with his own image and became a flower Here everything is in order but for three main details of interest. Firstly, Britten corrects the two-note pattern of Narcissus image in bar 22, replacing the second cf with an af: Some players, Gordon Hunt included, have re-corrected their readings to maintain the familiar pattern. (Hunt, 1997) Certainly Britten does seem to have been undecided on this small but significant point, only arriving at the printed version at a late stage. Secondly, an interesting feature relates to the demisemiquaver patterns in bar 22. These are consistent in both the Composition Sketch and the Fair Copy but have been clarified in the most recent impression. Thirdly, the continued extra beats in the penultimate bar retaining the 6/8 pulse, but then crossed out: ARTICLES It should be noted that breath marks indicate further that Joy Boughton used this score for the performance. Arethusa flying from the love of Alpheus, the river god, was turned into a fountain Apart from the water damage referred to on the front sheet of the Fair Copy, the opening of Arethusa appears to be as in the final version. But the alternative ending to the first section now makes its first appearance possibly as a result of work with Joy Boughton. The printed ending which is in place in the Sketch is now crossed out in favour of the alternative with a large cross mark next to it. The last four bars of this section are also written out again at the end of the piece with no slurs (probably for note accuracy). The inclusion of this new ending is puzzling as the first ending alternative is reinstated in the printed edition with the alternative printed at the bottom of the page, again with a cross sign. It should be assumed that Britten felt the alternative ending to be too final and too much like the end of the work to be his choice, but still left the option in

98 96 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES ARTICLES for the performer. One wonders how many times this ending is ever performed. The middle section of Arethusa reaches it s final state but with a correction in the final bar of the second phrase and with the entire third phrase appearing as an insertion and written at the bottom of the page. It seems that this section was settled only at the last minute. METRONOME MARKS The first edition of the Metamorphoses contains no metronome marks and it is a matter of great interest as to what speeds the composer intended. Apart from recordings, beginning with Joy Boughton s in 1952, there is no early available evidence. However, a letter from Britten to Friedrich Krebs, dated 26 July 1957 (Britten 1957), containing some fascinating information on Britten s views of the characters and the music, states: In case it is useful to you I append a list of rough metronome marks. The Britten-Pears Library has a copy of this letter but no metronome marks. It goes without saying that these marks, if found, would be of considerable importance in understanding Britten s views on tempi. A further correspondence between Britten and Boosey and Hawkes (Britten 1965) containing a list of metronome marks identical with the 1968 reprint indicates that, in that year, a reprint has gone without metronome marks etc. Edwin Roxburgh makes the point that, while the tempi of these pieces are bound to fluctuate in performance, a basic tempo was intended by the composer. Joy Boughton, in working with him, likened this to the difference between the rhythm of a written poem as opposed to a recited performance. This latter might be rhythmically free but nonetheless would have an underlying rhythmic discipline. 7 Neil Black also studied the work with Joy Boughton and supports this argument, remembering Boughton s disciplined approach and adherence to detail. He also performed regularly with the composer and recalls Britten s idealistic standards and precision with metronome marks. 8 In 1968, Boosey and Hawkes brought out a second impression of the Metamorphoses with the added metronome markings from the composer. It is thought that Britten had become concerned by what he considered to be wayward interpretations and this led him to their introduction. But he had by then also heard some remarkable performers playing the pieces and these could have encouraged some of the tempi he put down. For example, Britten was apparently astonished by the technical and musical expertise of Heinz Holliger whose playing could have argued a case for the tempi in Phaeton and Bacchus for example. It should be noted, too, that on 1 March 1976, Britten wrote a letter to Janet Craxton having heard the tapes for the recording of the Metamorphoses that she did with him at Snape: As I thought all along, my choice of you to record these two pieces was an excellent one and, I can tell you that I was delighted with what I heard (Britten 1976). An undated Christmas card to her also says I loved your metamorphoses at the proms. Thank you! Some misunderstandings in performers readings of the demisemiquaver patterns (which could be read as tremoli) leading to the metamorphic trill in bar 23 of Narcissus may have lead to the typographical clarification of this bar in the 1968 impression. Also added was an explanatory note that the music was a visual pun on reflection (Britten 1968). The tempi will be discussed in detail in due course. For now it is interesting to note the 1968 tempi against Joy Boughton s original recording. It should be said that these tempi can only be approximate due to the natural fluctuation of tempo. Nonetheless they are indicative. EDITION BOUGHTON Pan: quaver = approx.138 quaver = c.100 Phaeton: dotted crotchet = 152 dotted crotchet = c. 132 Niobe: crotchet = 60 quaver = c. 92 Bacchus: 1. crotchet = crotchet = crotchet = 132 CONCLUSION crotchet = c. 96 crotchet =.c.112 crotchet = c Narcissus: quaver = 84 quaver = c. 80 Arethusa: quaver = 152 quaver = c. 84 It has to be assumed that Britten was happy with the printed edition of the Metamorphoses as he made no attempt to change anything in the 25 years after publication, save for the minor changes to the 1968 impression. However, there are details in these two sources which can help the performer

99 THE DOUBLE REED 97 with interpretation. One might be tempted to try a performance with the extra notes in Niobe and Narcissus or with the added arpeggio notes in Bacchus. It would certainly repay practising Phaeton with Britten s original slurs and the patterns that he tries for the Con moto section of Bacchus might lead to a new interpretation of this section. Working through the Sketch does give the performer a remarkable feeling for the music itself. In many cases, a rejected phrase does underpin why the composer chose his final answer. The circumstances surrounding the composition and first performance of the work may never be fully clarified though it is hoped that more information may emerge in the future. When did Britten begin thinking about the Metamorphoses? What led him to the idea? Was there a connection between this work and others written around that time, notably Billy Budd and the new edition of Dido and Aeneas? What was Joy Boughton s role? These and other questions remain. It is hoped, at least, that this essay goes some way to starting the debate. With these thoughts in mind, discussion will continue on this great little work in my next article, a consideration of the connection with Billy Budd, the influence of Ovid and how the characters themselves fired the inspiration of the composer and, in turn, the inspirations of generations of performers. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ardito, L., The Aulos: Symbol of Musico-Medicinal Magic. The Double Reed, Vol 22 No 2, Banks, P., A Catalogue of the published works of Benjamin Britten. Aldeburgh: Britten-Pears Library. Boughton, J., Letters to Benjamin Britten. Aldeburgh: Britten-Pears Library (unpublished). Britten, B., Pocket diaries. Aldeburgh: Britten-Pears Library (unpublished) Six Metamorphoses after Ovid. Boosey and Hawkes Letter to Friedrich Krebs. Aldeburgh: Britten-Pears Library (unpublished) July Correspondence with Boosey and Hawkes. Aldeburgh: Britten-Pears Library (unpublished) Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, second impression. Boosey and Hawkes Letter to Janet Craxton. Craxton papers (unpublished). Caine, N., Double Reed News This seems incomplete Caird, G., Benjamin Britten and Ovid s Metamorphoses (unpublished). Cook, N., A Guide to Musical Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Crosse, G., Sleeve note for B. Britten, Fantasy/ Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, S. Francis. Argo ZRG 842. Evans, P., The Music of Benjamin Britten. London: J. M. Dent and Sons. Graf, F., Myth in Ovid in P. Hardie, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Ovid. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Francis, S., Joy Boughton A Portrait. Double Reed News No 26, 4 7. Golding, A. (trans.), Ovid s Metamorphoses. London, J. M. Dent and Sons. Hamburger, P., The Chamber Music in D. Mitchell and H. Keller, eds, Benjamin Britten: a commentary on his works from a group of specialists. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. ARTICLES

100 98 BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS METAMORPHOSES Hiramoto, S., An Analysis of Britten s Six Metamorphoses after Ovid. The Double Reed, Vol 22, No 2, Holst, I., Britten. London: Faber and Faber, 52. Howes, F., 1951 Aldeburgh Festival. The Times. 16 June. Mcquinn, J., Exploring the erotic in Debussy s music in S. Trezise, ed., Cambridge Companion to Debussy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Melville, A.D. (trans.), Ovid: Metamorphoses. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mitchell, D., A Billy Budd Notebook, in M. Cooke and P. Reed, eds., Billy Budd (Cambridge Opera Handbooks). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Mitchell, D, P. Reed and M. Cooke, Letters from a Life: Selected letters of Benjamin Britten, vol. 3. London: Faber and Faber. Mitchell, D. and H. Keller, Benjamin Britten: A Commentary on his Works from a Group of Specialists. Greenwood Press Moore, L., Inlay notes in B. Britten, Simple Symphony/Temporal Variations, orch. Colin Matthews/Suite on English Folk Tunes. Naxos Mulder, F. (no date). An Introduction and Programmatical Analysis of the Six Metamorphoses after Ovid by Benjamin Britten. The Double Reed, IDRS Peters, J.R., Paradigmatic Analysis: A Reconsideration. 7. PhD Thesis University of Leeds. Reed, P, From first thoughts to first night: a Billy Budd chronology in M. Cooke and P. Reed, eds., Billy Budd (Cambridge Opera Handbooks). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, DISCOGRAPHY ARTICLES Boughton, J., Broadcast performance. National Sound Archive. 3 October, 11.00pm Britten, B., Phantasy Quartet/ Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, S. Francis. Argo ZRG Simple Symphony/Temporal Variations, orch. Colin Matthews/Suite on English Folk Tunes. Naxos Holliger, H. no date. BBC Broadcast recital, National Sound Archive. Hunt, G Soliloquy. Bis CD 769. Walker, S., Debussy s Syrinx, Building a library. BBC Radio 3 broadcast, 4 February. NOTES 1 As reported by Sarah Francis (personal communication). 2 E mail to George Caird (personal communication) 3 to George Caird (personal communication) 4 to George Caird (personal communication) 5 As reported to George Caird (personal communication) 6 As reported to George Caird (personal communication) 7 As reported to George Caird (personal communication) 8 As reported to George Caird (personal communication) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Boosey and Hawkes Publications Ltd. for permission to publish extracts from the edition of Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op. 49, to the Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh for permission to publish extracts from the Composition Sketch and Britten s 1951 pocket diary and to the Paul Sacher Foundation for permission to publish extracts from the Fair Copy.

101 THE DOUBLE REED 99 Thanks to Robert Allan, Nancy Ambrose King, Neil Black, Ian Boughton, Nick Clark, Jane Craxton, Michael Craxton, Mervyn Cooke, Andrea Cox, Clive Fairbairn, Sarah Francis, Chris Grogan, Steve Halfyard, Angela Heap, Norma Hooks, Gordon Hunt, Peter Johnson, Janice Knight, Lesley Knowles, Colin Matthews, Felix Meyer, Donald Mitchell, Robin Moore-Ede, Stephen Powell, Philip Reed, Edwin Roxburgh, Jane Salmon, Dan Stolper and Richard Weigall for support and advice. Music examples produced by Stephen Powell Music Services Photo on page 1 courtesy of the Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh. George Caird s article Benjamin Britten and Ovid s Metamorphoses will follow in the next edition of The Double Reed. ARTICLES

102 100 Arthur Bridet ( ) ARTHUR BRIDET ( ) André Lardrot Servion, Vaud, Switzerland (This article fi rst appeared in La Lettre du Hauboïste Number 15, 2nd Semester, pp. 30, of the French Oboe Society and is reprinted here with permission. The translation is by Ehsan Ahmed.) ARTICLES Several times I have received inquiries about Arthur Bridet. Other than his Education of the Oboist which he published himself in 1928 and his teaching in Lyon, I must admit that I knew nothing about him. We know however that he obtained his First Prize in 1893, the same day as Louis Bleuzet. The careers of these two artists were for many years quite similar. They both were from the north and were born under the same sign: Bridet was born on April 29, 1873 in Douai and Bleuzet on April 26, 1874 in Hazebrouck. They bought their first English horn (Lorée) before the end of their studies - in the same year, Bridet took part in the Concerts Colonne and the Concerts Lamoureux. Bleuzet was a member of the Concert Society of the Conservatory. They both had a long career: Bridet at the Grand Théâtre of Lyon, Bleuzet at the Comic Opera and then the Paris Opera. Bridet taught at the Conservatory of Lyon from Bleuzet was a professor at the Paris Conservatory from Bridet wrote in his method an Historic Overview of the oboe through the centuries, an extremely welldocumented text, starting from India with the otou (from the 12th to the 7th centuries BC), passing through China, Mongolia, Burma, Greece, etc., and giving each time the name and the particularities of the different local ancestors of our present-day oboe. In preparing his text, Bridet borrowed from the book of Leo Bechler and Bernhardt Rahm, Die Oboe und die ihr verwandten Instrumente (The Oboe and Related Instruments), which was published by Karl Merseburger in Leipzig in The German version of The Education of the Oboist was done by Mr. Constant Kretz and Mrs. Klara Bridet. In 1926, Bleuzet wrote the article, Oboe, for the Encyclopedia of Music and the Dictionary of the Conservatory of Lavignac and La Laurencie (Paris: Delagrave, 1926). He limits the historical part to the Europe of the Greeks and Romans and gives a detailed account of the instrument s evolution fom the aulos up to the modern baritone oboe. Bridet s The Education of the Oboist was dedicated to the memory of Georges Gillet and to my friends Louis Bleuzet and Fernand Gillet, while Bleuzet s Oboe Technique through a rational study of the scales (Alphonse Leduc, 1936) was dedicated to my friend Arthur Bridet. In his letter of application for the position of professor at Lyon (September 1, 1923), Bridet indicated that he had been the solo oboist of the Casino of Aix les Bains for twenty-six years, that he was the author of works on instrumental musicology published by the International Society of Music, and that he was the author of a text on musical theory, Teaching Music to Your Children. (It is in fact a game, of the puzzle genre, designed for little children [Paris, Editions de la pensée latine].) It would be equally interesting to find his patent (concerning refinements to instruments of the oboe family) and to know in what way, from 1903, he was technical adviser to the Paris and New York instrument maker Selmer. At the beginning of World War II (October 1, 1939), the oboe class in Lyon was cancelled for lack of students. In June 1942, Arthur Bridet asked that his work history be reexamined by the Municipality of Lyon. The answer was sharp and without appeal: Mr. Bridet cannot claim any pension, because he did not contribute to his retirement while working at the Conservatory. On the other hand, for his work as musician at the Grand Théâtre, he had no connection with the city. (!) Moreover, it is impossible to foresee Mr. Bridet s reinstatement, because he is 69 years old and has, therefore, gone beyond the age limit. Perhaps the reference to Part-time lecturer at the Lyon Conservatory and not to Professor on the first page of his method explains this final response. Bridet lived at 146 rue de Vendôme in Lyon where he died on December 15, If Louis Bleuzet continues to live in the heart and memory of his grandson Mr. Bernard Treizenem and in those of his former students, whom we see in the context of the AFH, Arthur Bridet, in contrast, seems to remain in darkness. It took the help of my friends, Jean-Paul Voiland of Lyon and Claude Wartelle of Douai, whom I sincerely thank, so that today, we could honor for a brief instant his memory.

103 THE DOUBLE REED 101 The French School of Bassoon Practice and Pedagogy Svetoslav Atanasov Chicago, Illinois French/English translations by Zakir Paul, Paris, France The following article is extracted from the doctoral dissertation: A Description of Selected Aspects of Three Approaches to College-Level Bassoon Instruction by Dr. Svetoslav Atanasov in which he outlines the basics of French bassoon instruction. His source is the great French bassoonist Gilbert Audin, who is Professeur du Basson at the Conservatoire Nationale Supérieur du Musique of Paris and co-principal bassoonist of the orchestra of the Opéra de Paris. In later articles, Dr. Atanasov will also analyze the American School, using Professor Kim Walker as his source, and the Viennese School, using the expertise of Professor Eleanor Froelich of Vienna, Austria. These articles will appear in future issues of The Double Reed. Ed. This article is concerned with an analysis of the French practice in bassoon methodology as shown by Gilbert Audin. I outline the principal differences between the French and American schools of bassoon pedagogy and describe the specific aspects of the format that Audin employs in his teaching curriculum at the Conservatoire National Supérieur du Musique de Paris. The French tradition of bassoon pedagogy has a rich and important history. Its methodology and practice are closely related to the concepts of Professor Maurice Allard, Audin s last professor and a major influence on his instructional philosophy and practice as a teacher. Like Audin, Maurice Allard studied bassoon at the Paris Conservatory and in 1949 won the coveted First Prize at the Concours International de Genéve. He succeeded his teacher, Gustave Dherin, as bassoon professor at the Conservatoire in Audin then succeeded Allard at the Conservatoire in This continuity of philosophy epitomizes the principal characteristics attributable to the modern French school of bassoon pedagogy. The most important aspects that characterize the French school are closely related to Audin s vision about style and tone quality. He says: Alors, je pense que la première chose c est évidemment la maîtrise technique, et à commencer par la maîtrise technique du son. C est à dire la qualité du son, la quantité du son, c est à dire, les dynamiques, l intonation et éventuellement aussi la flexibilité du son, c est à dire l adaptation de ce son aux différents contextes sonores, à l environnement, selon que l on joue une basse ou une partie ténor, et apprendre à écouter le son de façon harmonique. Maîtrise technique, c est aussi la maîtrise des doigts, maîtrise de la vélocité. Mais je pense que pour un bassoniste ce n est pas l aspect le plus important, puisque les difficultés rencontrées par des bassonistes sont rarement des difficultés de vélocité mais plutôt, en général, des difficultés de maîtrise du son. Donc, c est pour moi un aspect qui, oui, va être travailler, mais qui ne sera pas primordial dans l enseignement, puisque, je pense que, en général, en travaillant le reste on arrive à la maîtrise de cet aspect là. Alors que, à l inverse, en travaillant cet aspect là, c est à dire, en travaillant en priorité la maîtrise des doigts, on ne progresse pas nécessairement sur le son. (Well, I think that the first thing is obviously technical mastery, which begins with the technical mastery of the tone, specifically, the quality of the tone, quantity of tone, the dynamics, the intonation and eventually flexibility, which has to do with the adaptation of the tone to various tonal contexts, the environment, depending on whether you are playing a bass or tenor part, the ability to listen to tone in a harmonic way. Technical mastery is also being able to master fingerings, being able to master velocity. I believe however that these are not the most important aspects for the bassoonist, the difficulties bassoonists face are rarely difficulties of velocity but rather, in general, difficulties that relate to the mastery of tone). The teaching philosophy that Audin favors focuses on the mastering of two specific areas - tone ARTICLES

104 102 THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF BASSOON PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGY ARTICLES color and technical precision. By tone color, he includes matters such as correct tone production, tone flexibility, and intonation control. Audin addresses each of these aspects by allowing and encouraging the student to experiment with them. Through such experimentation the student is introduced to a number of performing possibilities among which he/she can choose an approach that can help his/her perfection of tone color. Technical precision is not an isolated process in Audin s bassoon curriculum. Rather, it is considered in the context of musicality, stylistic awareness, and familiarity with the practice methodology employed by other national schools. He explains: Ensuite, je pense qu il est primordial aussi que les étudiants étudient différents styles de musiques et soient conscients des différentes possibilités d écoles pour jouer certaines oeuvres. C est pour ça que je pense qu il est bien qu ils soient en contact avec un maximum de références, de références de styles... (I think that it is of crucial significance that the students study different styles of music and are aware of the different schools and their approach in playing certain pieces. This is why I think that bassoonists should be exposed to a number of different references, references of style ) Audin stresses the student s musical taste and artistic individuality by allowing her or him to explore unconventional performing ideas. His curriculum plan encourages the consideration of a variety of performing styles. This is a distinctive element of the French school that reveals the importance of solo preparation in France. The major areas of concentration in Audin s curriculum plan are also directed toward nurturing performance flexibility. It is important to clarify that this is not an aspect of his pedagogical approach that is limited to a specific area of the performer s arsenal. Similar to the American school of bassoon pedagogy, Audin favors a broad philosophy that addresses intonation, dynamics, interpretational skills, and the ability to blend harmonically and melodically when performing in a group. These qualities are important in developing a strong artistic individuality because they address the major issues a professional bassoonist is likely to encounter regardless of whether he or she chooses a career as an orchestral musician or a soloist. The importance of flexibility in Audin s curriculum plan is evident in his consideration of breathing, embouchure, body posture, tone control, articulation, and vibrato. Note in the following quotation how he addresses embouchure: Concernant la position du corps : là, de la même façon que pour l embouchure, je n ai pas de position de principe. Simplement, je pense qu il est important que le corps, comme dans tous les instruments à vent mais à cordes aussi, [que le corps] soit toujours relâché dans le geste technique. Relâché, mais on voit souvent des positions qui sont...il y a certaines personnes qui préfèrent être penchées légèrement vers l avant, qui préfèrent avoir la tête un petit peu baissé, d autres qui préfèrent avoir la tête bien haute quand ils jouent. En général, ça...on peut laisser un certaine marge d appréciation aux étudiants, pas leur imposer trop de choses parce que...de la même façon, bon, si la tête est raide vers le haut, ça n est pas bien. Mais il peut y avoir des positions liées aussi à la morphologie de chaque étudiant (c est à dire : il est grand, il est petit, il est gros, il est maigre) ne se tiennent pas de la même façon, ne marchent déjà de la même façon, donc, ne tiennent pas l instrument de la même façon et on peut les laisser aussi chercher souvent. Alors, on procède, je procède, avec des corrections pour essayer d adapter le geste à la morphologie de chacun, mais, de toute façon, pas quelque chose de trop dirigiste. (In regard to embouchure I am quite flexible, because I realize that embouchure is something very personal that has to do with the shape of the lips, the size of the mouth, the oral cavity, and even old habits. So, even if I am, at times, led to correct the embouchure of a student, it will always be a correction in relation to an observation that I have made and not in relation to a general principle. In my career as a professor I have seen a lot of different kinds of embouchure that students utilize, and often things that I couldn t possibly do have proved to be very effective for some of the students. That is why I tend to let them search for themselves, in thinking that, well, they need to be guided, but in essence quite often their em-

105 THE DOUBLE REED 103 bouchure has been chosen in an empirical way that is effective on its own. Thus, on this front, I am not very dogmatic nor am I very strict). Here, Audin maintains that embouchure is unique to the physique of the bassoonist. He advocates an approach that allows one to search for and adjust the embouchure in accordance with one s particular physique; no one approach to embouchure works for every student. Such an assessment, however, does not prevent Audin from correcting his students when improper embouchure appears detrimental to technical progress. This approach differs from Kim Walker s approach to bassoon pedagogy where embouchure is taught in a specific manner often in conjunction with breathing and posture. Similar to embouchure, Audin approaches body posture with great flexibility. His teaching philosophy emphasizes the fact that the bassoonist s body has to be relaxed and free from anxiety that can affect negatively the performer s technical abilities. Audin also indicates that posture is directly allied with the physique of the bassoonist. As a result he does not insist on a specific approach that requires of the student to adopt a principal position in regard to posture. Rather, the student is allowed to experiment and utilize a posture that fits best his or her current physique. There is a difference in the approaches Audin and Walker use to address breathing issues. For example, Audin s perception about the benefits of alternative breathing techniques differs from that of Walker. Walker not only encourages Alexander Technique and Yoga but relies on them in preventing detrimental muscle tensions that can affect breathing and posture. Walker also recognizes the benefits of head resonance as a closely affecting the tone feature. These are methods that Audin does not address. His involvement with alternative breathing techniques is limited to an individual adjustment of the body as opposed to a common concept that recommends a particular method. Audin addresses tone production and control primarily by analogy. Observation and imitation are essential to Audin s approach as he notes that imitation allows the bassoonist to assimilate new skills by rationalizing them and not just mechanically acquiring/following to them. Furthermore, he stresses the fact that mental work rather than repetitive practice needs to direct the refinement of tone. Audin s emphasis on technical excellence is evident in his approach toward staccato and articulation. Staccato is an area where he requires the student to develop a sense of finesse. He is concerned with the student s ability to develop numerous staccato traits ranging from soft to extremely short, secco articulation. In fact, he points out that his practical instruction is directed toward quality and precision of articulation and less toward speed and endurance. My sense is that Audin s demand for wider variety and precision in terms of articulation is directly influenced by the fact that he perceives staccato as the most natural yet idiosyncratic quality of the bassoon. The flexible approach that Audin has adopted towards technical mastery is visible in his treatment of vibrato. Similar to the way he refers to articulation, tone production, body posture, and embouchure, Audin encourages his students to avoid a mechanical approach to vibrato. He understands that the bassoonist needs to be able to blend musically with other musicians sounds, and when necessary, adjust the intensity of the vibrato. According to Audin, the process of producing vibrato is entirely individual and he does not prefer or dismiss any of the standard vibrato techniques - vibrato performed with diaphragm, air, throat, or lips. Audin concedes that even his own vibrato technique is a unique mixture combining elements of a number of different techniques. He says: C est à dire, moi j ai ma technique qui inclut un petit peu toutes ces méthodes et je ne dis jamais à un étudiant, «Tu ne peux pas vibrer avec les lèvres, tu ne peux pas vibrer avec le diaphragme». Je pense que beaucoup de gens réalisent des gestes technique au niveau du vibrato qui sont magnifiques, avec des moyens qu ils ont trouvés eux mêmes et qui sont souvent toutes ces techniques un petit peu mélangées, et c est le réglage que chacun va faire entre toutes ces techniques qui va faire un vibrato qui appartiendra à chacun, qui sera personnel. (Of course, I have my own technique which includes bits of all of these methods therefore I never tell a student, You can t vibrate with your lips, you can t vibrate from the diaphragm. I believe that a lot of people achieve technical results, in terms of vibrato, that are magnificent, with methods that they have found on their own and that are often a mixture of all of the above mentioned techniques. The balance that everyone will manage be- ARTICLES

106 104 THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF BASSOON PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGY ARTICLES tween all of these techniques will produce a personal vibrato, unique for the performer). Similarly to Walker, for Audin the issue of sitting versus standing while performing is an area that is addresses in his teaching. He insists that the student should be comfortable playing either way, as the playing position should not affect his or her technical abilities. In an attempt to expand the student s comfort zone, he requires that if a student constantly performs standing he/she must modify one s position and sit; if a student constantly performs by sitting one must modify his/her position and stand. Only during individual lessons with his advanced students Audin recommends that they perform standing. He explains that such an approach improves communication within the studio and allows him to interact better with the rest of the class. Still, he does not prefer a particular playing position or impose it on his students. Rather, they are trained to feel equally comfortable while performing seated or standing. In Audin s view, those who have not developed their adult stature should perform by sitting since this position will decrease the probability of developing any serious physical injuries due to the large size of the instrument. In regard to technical preparation, Audin pays special attention to articulation, fingerings, rhythmic precision, intonation, and performance flexibility. Each of these aspects is mastered through consistent work on scales and etudes. It is important to underscore that Audin insists that work on scales and etudes needs to address all of the above mentioned technical aspects simultaneously. He also clarifies that in terms of velocity and tone control one must consider the fact that intensity throughout the different registers of the bassoon differs. Fast tempi must not be exercised with the same intensity in the upper register of the bassoon as they are in the middle or low registers. Audin explains why: Mais en général, dans le suraigu, on essaie de ne pas nécessairement maintenir le tempo parce que, pour moi, il est plus important que d avoir quelque chose de souple et de juste plutôt que de garder le tempo dans l aigu, alors qu on joue rarement très vite dans le suraigu du basson. (Normally, with the upper register of the bassoon, we do not necessarily try to maintain tempo because, personally, for me, it is more important to have a flexible and in tune sound rather than a steady tempo in the extremely high register, given the fact that in reality we rarely play exceedingly fast in the upper register of the bassoon). In the area of technical preparation Audin, like Walker, relies on etude selections that are considered universal. He says: Les cahiers d études que je fais travailler pour cette technique, pour la technique des doigts, sont en général, comme je pense un peu partout, le premier cahier des études de Milde, mais je fais aussi beaucoup travailler les études de Giampieri éditées chez Ricordi, les études journalières, en forme de répétitions basées sur les tonalités circulaires. Je fais aussi beaucoup travailler les études de Piard, qui ont été rééditées chez Billaudot, Marius Piard, ce sont des études qui sont formidables, qui remplacent ou qui complètent les études sur les gammes. Voilà, donc, un petit peu tout ce que nous travaillons pour la technique des doigts. (The etudes that I require of my students aiming to improve technique and fingerings, in general, like almost everywhere else, are the first collection of etudes by Milde, and in addition I also ask for Giampieri s daily etudes, published by Ricordi. I also require of my students to work a lot on the etudes by Marius Piard, which were republished by Billaudot; these are great etudes that could substitute or complete Milde s scale etudes. That is nearly all that we work on in terms of technical preparation). Orchestral preparation at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris is a process that spans the entire course of bassoon study. Audin indicates that the common approach to orchestral preparation is to allow his students to familiarize themselves with the major solo literature during the first two years, while still working aggressively on technical refinement, and go into greater detail of orchestral preparation during the third and fourth years of study. He explains that the last two years are normally the period when orchestral repertoire is prepared for professional competitions or auditions. Audin s approach in the area of orchestral prepa-

107 THE DOUBLE REED 105 ration is similar to the philosophy adopted by Walker. In France, orchestral preparation begins with work on the fundamentals and basics of technical training during the first year of bassoon studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Audin explains that orchestral solos are introduced later, only when a sufficient knowledge and technical skills have been acquired by the student. In addition, works likely to appear during an audition or competition as well as pieces that are not intended for professional auditions are included in the repertoire learned by his students. In North America, the first two years of one s education are typically dedicated to revision and re-evaluation of one s basic performing skills. During the first and second years Walker is likely to introduce some of the major orchestral literature for bassoon, however, the primary focus of her instruction remains placed on technical refinement. During the third and fourth years of bassoon studies Walker offers meticulous investigation of standard literature likely to appear during professional auditions. In regard to chamber music studies, Audin states that this is a subject that is taught outside the standard bassoon curriculum. A professor of chamber music is typically responsible for this specific area of the bassoonist s education although when needed issues of technical difficulty are addressed in the bassoon studio. Audin s involvement is primarily limited to technical instruction and he does not interfere with the work of the chamber music professor. One of the major differences between the French and North American practice of bassoon pedagogy regards the inclusion of contrabassoon studies in the bassoon curriculum. In France, including contrabassoon in the studies of the bassoon students at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris is contingent upon their interest in the instrument. Furthermore, Audin insists that contrabassoon studies are not mandatory in his curriculum. He says: Les études de contre-basson ne sont pas obligatoires pour mes élèves, absolument pas. J ai même insisté au niveau de l administration du Conservatoire pour qu aucun étudiant ne soit obligé à jouer de contre-basson s il ne le souhaite pas. C est à dire que, la plupart du temps, les étudiants sont contents d avoir une initiation, sont contents d avoir un contrebasson à leur disposition, ils le travaillent, ils se documentent. Nous avons fait venir régulièrement au Conservatoire des professeurs qui doivent leur donner une formation, mais ça c est sous forme de stages, s il n y a pas de professeur de contre-basson au Conservatoire, mais sous forme de stage, il y a un professeur qui vient aux Conservatoire pendant deux ou trois jours, une fois par an, deux fois par an pour donner des conseils. Et les étudiants en général travaillent ça beaucoup par eux-mêmes...mais même au niveau des orchestres, on se débrouille toujours pour mettre au contre-basson un étudiant qui a souhaité le faire. Mais quelqu un qui ne souhaite pas de jouer du contre-basson ne serait pas obligé de le faire. Voila. Dans ce cas là, de toute façon, ceux qui veulent le faire peuvent le faire dans toute leur scolarité, au moment où ils le souhaitent dans leur formation. (Contrabassoon studies are not required of my students, absolutely not. I have even insisted on administrative level in the Conservatory that no student should be forced to play the contrabassoon if he does not want to. With this said, most of the time the students are happy to have an introduction, they are happy to have a contrabassoon available, they work on it and they do some research. We have professors that come to the conservatory regularly and train them, but this is structured more as an intensive course, there is no contrabassoon professor at the conservatory, though again an intensive course is being offered. There is a professor who comes to the conservatory for two or three days, once or twice a year to advise the students. And the students, in general, work on contrabassoon studies themselves; even on orchestral level we always make sure to place a student at the contrabassoon position that has expressed a desire to play the instrument. Therefore, if a student does not want to play the contrabassoon we are not forcing anyone. With this said, those who want to do it can do so throughout their studies, whenever they want during their degree work). The optional nature of contrabassoon studies in his program is noteworthy since it allows the student to prioritize his or her interests in bassoon literature and performance and it further assists curriculum flexibility. It also further supports the idea that Audin considers curriculum flexibility as the focal point of his educational philosophy. One of the principal differences between Walker ARTICLES

108 106 THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF BASSOON PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGY ARTICLES and Audin s approaches to bassoon pedagogy is the role of alternative relaxation techniques as a mandatory part of the curriculum. These are methods that Audin does not favor although, when necessary, he is likely to refer to them when a specific issue in regard to posture or breathing needs to be addressed. He also clarifies that he relies primarily on his own experience and knowledge when bassoonists from his studio have to overcome performing anxiety, stress, muscle strain, or postural difficulties. The lesson format that Audin favors offers a weekly meeting with him lasting one hour. He says: Mes élèves ont un cours par semaine avec moi, sauf exception, sauf en certains cas quand nous faisons des cours avec piano, quelque fois ce cours vient en plus d un cours normal. Mais en général le cours est d une heure par semaine, quelquefois un petit peu plus long quand le programme le nécessite, mais très souvent en fermant le cours, en le bloquant sur une heure, on est obligés d être rapides et efficaces, on obtient plus d attention des étudiant que quand on leur laisse entendre qu on peut prendre son temps plus avec eux, ça c est un procédé pédagogique qui existe. Tous les morceaux qui nécessitent un accompagnement avec piano sont joués avec piano et souvent ils sont joués quand ils sont au point c est à dire que...mais il ne s agit pas d une exécution avec piano pour vérifier, il s agit d un vrai cours avec piano où il vont apprendre les répliques, où il vont apprendre à se comporter rythmiquement, musicalement, au niveau du son avec le piano. Et dans certains cas il y aura deux cours avec piano, un cours pour découvrir l œuvre et un cours pour essayer de le jouer de façon plus approfondie. Mais tous les morceaux, toutes les concertos, toutes les sonates sont joués avec pianos. (My students have a lesson with me once a week, except in certain cases when we do lessons with piano, sometimes such a meeting takes place in addition to the regular lesson. In general the lesson lasts an hour every week, maybe a little longer when the program requires it. Quite often however, by limiting the lesson to an hour, we get a lot more attention from the students as opposed to giving them the impression that we can take our time with them; this is a pedagogic device that exists. All the pieces that require piano accompaniment are played with piano, they are performed when they have been perfected, which means that this is not a practice session with piano, this is a true lesson with piano where the students will learn the responses, they will learn to comport themselves rhythmically, musically, on tonal level with the piano. In certain cases there will be two lessons with piano, a class to discover the work and another to try and play it in a more advanced way. However, all pieces, all of the concertos, all of the sonatas are performed with piano). The teaching philosophy that Audin follows requires the teacher to be both strict and flexible in the early stages of bassoon studies. He points out that the student has to understand that precision and focus during the lesson are as important as systematic exercise. This is why Audin limits individual lessons to only one hour per week in addition to work with piano accompaniment. The standard masterclass format that American teachers favor, in which all the students in the studio gather to hear each other play (in contrast to weekly private lessons) does not exist in France. Rather, students are given the opportunity to interact as a group primarily during individual lessons. Audin welcomes and encourages his students to attend the private lessons of other students in order to gain a better perspective of the teaching process. The fact that all lessons are open to the public, however, does not deny the right of a student to request a private lesson with the major professor when particular issues such as stage discomfort, technical difficulties, or mental preparation need to be addressed. Audin s decision to encourage students to attend their classmates lessons is directed towards fostering a resilient and stable performance mentality. Not only does this approach offer the bassoonists a better assessment of their current technical level, but Audin explains that the public lessons provide invaluable experience to those students that might be interested in pursuing careers as professional teachers. He says: En général, dans ma classe quand il y a un élève qui joue, il y en a toujours au moins quatre ou cinq qui écoutent. Ils rentrent, ils sortent, ils vont boire un café, ils reviennent, enfin bon ça c est assez libre, mais en général, ils écoutent les cours des autres parce qu ils sentent bien que c est quelque chose va les concerner aussi eux. Et si un jour ils sont

109 THE DOUBLE REED 107 professeurs, ils vont aussi avoir besoin d une autre expérience que la leur proper. (In general, when I teach a lesson if there is a student playing, there are always at least four or five students listening. They come in, they leave, they go have some coffee, they come back, well, this part is pretty lax, though in general they attend the lessons of others because they are well aware that this is something that concerns them as well. And if one day they become professors, they will need such an experience, an experience other than their own). At the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris early music studies and baroque bassoon lessons in particular are offered as an elective course lasting two years. Audin explains that many bassoonists take advantage of this opportunity although historical instruments are hard to secure and the students are often forced to rotate through instruments in order to prepare adequately. This lack of instruments presents a challenge to those who wish to pursue the baroque bassoon in a more intensive way. Reed-making is another area in which the French school curriculum differs from the standard practice employed in North America. According to Audin, most of the students who enter the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris do so with already well polished reed-making skills. He says: Les étudiants que je forme au Conservatoire en général arrivent et ils ont déjà eu des idées très précises au niveau des anches, ils sont, en général, tout à fait autonomes. Ensuite moi, je continue à participer à leur formation, je leur donne des conseils, je leur fournis éventuellement quelques anches, je les donne des anches à moi à titre de comparaison mais sans obligation, bien sûr, d imitation précis. (The students that I train at the Conservatory on the whole arrive having had very precise ideas about reeds; they are, in general, entirely independent. I continue to take part in their training, I give them advice, I may eventually give them some of my own reeds for comparative proposes but without any obligation, of course, for precise imitation). In France, bassoon students are not required to undergo an intensive reed-making course as is typically the practice in North America. The work performed in Audin s studio is focused on refinement and adjustment of the cane. French bassoonists arrive in Paris to study with Audin having all the necessary skills to gouge, profile, and perform basic adjustment work on their reeds. In fact, with the presence of Maison Glotin, one of the world s most renowned reed suppliers located in Ezanville, France, Audin s students have access to nearly finished reeds that only occasionally require additional adjustment work. As a result, the skills that Audin introduces to his students are generally directed toward practical improvements to already basically finished reeds and he does not follow a particular method of instruction in reed-making. It is important to clarify that Audin s approach to reed-making is based on the nature of the French bassoon and the specific reeds that are required for it. The French Buffet bassoon necessitates an entirely different reed than the German Heckel bassoon due to a number of factors; the two instruments use different fingerings, have different pitch characteristics, use bocals that are shaped differently, and employ significantly different reed measurements. For example, Maison Glotin offers gouged cane that is 135mm. for the French Buffet bassoon and 120mm. in length for the German Heckel bassoon. This difference in the length of the gouged cane results in differently sized, finished, reeds used in the German and French bassoons. Audin specifies, however, that Glotin s products are not limited to the French bassoonists since Glotin also provides finished reeds and other technical appliances, including raw cane products, precisely for German Heckel bassoons. The fact that the bassoon players who become part of Audin s studio arrive with an extensive arsenal of technical skills means he is able to focus on enhancing already existing skills. Many of the practical differences that Audin s approach exemplifies are directly related to the centrist model of bassoon education that exists in the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Danse de Lyon-two of France s principal academic institutions offering advanced bassoon studies. When asked about the structure of bassoon education in Europe and the teaching methodology that the American school employs Audin explains: Question numéro quatorze concernant les différences entre l enseignement des écoles de ARTICLES

110 108 THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF BASSOON PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGY ARTICLES basson de France, Allemagne et Etats-Unis. Alors, je pense déjà que les méthodes de travail se sont énormément rapprochées entre l Allemagne et la France. C est à dire, qu en fait, en Europe, il y a beaucoup de brassage. Il y a maintenant des grands professeurs en Allemagne qui sont italiens, norvégiens, beaucoup d étudiants français qui sont allés travailler à l étranger, beaucoup d étudiants étrangers qui sont passés en France pour leur perfectionnement. Nos méthodes se sont beaucoup rapprochées. En général, il y a en France peut-être un peu plus de travail proprement technique, un peu plus de travail sur les gammes et les études qu en Allemagne ou en Autriche. En France, on travaille beaucoup sur les oeuvres du vingtième siècle, les oeuvres d écriture classique de vingtième siècle, c est-à-dire (ce que on appelle comme ça, c est) Jolivet, Boutry, Bitsch, Tomasi, toute cette littérature un petit peu académique et très difficile techniquement. On travaille beaucoup là-dessus; on travaille beaucoup le répertoire soliste et les traits d orchestre sont travaillés en complément, un petit peu comme on travaille les études. J ai l impression qu aux Etats-Unis le travail est beaucoup plus basé directement sur les traits d orchestre; ensuite j ai l impression qu aux Etats-Unis le travail des concertos se fait sur les concertos important qui seront données dans les auditions, mais qu il n y a pas forcément une très grosse curiosité pour travailler les concertos par exemple moins connus. (Well, first of all, I think that the working methods in Germany and France have gotten a lot closer. What this means is that in Europe there is a lot of mobility. Nowadays, there are great professors in Germany who are Italians or Norwegians, a lot of French students who have been studying abroad, a lot of foreign students who have come to France to perfect their skills. Our methods have come a lot closer. In France there is usually more distinctly technical work being done, a bit more work is done on scales and etudes than in Germany or Austria. In France, we work a lot on compositions from the twentieth century period, works of classical writing from the twentieth century (as we describe it) that includes Jolivet, Boutry, Bitsch, Tomasi, all the considerable academic literature that is technically very difficult. We work on this a lot; we also work a lot on solo repertoire as orchestral parts are treated in a rather complementary way; similarly to the way we approach etudes. I have the impression that in the United- States the work being done is a lot more directly oriented towards orchestral playing. I also get the impression that in the United States the concerto work is done on the most important concertos that will be given during auditions, but that there isn t necessarily a great deal of curiosity to work on, for example, lesser known works). Here, Audin notes that regional limitations no longer constitute obstacles that separate the various European and American schools as they once did, rather he sees these schools as coming together more closely than in the past in terms of their philosophies and teaching methodologies. Many of the individual features that used to separate the European schools for example are currently less perceptible because of the exchange of practicing musicians between them such as Professor Walker. Regarding principal differences between France and North America and their particular professional orientations, Audin indicates that distinctions still exist. These include practical differences such as repertoire considerations, orchestral preparation, and pedagogical approaches influenced by the differing professional realities addressed by exponents of each school. He says: J ai l impression, qu aux Etats-Unis, on aura un petit peu tendance de passer beaucoup plus de temps sur le concerto de Mozart parce qu il sera donné dans le compétitions pour les orchestres, pour les auditions, mais on ne fera pas forcément un travail avec toute la curiosité que l on pourrait avoir. C est ça qui caractérise un petit peu notre école. J ai l impression que les plus grandes différences sont à ce niveau-là. (I have the impression that in the United States, one would have a slight tendency toward spending a lot more time on the Mozart concerto because it will be given in competitions and auditions for orchestral placement but that one wouldn t necessarily work on it

111 THE DOUBLE REED 109 with all possible curiosity. This is what characterizes our school. I have the impression that major differences on this level exist). niveau de la méthode. Maintenant, je dois dire que je me suis assez écarté de son exemple comme artiste, comme bassoniste. In Audin s view, the American school has a much more pragmatic approach to the bassoon curriculum. Certain pieces are studied because they are likely to appear during professional auditions. This is not the practice in France where the bassoon student is exposed to a much broader selection of repertoire that does not necessarily favor the well-established and known pieces. For example, Audin explains that his curriculum incorporates a number of Vivaldi concerti that are less likely to be studied in the United States because they are not likely to appear on repertoire lists for professional competitions. Audin believes that the inclusion of such works as the lesser-known Vivaldi concerti can be beneficial to the education of the bassoonist. Similarly, Audin recommends works that are comparable in fashion and technical difficulty and can further enhance the student s understanding of style. For example, he points out that the Danzi concerti can greatly assist the bassoonist in his or her preparation for the Mozart concerto as these pieces employ similar phrasing patterns and articulation. In so doing, Audin attempts to build a solid education that involves a broader vision of music and its style variations than that taking a solely pragmatic approach to the performance of pieces likely to be called for in orchestral auditions. According to Audin, the French school is particularly interested in recent bassoon compositions. He believes that there is a tendency to explore musical literature that is less likely to be considered by other national schools, especially in North America where orchestral preparation is prevalent in the closing stages of bassoon education. Although Audin s teaching philosophy is strongly influenced by the practical methodology utilized by Maurice Allard, Audin notes that his current view on academic preparation is considerably different than the French school of the past and his current focus on bassoon education reflects his understanding that music is a constantly evolving creative phenomenon. He says: (I must say that Maurice Allard had a vital influence on me as he was my last professor. His influence was above all on the level of my work-process, had to do a lot with perfectionism and method. Now, I must say that I have considerably distanced myself from his approach both as an artist and as a bassoonist). Audin s teaching philosophy is concerned with the ability of the performer to adapt, blend, and evolve artistically during the course of a musical performance. He therefore emphasizes thorough understanding of these specific aspects and their proper assimilation by the students is emphasized in his teaching curriculum. Audin stresses solid technical preparation and a broad vision of musicality. These two aspects are always investigated simultaneously as students are encouraged to craft their own creative approaches. In so doing, he seeks to develop bassoonists with a good sense of style, musical maturity, and unique performing qualities. This specific approach is also the catalyst behind the highly individual and expressive performing style often associated with French bassoonists. ARTICLES Je dois dire que Maurice Allard a eu une influence déterminante sur moi. Evidemment, puisque c était mon dernier professeur. Surtout au niveau de la démarche dans le travail, surtout au niveau du perfectionnisme, au

112 110 THE WORKS FOR BASSOON OF GUSTAV SCHRECK The Works for Bassoon of Gustav Schreck Daniel Lipori Ellensburg, Washington ARTICLES Gustav Schreck s Sonata for Bassoon and Piano is now considered a standard work in the bassoon repertory, and one of the few sonatas from the Romantic period of music for the bassoon. Little, however, is known about the composer. In addition to the bassoon sonata, Schreck also composed a Nonett for two flutes, oboe, two clarinets, two horns, and two bassoons. BIOGRAPHY Gustav Schreck was born in Zeulenroda on September 9, He studied at the Lyceum in Greiz, from , where he gained some musical experience singing in the choir. After short stays in Gommla and Remptendorf, Schreck entered the Leipzig Conservatory in 1868, where his primary teachers were Ernst Friedrich Richter ( ), Robert Papperitz ( ), and Salomon Jadassohn ( ). After graduation in 1870, he taught at a private high school in Viborg (now in Denmark) until It was during his time in Viborg, that he met his wife, who would later write several of the texts to his vocal works. Schreck moved back to Leipzig in 1874 and in 1887 began teaching at the Leipzig Conservatory as a theory instructor. In 1892 he was appointed as Kantor of the Thomas School (where J. S. Bach [ ] had previously taught). In 1898 he began teaching at the University of Leipzig, and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the university in He started to become ill in the Fall of 1917 and passed away on January 22, Since Schreck worked at the Thomas School for much of his adult life, it is no surprise that the majority of his compositions are vocal. He is probably most known today for his editions and piano reductions of many of Bach s cantatas and other compositions. His work with the boys choir at the Thomas School is also very noteworthy. Under his direction, the choir began to perform outside of just Sunday services, gaining a national reputation, performing with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and other notable ensembles. Gustav Schreck only wrote a few works for in- strumentalists. These include the Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, a Sonata of Oboe and Piano, and the Nonett for winds. His music falls into many of the traditional forms and structures of Romantic instrumental compositions. BASSOON SONATA Schreck s Sonata for Bassoon and Piano op. 9 is in three movements with the melody given equally to both instruments. The piano part, however, is quite thick at times, which may require the bassoonist to play slightly louder than the marked dynamics. There are many opportunities to use rubato throughout the work. It is not known for whom Schreck composed this work. However, a very prominent bassoonist in Leipzig up until 1888, was Julius Weissenborn ( ), so perhaps it was written with him in mind. The first movement is marked Allegro ma non troppo and is in a sonata-allegro form, beginning in the key of Ef Major. The transition begins in measure 15, which leads to the second theme at measure 32 in the key of Bf Major. The closing theme begins in measure 43 in Bf Major, which ends the exposition at measure 64. All of the melodic material in this movement is slurred and is mostly scales and arpeggios. The development begins in measure 65 and goes through several key areas before the recapitulation occurs at measure 109, back in the home key of Ef Major. The transition is eliminated in the recapitulation, so the second theme immediately follows the principal theme, beginning in measure 117 in Ef Major. The closing theme begins in measure 127 and there is a short coda to finish out the movement in measure 143. The difficulties in this movement lie in getting all the slurs to be smooth, and balancing with the heavy piano part. Some of the slurs are quite large and may require a flick or alternate fingering to produce the slur effectively. For example, in the first measure of the movement, there is a slur from g to e f1, which may require either flicking the c s key or lifting the first finger in the right hand for the e f to speak. The range of this movement is not terribly large, only go-

113 THE DOUBLE REED 111 ing up to a f1 a few times. The second movement is marked Largo and is in an ABA form. This movement in particular, has a lot of vocal qualities, almost in imitation of an opera aria. The movement presents the first theme in the key of Af Major with the piano accompaniment being much thinner in this section. The B section of the movement begins in measure 17 and has a thicker and more agitated piano line. There is a short cadenza, beginning in measure 29, which leads to the return of the A theme in measure 33. Another short cadenza at the end of measure 44, leads to a coda in the next measure, which ends the movement. The difficulties in the second movement are very similar to those in the first, as most of the passages are slurred and have some larger intervals within these slurs. The range of this movement is a bit wider, going up to d f2 in the second cadenza. The final movement is marked Allegro and is also in a sonata-allegro form, beginning in the key of Ef Major. After a four bar introduction, the principal theme is presented in measure 5, with the transition beginning in measure 13, leading to the second theme, which begins in measure 38 in the key of Bf Major. The closing material begins in measure 50 and the development begins in measure 64. The principal theme does not return in the recapitulation so the development ends at the return of the second theme in measure 105, back in the tonic key of Ef Major. The closing material begins in measure 117, leading to a short cadenza in measure 140. A slightly faster coda begins in measure 145, which brings the work to a resounding close. Since the tempo in the final movement is a bit faster than the first, there are a few more technical demands in this movement. There are several 16th note passages throughout, some repeating just a few notes in close succession. For example, at the beginning of the development in measure 64, there are 16th notes going up and down between d1, e f1, and f1, which may require an alternate f1 fingering to produce this passage smoothly. A common alternate for the f1 in a passage such as this, is to play the e f1 normally, then lift off all the fingers in the left hand to produce the f1. Again there are some balance issues with the piano, which may require louder playing by the bassoonist. The piano part is fairly difficult, so you will need a competent player to perform this work, but it certainly is an enjoyable and satisfying work to play for both the bassoonist and pianist. NONETT FOR WINDS Schreck s Nonett op. 40 is for the unusual combination of two flutes, one oboe, two clarinets, two horns, and two bassoons. It was composed in 1905, however the reason for its writing is unknown. Perhaps it was written with members of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in mind. As with the bassoon sonata, this work has many vocal qualities to it. Melodic material is constantly passed between all instruments, sometimes only a measure at a time. It is not an overly difficult work, and could be handled by a competent college ensemble. Probably the most difficult aspect of this work for wind players is the primary key of E Major. The first movement begins with a Largo introduction in the key of E Minor in a 6/4 meter. There is a slow quarter note melodic fragment passed between many voices with dotted half note chords primarily in this section. This leads to an Allegro ma non troppo in measure 31, which begins the sonata-allegro section in the key of E Major, marked in a cut time. A transition beginning in measure 39 leads to the second theme in the key of B Major at measure 50. The closing area, beginning at measure 61, then completes the exposition. The development begins in measure 70, and is quite lengthy, lasting until measure 166, where a return of the principal theme back in the tonic key occurs. The transition begins at measure 175, with the second theme following at measure 186. The closing material returns in measure 195, and a coda, beginning in measure 208, completes the movement. The melodic material throughout this movement is comprised primarily of quarter note and eighth note passages, incorporating several triadic figures. Most of the melodic material is slurred throughout and there are not many large jumps in any of the parts. The second movement is a scherzo and trio, primarily in the key of C Minor. There are much lengthier melodic lines in this movement and one instrument will keep the melody for a longer period of time. Section two of the scherzo begins in measure 19, also mainly in the key of C Minor. The Trio begins numbering at measure 1 again in the Edition Compmusic score in the key of A Minor. This section moves to A Major beginning in measure 38, with a return of the first section in measure 78, back in the key of A Minor. A da capo brings a return of the scherzo portion and coda finishes out the movement, which concludes in the key of C Major. In this movement, a staccato quarter note melody of mostly stepwise mo- ARTICLES

114 112 THE WORKS FOR BASSOON OF GUSTAV SCHRECK ARTICLES tion prevails the scherzo section, while the trio portion has a slurred dotted quarter note melody, often with a held drone beneath. There are several abrupt dynamic changes within, adding to the excitement and intensity of this movement. Movement three is marked Adagio di molto in a 3/4 meter beginning in the key of B Minor, and appears to be a theme and variations. Most of the key areas do not settle for very long before they move to another tonality. After a four bar introduction, the main theme is presented in measure 5. Variation 1 begins in measure 37 in the key of A Major. The second variation begins in measure 49, primarily in the key of A Minor. A third variation begins in measure 65 in the key of B Minor, which moves to a coda in measure 86, with the movement concluding in the key of D Major. There is a bit more rhythmic variety in this movement, with the melodic material moving between quarter notes, eighth notes, eighth note triplets, sixteenths, and dotted rhythms. Most of the material is slurred and the dynamics are much softer here, with several piano and pianissimo markings. The fourth movement is in a sonata-allegro form in the key of E Major. There are a few instances that the first flute part is to double on piccolo. There is somewhat of a march-like quality to this movement, with many dotted rhythms throughout. After the principal theme is stated, the transition begins in measure 19, leading to the second theme in measure 29, in the key of B Major. A closing section begins in measure 51 brings an end to the exposition, in the key of B Major. The development section begins in the new key signature of E Minor and lasts until the return of the principal theme in measure 101, back in the home key area of E Major. There is no return of the second theme in the recapitulation, so the closing area follows the principal theme in measure 119, and a coda beginning in measure 131 completes the movement. The melodic material in this movement is again mostly stepwise and has a greater variety of dynamics throughout. The dotted rhythms appear in the accompaniment, as well as within the melody. The coda has a sixteenth note E Major scale going through a large portion of it, mainly in the upper winds. I know it is hard to get an idea of the sound of this piece from my description, and there is no commercial recording available of which I have been able to locate, but this is a wonderful piece to add to your chamber music repertoire list. All of the instruments are given melodic material and it would be a nice change of key areas, from the more common wind band works in two or three flats. There are sections that are a bit more adventuresome harmonically, in that the key areas move around quite a bit, which will give your performers a little more of a challenge. None of the individual parts require a great deal of technical proficiency. The horns must transpose in E and D, and clarinets in A are needed as well, along with a piccolo for the final movement. There is also a bit of variety in the rhythms presented, in that several times it will move from duple to triple rhythms, for a measure at a time. Both of the bassoon parts fall fairly well on the instrument, and neither part goes extremely high; with the first bassoon going up to b1 one time, and the second bassoon ascending once to gs1. This work might be a good opportunity to practice the left hand Fs fingering, as there are many passages that go between Fs and Gs. If you are not familiar with these works of Gustav Schreck, I hope you will find the time to read through them. Bassoonists have very little repertoire from the Romantic period, and these compositions would be great additions to your library.

115 THE DOUBLE REED 113 British Double Reed Society Research Comparison The influence on tone quality of different shapes of bassoon crook - a sequel by Roger Grundmann and Hans Krüger to the article by Roger Grundman which was published in the last issue. This translation was made especially for DRN by Michael Johnson. (Editor s Note: This article is a followup to the reprinred article in The Double Reed, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp The article below is reprinted with permission from the Double Reed News of the BDRS, No. 72, Autumn 2005, pp ) THE SECRET OF TONE QUALITY If an engineer discusses with professional bassoon players the secrets of what makes a really good crook, it is not surprising from a purely technical point of view if there is a discrepancy between the descriptions which are offered and how they are understood. However if the engineer has tried to penetrate the secrets of the bassoon by playing it, then it is more possible to come to terms with the descriptions. It s like blowing into a sack of potatoes; it has a warm bottom register; it hits the heights, are just a few of the remarks which you can hear in technical conversation when crooks are being tested. Those are off-the-cuff observations which can obviously be clarified in further questioning. So, through learning the other person s technical language, you can get progressively closer to identifying the criteria which have to be isolated for further physical research. A tone is the sum of fundamental and overtones; tone quality is the periodic oscillation of different tones over time. That is the general sense of the definitions of these concepts which can be found in Ziegenrücker s ABC Musik, Allgemeine Musiklehre (General Music Manual) 1. Certainly that description covers the characterizations of different crooks which are quoted above. But how are we to unlock the actual physical secrets of tone quality? Imagine the bassoon player on the platform, surrounded by his colleagues. He himself will experience the sound of the new crook which is being tested, as also will his immediate neighbours, and they will all be able to make a judgment. Further away in the auditorium an informed member of the audience will equally be able to make a judgment. What is heard must be processed through the medium of psychoacoustics, which has been developed to assess individual parameters statistically by applying known variables and then assessing them retrospectively. By the time the stage of technical psychoacoustic assessment is reached, the phenomenon of tone quality has already passed through many different physical stages. Let us consider the distribution of sound in space. It consists of pressure disturbances, which combine with the characteristics of a given space to create a sound field. This is sensed by the human eardrum and interpreted in the inner ear, especially in the inner spiral cavity (the cochlea). The process consists of analysing and filtering frequencies, in which individual frequencies are broken down according to their pitch and amplitude. Low frequencies are located at the entrance to the cochlea, high frequencies at its upper end. The auditory nerve transmits this deconstructed sound along multiple nerve fibres to the nerve centre in the brain hemisphere on the opposite side to the sound source, specifically to the auditory surface in the temporal lobe. There too the sound is broken down, with lower frequencies remaining on the surface and higher ones transmitted to the centre of the brain. The sound must then be combined with the time-determined tone quality in order to compare it with sounds which are stored in the episodic memory. It is at this final stage that the circle of tone quality and psychoacoustics is completed. Psychoacoustics registers what is experienced as harmonious or dissonant and which can be shown on an oscilloscope. It must be stressed again that this extremely complex sequence of perception of sound or tone quality by means of pressure waves travelling through space is converted by a two-dimensional eardrum into a frequency analysis. In measurement technology a microphone can be compared with the eardrum. Analogous to that, the perception of sounds can be achieved by means of a Fourier electronic frequency analysis of sound pressure over the frequency range. This is one of the very few technico-physical aids to a verbal description of the meaning of tone quality. THE STATE OF RESEARCH AND APPRAISAL OF TONE QUALITY At the Institute for Aviation and Space Technology at Dresden University, a test rig for blowing a bassoon (Figure 1, see following page) was constructed as part of a programme of diploma studies 2. By this means it is possible to achieve regular repetitions of a note, ARTICLES

116 114 RESEARCH COMPARISON ARTICLES Figure 1: Bassoon test rig designed for repeated blowing of a note on a constant basis. Experimental bassoon by the fi rm of Guntram Wolf, Kronach Figure 2: Selection of CC1-S bassoon crooks by the fi rm of Heckel, Biebrich. From top to bottom: traditional CC1 crook, general new S-crook profi le (S27), optimised S-crook profi le (optimised S-27) after Guntram Wolf, Kronach and by picking it up through a microphone, to subject it to frequency analysis in an acoustic chamber with a resonance period of 0.2 seconds. Mechanical repetition under constant conditions is important, because if a musician plays the note the frequency analysis will be constantly variable, despite intense efforts to achieve stable conditions. The test rig in Figure 1 produces a flow of air at a constant pressure which is adjustable according to the tone desired. The artificial lips which hold the double reed are also adjustable. The sound is registered by frequency analysis equipment manufactured by the firm of Bruel and Kjaer and further processed by specially written software. The attempt was made to compare the tonal qualities of crooks of different profiles, all having identical material composition, surface preparation and tube strength, and a constant coefficient of taper in the bore. Apart from the fact that every crook is individual because of the craft methods employed in manufacture, the only remaining difference is the curvature, measured according to the direction of air flow. In the first article (published originally in Rohrblatt, December 2003) a new profile for a bassoon crook was proposed for the first time. When blown, this offered a 30% reduction in air resistance. Such ease of blowing is one of the parameters which could be isolated for analysis. It was purely mechanical considerations of air flow which led to the quest for greater ease of blowing, not any acoustic imperative. At that time there was still no thought of investigating tone quality criteria. Meanwhile the firm of Guntram Wolf in Kronach, through systematic empirical investigation, developed an optimised geometric profile for the new crook, which is indistinguishable as regards tone quality from the traditional crook. The purpose of the present article is to set out the physical proof that differences in tone quality are hardly discernible in frequency analysis of the bassoon. With the generous support of the firm of Heckel in Wiesbaden-Biebrich three differently shaped crooks were manufactured (see Figure 2). Production of all three crooks was carried out according to the manufacturing method CC1, which is well known among bassoon players. The first step was obviously subjective investigation of the group of crooks. The middle crook in Figure 2 failed this test as carried out by professional bassoon players, according to their initial judgments. The other two crooks, respectively of new and tra-

117 THE DOUBLE REED 115 Figure 3: Sound composition curves of three CC1-S bassoon crooks by the fi rm of Heckel, Biebrich Figure 4: Statistical analysis of the sound composition curves of the traditional S-crook CC1 (crosses), general new S-crook S-27 (dots) and the optimised S-crook S27 circles), according to Principal Component Analysis. ditional construction, were found to be more or less equal. This test can be seen as a non-professional psychoacoustic examination. Studies were then carried out with the aid of the test rig. These were designed to focus on the only difference, namely the three different geometries. It is important to bear in mind that the two newer profiles differed little from one another. The same is the case with traditional crooks manufactured by different firms. The result is shown in Figure 3 in the form of curve patterns of the three crooks, which were tested on the same experimental bassoon. The curves demonstrate groups or partials which stand out in the frequency spectrum because of their greater intensity or greater sound pressure. Figure 3 plots sound pressure level against frequency. These comprehensive curves plot the sequence of all maximum divergences in the sound pressure level of fundamental and overtones against the fundamental note f= Hz. This procedure of examination of sound pressure maxima is called level addition. These curves were derived by averaging up to 30 individual measurements. From them it can be concluded that the traditional (CC1) profile has the same high and low points over the full range of the curve as the new (S27) optimised profile. On the other hand the new non-optimised S27 profile shows marked opposing displacements of the curve above 1900HZ. Psychoacoustically, this crook was judged not to have such a good tone quality. Figure 4 contains further confirmation of these results, based on the statistical method known as Principal Component Analysis. This Analysis leads to the obvious conclusion that the traditionally shaped CC1 crook is indistinguishable from thenew optimised S27 profile. The non-optimised S27 shows considerable divergences ARTICLES

118 116 RESEARCH COMPARISON and forms its own cluster which is to be interpreted as evidence of inferior tone quality, just as on a subjective basis it was considered by professional bassoonists to be inferior. It appears that we have established a standard for assessing good and inferior tone quality on the basis of a purely geometrical crook profile, provided that all other parameters were kept constant. At the same time, because the new profile was developed to produce the lowest pressure resistance, this demonstrates that the rate of air flow itself significantly affects tone quality. PROSPECT ARTICLES The theme which we have embarked on here, of isolating individual parameters which determine the tone quality of a crook, is of exceptional interest. Subjective perceptions are described by individuals as their individual experience. Collecting together a number of opinions can also have a general value in psychoacoustic terms. However the result of assessing just one parameter produces results that are of practical application for both musicians and instrument makers. This can then set us on the path to new developments which can help to make life easier for musicians, without conflicting with general perceptions concerning tone quality. There are already signs that the new-profile crook is spreading outside Germany, to the New York Philharmonic and to orchestras in Australia. For this reason the German research community has already committed resources to enable fundamental research to be undertaken at the Technical University of Dresden, particularly concerning the tone quality of the bassoon. [This article was translated and published by permission of the authors.] NOTES 1 Ziegenrucker, W.: ABC Musik, Allgemeine Musiklehre (General Music Manual). Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Hartel Kruger, H.: Construction and experimental verification of a bassoon test rig, Diploma thesis, Technical University, Dresden, March 2005

119 Not Just for Bassoonists: Expanding Kovar s Exercise on 5 Tones Daryl Durran Penn State University THE DOUBLE REED 117 Simon Kovar s 24 Daily Studies is a 111- page collection of technique exercises in scales, arpeggios, intervals, attacks and long tones. It is unfortunate that this book has been unavailable for many years, for it contains a lifetime of technical exercises. While every study contained in Kovar s book is valuable, I have found the Exercise on 5 Tones to be particularly useful for players of all abilities. (The example below is printed with the kind permission of Eleanor and Leah Kovar.) Exercise on 5 Tones from 24 Daily Studies Simon Kovar ARTICLES This exercise can be played beginning on any note, in any register, in any key, and in any articulation. If a student can play in the first register of their instrument, they can begin practicing these patterns. For the non-beginner bassoonist, this exercise has proven to be especially useful in developing facility in the bassoon s third register. These patterns are effective in addressing a significant number of technical problems. As powerful a practice tool as the Exercise on 5 Tones is, an expanded-range version of the exercise has also been useful. These expanded patterns markedly increase the exercise s difficulty, particularly in the patterns of 3rds and 4ths, and with the addition of 5ths. Again, this exercise can be played beginning on any note, in any register, in any key, and in any articulation. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

120 118 NOT JUST FOR BASSOONISTS: EXPANDING KOVAR S EXERCISE ON 5 TONES 1 Expanded Kovar - C, - G, - A ARTICLES With its limited range and short patterns, the Exercise on 5 Tones can be easily memorized and transposed to different pitches and registers. Memorization of the expanded-range version is more difficult. To aid in developing facility with the expanded-range version, I have placed on my web page a Sibelius file of the exercise and several pdf files with different starting notes. You are welcome to download these files at edu. (click faculty, click winds, brass, percussion, click Daryl Durran ). I hope you will find this exercise, inspired by Kovar, to be of value to you and your students.

121 THE DOUBLE REED 119 Dirt, Dust, Crud, and Junk Betty Asher Loomis, California Dirt, dust, crud and junk: these four letter words should be in every bassoonist s musical vocabulary, and probably aren t. We are all so busy worrying about reeds, intonation, alternate fingerings, and other essentials, that we never stop to think about that other fact of life, dirt. But you should, and here is why. Dirt happens. It happens all the time, everywhere, inside your mouth and outside, wherever you are playing. Stages are dusty, teeth don t get brushed, and when was the last time you vacuumed your practice area? Am I making a big deal out of this? You bet! Just ask your repairman what has the most impact on the efficient working of your instrument and he will most likely say: crud. Let s start with outside dirt. Look under the rods on your instrument; they are probably dusty. That dust gets into the lubricant between the rods and the pins and gets gummy. Gummy equals slower response time. A folded pipe cleaner is handy for dusting under the rods and keys. Don t use one of those compressed air cans; they just blow the dust someplace else. Take another pipe cleaner, fold it in half, and twist it around in your tone holes. Is it a sickly shade of brown? That is crud in your tone holes, a combination of saliva, perspiration, dust, and whatever was left on your fingers after lunch. Get rid of it! If the crud is hard and dry, try a little baby oil on the pipe cleaner; don t use alcohol, it is a solvent that could damage the finish. Be sure to bend the pipe cleaner and always insert the folded end into the hole. The ends of a pipe cleaner are sharp and could easily scratch the wood. Clogged tone holes have an impact on your intonation, so get out the tuner after you have cleaned them. Whatever you do, don t forget the basic! Always swab your instrument after you play. During a break in the rehearsal, swab! Don t lay an unswabbed bassoon down with the tone holes down: your saliva in the bore will run into the tone holes and make crud of the dust in them and gurgle at a most embarrassing time. By the way, take a look at your swab: is it still the same color as when you got it? Probably not, so take a few minutes every couple of months and wash it with soap and water! Not only will it not stink anymore, but it will do a better job drying your instrument. Bocals need special care. Do you doubt your bocal needs cleaning? Just smell the large end. A recent discussion on the IDRS chat site had good cleaning ideas and stressed the importance of frequent washing of bocals. Running really hot water through it frequently usually will be enough to keep it clean. Just be sure the cork is well greased before you do it. Now for the inside dirt (and I am not talking about the love lives of various IDRS members!): The inside dirt is what is in your mouth all the time: leftover teensy bits of food, the bacteria that grow on your tongue and in your saliva. Every drop of saliva that goes into your reed, through the bocal, and down into the wing joint carries minute particles of this assortment, and if you have a stuffy nose, some of that gunk goes too. What to do about all this accumulation? You can t get rid of all of it, but you can substantially decrease the amount that goes into your instrument. Here are a few tricks: 1. Always scrub your teeth well just before you play your instrument, and if you can, floss. Flossing will get rid of itsy-bitsy tidbits of steak, donuts, or whatever that your toothbrush couldn t reach. Then, rinse well. 2. This next process sounds gross, but it makes a difference: gargle. Food, bacteria, and that stuff - like viruses from your nose - collect on your tonsils and in the back of your throat, and travel with your saliva into the bassoon. Now here is the tricky part: you need to gargle with your head tilted back and your tongue sticking out. Sticking your tongue out allows the water to drop further back into your throat around your tonsils, and the agitated ARTICLES

122 120 DIRT, DUST, CRUD, AND JUNK water loosens the crud. (My doctor had a detailed physiological explanation of how this works, but just take my word for it ) The really good fringe benefit from this tongue-out gargling (use the hottest water you can stand; don t waste money on mouthwashes) is that it removes a lot of those unpleasant viruses that cause sore throats as well as food leftovers that cause halitosis. The best place to try this gargle procedure is in the shower; all of the water you spritz out of your mouth won t get on the mirror! ARTICLES 3. Another almost-as-gross keeping-it-clean procedure is cleaning your tongue. After you scrub your teeth, look at the surface of your tongue. Is it a nice bright pink? Or does it have a thick coating of snow? That snow is a humongous colony of bacteria that loves the moist warmth of your mouth, but doesn t hesitate to travel with your saliva into your reed where it hangs out, clogging its pores. So what to do about it? After you scrub your teeth, take a fingernail file or dull knife (not your best reed knife!) and scrape off the snow. Then rinse your mouth to get rid of the loose stuff. You ve heard or read the pros and cons about soaking old reeds in hydrogen peroxide to bring them back to life; this snow and other dried mouth gunk is what the peroxide loosens and removes. About your reed: after practicing or rehearsing, all that gunk that left its mouth-home is either in your reed or your bassoon. Do something about it! If nothing else, jiggle your reed up and down in your soaker jar. Better yet, go to the nearest faucet and simply run a strong stream of water through your reed, and then air-dry it. Try these tricks. Teach them to your students; it s a sure thing their mothers didn t. The procedures don t cost anything but a little time. You and your instrument will be healthier and work better, and possibly you just might be more kissable!

123 THE DOUBLE REED 121 British Double Reed Society Bassonicus - Aura versus merit? Bassoon Sonatas by Arnold Cooke and Hindemith Jefferey Cox Godalwing, England Reprinted with permission from the Double Reed News of the BDRS, No. 73, Winter 2005, pp OBITUARY: ARNOLD COOKE ( ) Arnold Cooke was born in Yorkshire, studied at Cambridge and under Hindemith in Berlin, returning for a short time to Cambridge as Director of Music for the Festival Theatre. Until World War II he was Professor of Harmony and Counterpoint in Manchester. After the war he joined the staff of Trinity College of Music. His many compositions include an opera based on Mrs. Gaskell s novel, Mary Barton. In the Spring 2002 issue of DRN (No.58) Jefferey Cox compared the Cooke and Hindemith sonatas for bassoon. We reprint the article here as a tribute to Arnold Cooke. The refracting lens of a big name can play curious tricks - a dove drawn by Picasso carries quite a different resonance (and price tag!) to one drawn by an unfashionable artist, whatever the merits of the drawing. The same can apply to music - a minor work by a major composer can be vested with greater status that its equivalent by a relatively unknown composer simply because it benefits from the aura of that composer s overall reputation. This, to my mind, is the fate that has befallen Arnold Cooke s Sonata for bassoon and piano, a work that by rights should be as well known and frequently played as Hindemith s; but is more or less unknown because Cooke is himself so little known. Cooke was Hindemith s pupil and the works are very much from the same mould. As a young music student at Cambridge, Arnold Cooke had been impressed by Hindemith s musical ideas and he decided to study with him in Berlin. He went there in 1929 and stayed a total of 3 years at the Hochschule fur Musik, where Hindemith was a member of the faculty. Hindemith, who was concerned at the increasing alienation of the listening public from music as a result of Schoenberg s 12-tone system, had set out to re-establish that relationship, which he believed could be best achieved by forging a new musical lan- guage firmly set within the framework of tonality. Hindemith s musical intelligence, commitment, and composing and teaching skills ensured a wide international exposure and earned him a reputation as one of Europe s leading musical thinkers. His prolific output over a variety of musical forms was also dazzling, but although he endeared himself to musicians by his ideas and by composing for their instruments, he no less than Schoenberg failed to attract an enthusiastic audience. Indeed, his productivity contrived to undermine his standing. So did his emphasis on the importance of craftsmanship as opposed to inspiration (a deliberate down-playing of the romantic image of the composer as mouthpiece of the Muse). He also set out to write fun and functional music, which was sometimes dismissed as Gebrauchsmusik - utilitarian music. It became fashionable for antagonistic critics to denigrate him as a jobbing composer and pedant. But worse was to come. Hindemith fell foul of the Nazis, who prohibited performance of his music and harried him until in 1936 he chose to emigrate first to Switzerland, then to the United States, but not before he had written Mathis der Maler, a thematic symphony. He subsequently developed this into an opera expressing the anguish of the artist struggling to maintain his artistic integrity in a time of massive social upheaval. Not surprisingly, the opera did not receive its first performance in Germany until after the war, and meanwhile Hindemith s music was branded kulturbolschewistisch and even entartet, a German word with almost Darwinian connotations - art being in its most fundamental sense a biological or zoological species, so a debasing of the species music. But back to the musical specifics which attracted Arnold Cooke. Hindemith s music has a very particular overall sound - a distinctive musical signature that makes it instantly recognisable. This derives from the importance he gives the interval of a fourth in his musical language, and to a lesser degree, that of a fifth. In a nutshell, the musical path he trod was based on a re-ordering of the accepted harmonic hierarchy ARTICLES

124 122 BASSONICUS - AURA VERSUS MERIT? BASSOON SONATAS BY ARNOLD COOKE AND HINDEMITH ARTICLES - a shuffling of existing cards rather than the invention of new decks. To my mind, the effect is vaguely modal, and a kind of Doppler Shift towards the red end of the spectrum. The predominance of fourths gives the music a pervasive seriousness, not to say melancholy, and shafts of sunlight seem relatively few. Also, Hindemith liked to develop his ideas in linear terms, and his music can be highly contrapuntal. Taken together, they endow his music with a certain unrelieved gravitas, which may account for his lack of appeal to a wider audience. Hindemith s Sonata for bassoon and piano was written in the same year as the opera Mathis der Maler (1938), and is one of a series he decided to write for all the instruments of the orchestra - an undertaking that is itself a clue to his systematised approach to music. The Sonata exhibits the characteristics described above, though has a refreshing simplicity and directness. It fits into a small space. Its demands on the player are ones to do with expression and a sense of structure rather than technical facility and Hindemith takes a rather conservative view of the instrument s compass. Hindemith played the bassoon (amongst several instruments), but not to a professional standard and this (as well as the desire to position the piece so that it was accessible to students) may have influenced his choice of range and difficulty. The first movement is a distinct entity and based on a theme consisting of intervals of a fifth, followed by a fourth, followed by a third, a second and finally a fifth again. The next three movements are continuous, with a short march separating a meditation and a re-working of the material of the first movement in wistful mood. Arnold Cooke wrote his Sonata in 1988, so 50 years after Hindemith s. Its structure is more conventional that Hindemith s - three separate movements (two quickish ones bracketing a central Largo) and it is also a third longer (about ). The things that distinguish this Sonata for me are the fine sweep of the first movement, which sounds completely of a piece; the wonderfully elegiac principal theme of the second movement (with its contrasting and mood-lightening central section); and the energy and bounce of the Finale. The student s homage to his master is very evident - there is a predominance of fourths; the Red Shift in overall sound; and the musical notation is smothered in accidentals - most of them flats or double flats! Even after playing the work several times it can still feel like being in a Formula One car negotiating a series of unfamiliar chicanes. One memorable passage (in the tenor clef!) being the sequence below. Reproduced by kind permission of the publisher - June Emerson I began this article by suggesting that Cooke s is the better of the two sonatas. I think it is the more substantial work, the more memorable, makes more of the bassoon s range and is more satisfying to play. In terms of inspiration, Cooke s slow movement is rather special, whereas Hindemith s is more an apology of a movement and to my mind the weakest section of the piece. Convinced? I would not expect you to be - these matters are highly subjective. My point is that there is a fine bassoon sonata out there waiting for the attention it deserves. I believe it is only the aura surrounding Hindemith that has attracted players to his Sonata rather than that of his pupil. There have been any number of recordings of the Hindemith. I have it played by Milan Turkovic on Sony SK64400; Dag Jensen on Dabringhaus Grimm MDG ; and Mauro Monguzzi on Bongiovanni GB The only recording I know of the Arnold Cooke is by Roger Birnstingl, to whom the sonata is dedicated and who gave the first performance in a BBC recital in It was that recording (which, by the way, is full of inspirational playing) which introduced me to the work and inspired this article.

125 Historical Oboes 15 Lorée Oboes of John Mack s Era Robert Howe Wilbraham, Massachussetts THE DOUBLE REED 123 Figure 1. Lorée oboes CY68 (1973) and PO24 (2004). The decorations on PO24 s bell were added by the author s daughter. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of the most prominent French oboe making firm, F. Lorée of Paris. This is also the centenary of the modern oboe, the System 6 bis conservatoire mechanism, developed by Lorée 1, which is used by most oboists of North America and Europe. 2 In my columns this year, I had intended to explore little-known aspects of Lorée s oboe production. However, on July 23 we lost one of our giants, John Mack. Mack s playing in the Cleveland Orchestra and teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Music set the standards for American oboists of his generation. Most of us are indebted to Mack in one way or another, whether by having studied with him, by having heard him in performance, by being enchanted by his elegant recordings, or by simply working in the community of oboists which he influenced from the 1960 s until his death. This column is my homage to John Mack. John Mack played Lorée oboes for his entire career, a decision that was easy for him early on - he studied at a time when almost all American symphony oboists used oboes by Lorée or Alfred Laubin; the multiplicity of fine oboe makers that we enjoy today developed in the 1980s. Intensely loyal to the Lorée firm, Mack went to Paris regularly to pick oboes, even after retiring from the Cleveland Orchestra. 3 He maintained this preference as many of his colleagues - including some on stage with him at Severance Hall - took to playing oboes by other firms. It thus is fitting and instructive to examine two oboes that, although not owned by Mr. Mack, crossed his path at an interval of 30 years. By doing so we can see some of the alterations made upon the conservatoire oboe and learn how it has continued to develop, nine decades after its invention. My first exposure to John Mack came at age 16, when I purchased the Cleveland Orchestra s 1967 recording of Rossini Overtures. 4 Captivated by the oboe playing, I took the LP to my teacher, Larry Allen, who told me of Mr. Mack, and who suggested that, as a student intending to study science and music, I might enjoy attending college in Cleveland. Having just received my first professional quality ARTICLES

126 124 HISTORICAL OBOES 15: LORÉE OBOES OF JOHN MACK S ERA ARTICLES oboe, CY68 (figure 1), I took his advice seriously and ended up at Case Western Reserve University. There I had the pleasure of studying with Felix Kraus, 5 of attending John Mack s master classes, and of hearing the Cleveland Orchestra almost 100 times in four years. A previous teacher, Isai Belinsky, had ordered CY68 for me in February In 1973 few dealers sold imported oboes, so Mr Belinsky dealt directly with Robert de Gourdon at Lorée. 6 This was my only oboe from September 1973 until February The purchase price of approximately $800 (including taxes and shipping) was the equivalent of $3800 today. 7 As a Lorée oboe sells for about $6000 in 2006, a college education is not the only commodity whose price rose in excess of inflation during my lifetime! Mr. Mack tried this oboe when I played for him as a college freshman, in July 1977, in May 1978 and again in July 1981, speaking well of it each time. Oboe PO24, although also by Lorée, is very different from CY68. PO24 is Lorée s Royal model, introduced in Mr. Mack chose this oboe from three at the Lorée atelier in April The differences between these oboes are revealing. PO24 has a different color, more mass, larger tone holes, a more complex bell design, and a more intricate mechanism than CY68. Each of these factors can be related to modern trends in oboe playing. PO24 s body is of violetwood (or kingwood ), which is yellow-brown and less dense than grenadilla. 9 Mr Mack picked a kingwood oboe for me because arthritis of the right elbow and wrist makes a heavy oboe burdensome. CY68 weighs only 646 grams; PO24 weighs 701 grams; Lorée oboe QM74, a grenadilla Royal, weighs 747 grams, 16% more than CY68. Thus the violetwood saves me from hefting 46 grams as I play the oboe. Does it matter what an oboe weighs? Mr. Mack felt so, telling me that heavier oboes have a bigger, more interesting sound than their lighter cousins. 10 Although physicists and musicians argue over the relationship between the materials and woodwind playing characteristics, his assertion is very reasonable. A denser wood has more material per unit of volume and thus, per unit of bore surface area. Denser wood will provide a bore with a smoother, more highly polished grain, which will induce fewer perturbations in the air stream and will require less energy to put the air into motion. 11 Woods other than grenadilla were rare as material for oboes in the 1970s, but have become more popular of late; this mirrors the situation of a century ago, when grenadilla achieved dominance over South American tropical hardwoods as the primary material for woodwind bodies. 12 Players usually choose exotic woods for their sonic qualities rather than for their weight; they are held to have a softer sound than grenadilla. 13 It is interesting that, although grenadilla is the most popular wood for oboes (and the only wood Mr. Mack used), the Lorée website emphasizes the kingwood Royal oboe. How is it that PO24 weighs more than CY68, which is made of a denser wood? Two facts explain this. PO24 has more metal; there are several more keys and the thumb rest is bigger. But more important to the characteristics of these oboes is that the Royal oboe has thicker walls than does the standard Lorée, then and now. At the decorative bead atop the upper joint, for example, CY68 has a diameter of 20.9mm; PO24, of 21.3 mm. One calculates that PO24 has about 8% more volume of wood than the older oboe. 14 Having more wood makes an oboe more thermally stable. PO24 thus takes longer to warm up and to come to pitch than does CY68, but I find that once warmed up, PO24 holds its pitch better through the course of an evening. Having more wood also may make the top joint less susceptible to cracking; Viennese oboes have a large baluster on the top joint, purportedly to reduce the incidence of cracks. The trick seems to work, as I know of few cracked Royals and of no cracked Viennese oboes. The keys of PO24 are larger than CY68 s; their low B keys, for example, have diameters of 15.5 and 14.1 mm respectively, a proportion that applies also to the tone holes underneath. This is a consequence of the Royal oboe s thicker walls. Having thicker walls, the newer oboe also has longer tone hole chimneys, which if uncompensated would cause it to play flat. Enlarging the tone holes corrects this, although there is a limit to how far this process can be taken; making the tone holes too large will give the oboe too bright a sound. Thus one is not surprised to find that PO24 is 2.6 mm shorter than CY68, most of the difference being in the lower joint. Many players make sharper reeds for their Royal oboes; Mr Mack was one such oboist. While I have no detailed measurements, simple observation shows that the bell on CY68 is composed of a relatively broad cone intersecting the main bore of the instrument just below the Bf tone hole, thus having two tapers. The Royal s bell includes three tapers. Placing the older bell on the newer instrument, I feel that the tone gets less dark; but performing the reverse experiment, I can perceive no reciprocal difference. Mack was very fussy with the bells of his

127 THE DOUBLE REED 125 Figure 2. F-resonance mechanism on Yamaha Wieneroboe 0010, made before When the Ef key is pressed, the metal loop closes the F resonance key. instruments; I recall a master class in 1977, when Dianne Byberg noted yellow tape inside the bell of his oboe. She made a teasing gesture as if to remove this tape, to which Mack responded that her doing so would ruin his high G. When I bought CY68, there was one bore for all Lorée oboes; now, in response to the demands of the market, one can purchase a Lorée oboe in a standard bore, a DM bore, or an AK bore. 15 The AK bore, which replicates a series of oboes from the late 1930s, has been applied to both the standard (thin-walled) and Royal model Lorée oboes. PO24 is in fact an AK bore. Let s look now at the keywork. 16 CY68 is in the Tabuteau system, a variant of the conservatoire system. Marcel Tabuteau, who was the principal oboist in the Philadelphia Orchestra at mid-century, taught oboe at the Curtis Institute. While there he mentored many of the prominent American oboists of the late 20th century, including Mr. Mack, Mr. Kraus, Harold and Ralph Gomberg, John de Lancie, Robert Bloom and others. The main distinction of the Tabuteau system oboe is that it omits resonance keys for forked F and low Bf, as well as the third octave key. Each of these resources can be found on oboes from before 1950, 17 but they were not generally used in the 1960s and 1970s. The F resonance mechanism is the most important of these devices. Introduced to French oboes by the firm of A. Robert in 1907, 18 the F resonance key was considered optional in the 1960s but is now standard equipment. The forked F on any oboe is very stuffy, especially in the lower register. The F resonance mechanism opens a vent when fingers 4 and 6 are pressed, with 5 open. This vent improves the tone and response of the F. In fact, the F resonance key is redundant, because the Ef tone hole is in almost the same location and can be used to vent the otherwise-stuffy forked F. The F resonance mechanism gives this venting function without pressing the Ef key, thus simplifying many fingering combinations. As nice as this is, it has the weakness that in fast passages where the Ef key is kept down for facility, having both the Ef and F resonance keys open makes the forked F sharp. This flaw is avoided on the modern Vienna oboe (as made by Yamaha) by the placement of a simple wire loop which, when the Ef touch is depressed, prevents the F resonance hole from opening (figure 2). An oboe that lacks the F resonance key obliges the player to make more frequent use of left hand F, even in combinations with D and Ef that might otherwise employ forked F. Mr. Mack, in the 1970s, was adamant on using left hand F rather than forked F whenever possible; this was at least in part because the forked F resonance mechanism did not as effectively match the sound of long F as it does today. Until I bought my second professional oboe, I almost never used forked F. The discipline that this practice instilled has been as valuable to me in medicine and in writing as in oboe playing. 19 Another key which became standard between 1973 and 2006 is the low Bf resonance vent. Bell tones on conical woodwinds are notorious for being loud and rough-edged; the vent key makes the low Bf easier to play and permits the oboe s lowest note to match its neighbors in timbre and response. This key, like all others on the oboe, carries the risk of leakage; if the vent leaks even a little bit, the upper E in the staff can be greatly perturbed. Most oboists prefer the key, but not all; the American makers Alfred Laubin and Paul Covey find this key to be redundant and do not routinely provide it. 20 The final mechanical addition to PO24 is the third octave key. This opens a tiny vent to facilitate playing high notes from E, especially in a piano dynamic. The merits of this key are subject to legitimate debate, but it has become part of the standard setup of a modern oboe. A professional oboe player who must perform a lot of modern music will find this key to be more useful than will an amateur who rarely plays above Ds. Playing these oboes, one finds several invisible differences. Competition between makers and ongoing research have led to many improvements in the conservatoire oboe. Most of the problem notes of 30 years ago are now improved or corrected, including ARTICLES

128 126 HISTORICAL OBOES 15: LORÉE OBOES OF JOHN MACK S ERA ARTICLES the sharp fourth space E, sharp high Cs and D, difficult low Cs, and flat low B. John Mack used Lorée Royal oboes from the early 1990s until his death. How did this model of oboe relate to his work? 21 As American orchestras become louder and darker in overall sound during the 1980s, Mack and other players demanded oboes to match. 22 He found that the more massive, larger holed Royal oboe allowed him more projection and a more secure low register. The Low Bf vent and third octave key provided small but meaningful tonal advantages (Mack had always used oboes with F resonance keys) while the improved scale called for less fussing with pitch. Thus in the 1990s, Mack and his colleagues adroitly exploited the Royal s characteristics to meet the demands of playing in large orchestras, even as musical fashions called simultaneously for bigger and darker woodwind sounds. Players and instruments thus affected each other as they have for centuries. Americans do not achieve nobility; we have no counts, dukes or earls. Yet in 1997, after a series of performances at Carnegie Hall, the New York Times critic referred to Mr. Mack as a prince, singling out just one player out from the extraordinary Cleveland Orchestra. 23 How apt that the Prince of Oboists ended his career playing on a Royal oboe. NOTES 1 Robert Howe, The Boehm System Oboe and Its Role in the Development of the Modern Oboe. Galpin Society Journal 56 [June 2003]: 27-60, Geoffrey Burgess and Bruce Haynes, The Oboe (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004), In Great Britain the thumbplate system oboe remains dominant. Robert Howe, Historical Oboes 13: A Système 5 Oboe by François Lorée, Paris. The Double Reed 29:1, , He once described a very fine oboe of mine, made by another firm, as being suitable for amateurs and saxophone players. 4 LP record, Columbia MS The overtures are La scala di seta, La Gazza ladra, L Italiana in Algeri, Il Turco in Italia and Il viaggio a Reims. 5 Felix Kraus was then the Cleveland Orchestra s second oboist; he moved to English horn in 1979 and enjoyed a 25 year career on that instrument. 6 Lorée was then located at 4 rue de Vert-Bois, Paris, near the National Conservatory. The firm moved to its present address on rue de Rome, in Paris wonderful music district, only four years ago. 7 Calculated from US rates of inflation, The standard Lorée today sells for about $6000; the grenadilla Royal is $7500 and the violetwood Royal, $ accessed September 26, www. mmimports.com, accessed October 1, Note that the title is Royal, not Royale. The company s advertising notes, In 1989 a Masterpiece of art is created, combining musicality, reliability and beauty: Le Royal. Among the piece of Grenadilla wood with fine and homogeneous grain selected by Lorée for its instruments, only those with the most beautiful aspect are used for the manufacturing of the Royal. The instrument appeals to those looking for a darker and rounder tone given by thicker wood. Stricter jointing tolerances and the multiplication of tests throughout the production stages lead to an improvement of the legendary reliability of the Lorée mechanism. htm. Accessed October 1, This is not rosewood, an endangered species that is no longer legally harvested. Makers using rosewood, like those using natural ivory, thus must have pre-existing stocks of material. Rosewood also has a greater tendency than other tropical hardwoods to cause dermatitis in woodworkers. Allen St. John, Guitar Builder, Popular Mechanics, October Rare guitar woods, New York Times Magazine, Vol. 143, Issue 49599:9, 2/6/94. B. Woods, B, C. Calnan, Toxic woods, British J Dermatology 94: 33-36, This was in a conversation with Ruth Cameron and the author, November Arthur Benade, Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics (New York: Dover, 1990), Burgess and Haynes, The Oboe, A major Lorée dealer notes, (Grenadilla) is the most dense of the woods used to make oboes. Grenadilla oboes project very well and are less prone to cracking. These oboes change dimensions more slowly over time often taking longer to blow out. Cocabola wood, from Mexico, is less dense than grenadilla. It keeps the beneficial traits of grenadilla while having a slightly warmer sound. Violetwood (also called kingwood), from South America, is less dense than cocabola, and thus has a characteristic warm, sweet sound. Rosewood is the least dense of the standard woods used to make oboes. It has the sweetest sound but doesn t always project as well (it is well-suited for chamber music). Some points

129 THE DOUBLE REED 127 to keep in mind: denser woods generally project better, are less prone to cracking, and don t change as much with time. Less dense woods generally produce a warmer, sweeter sound with less of an edge. accessed October 1, Hence much of the 101 gram difference in weight between CY68 and QM74, both of which are grenadilla; I calculate that about half of this is due to the extra wood. 15 The website of a major Lorée dealer notes: Lorée oboes come in three bore styles, which physically differ mostly in the bell: 1) Regular bore, the standard. This bore style predates both the AK and the DM bore. It has a rich, dark tone which oboists have come to love. 2) AK bore: this is bore is based on the AK-series oboes. This instrument has a slightly more conical bore than the Regular, rendering it narrower near the top and slightly wider at the bell. The resulting sound is focused and dark, with less of an edge to it. This bore is very popular, especially in North America. 3) DM bore: The Deutsche Model, is more cylindrical than the Regular bore. A full, dark German sound results from the wider top and the narrower bell. cfm, accessed October 3, The extension on key 4 on PO24 and the unique C-D trill key on CY68 are meant to provide the player a more comfortable reach. 17 Robert Howe, Historical Oboes 7: A Bleuzet Model Oboe by Couesnon/Triébert. The Double Reed 25:2 [2002] p Robert was a major competitor of Lorée in the early 20th century. En 1907, M. ROBERT trouva le moyen d employer cette clè de resonance pour le fa de fourche exclusivement. M. Bleuzet, Hautbois. In, Lionel de la Laurencie (ed), Encyclopédie de la Musique et Dictionnaire du Conservatoire (Paris, Libararie Delagrave, 1925) 2: Indeed, many of Mack s aphorisms are good advice for surgeons. One thinks of the need to make every gesture meaningful, of never take no from an inanimate object, of wishing won t make it so, and of my favorite if you keep learning new tricks, you ll never be an old dog. 20 Covey, who was an early student of Mack s at the Cleveland Institute of Music, includes a low Bf resonance on his Traditional Model Oboe (a design dating from 1979) but excludes this and the third octave key from his Classic Model, introduced in the Fall of com/thecoveyoboe.html, accessed October 3, Data in this paragraph come from a series of conversations I had with Mr Mack in September-December Anne degourdon, the present proprietress of Lorée, noted, It is very difficult to tell you when exactly the tone holes of our oboes became larger... We always try to improve our instruments and things are slowly changing, following the demands of our Customers all along the years. to the author, October 6, Among many others, the principal oboe sounded like a prince, especially in Schubert s Unfinished and Luciano Berio s Rendering, which renders (Schubert s) late symphonic sketches. So many pleasures. Paul Griffiths, Clevelanders Three Nights of Reveling in Schubert. New York Times, February 3, 1997: C13. ARTICLES

130 128 Vibrato: No Longer a Mystery! Jan Eberle East Lansing, Michigan VIBRATO: NO LONGER A MYSTERY! ARTICLES As oboists, many of us have found the subject of vibrato to be taboo. If it were mentioned at all by our teachers we were most likely told, If you blow right, vibrato will appear or Vibrato comes with maturity, you just need to experience more of life. While this approach may work for some, others might benefit from a more concrete method. Let s define vibrato as a waver to the sound which adds warmth and expression. It is a desired skill that, unfortunately, many of us find difficult to achieve or teach. Perhaps I can help. This article presents various forms of vibrato and reveals tests to locate areas of production. Then, it describes methods to develop a chosen style and shows techniques to musically implement it. What fun! Let s get started. At this time, I know of nine ways to produce vibrato on the oboe. Here they are: Hand vibrato is produced by wiggling a hand on the instrument while playing. Check for the use of this vibrato through visual observation is the hand moving? While this technique may be useful on jazz trumpet, it does not work well on the oboe. Our instrument requires the balanced use of both hands while playing. This vibrato cannot be easily produced without some sacrifice to that position. My recommendation: avoid this method. Jaw vibrato is produced by actually opening and closing the jaw while playing, or with a more subtle motion of tightening and loosening the lower lip. Look for this type of production by observing motion of the jaw or by placing a finger in the mouth to feel for a grab and release of the lower lip. While this vibrato style works well in the saxophone world, on oboe it causes too much variance in pitch. Better methods follow; keep reading! Tongue vibrato is produced by saying yo, yo, yo while playing. Try saying this while placing a finger far inside the mouth. With each statement of yo you will feel the middle of the tongue arch to touch the finger and then recede. This motion does produce a waver of tone but has adverse effects on pitch and timbre. I recommend it not be used. Let s reserve the tongue for the duties of articulation, tone color and voicing. Diaphragm vibrato is produced by panting or pulsing with the diaphragm area while playing. If specific instruction on vibrato is given, this is the form most often taught. Testing for this method involves placing a hand on the abdomen at the diaphragm area and feeling for any kind of motion. While it does quickly produce a waver to the tone, I must say that I see the diaphragm vibrato as unacceptable for use on the oboe. GASP! I know I have startled many of my readers, but please, read on! My biggest issue with using diaphragm vibrato on the oboe is one of concept. Let s look at the violinist. He produces his sound with the right arm, his vibrato with the left. This seems natural enough. Can you imagine a violinist wiggling the bow while playing in order to produce the vibrato? Of course not, this seems absurd! He would not use his source of sound as his source for the waver to that sound. Yet, that is exactly what the diaphragm vibrato is making oboists do! We produce our air stream from the diaphragm area and therefore we should not use that same source to produce the waver to that sound. Okay?! Doesn t that make sense? The other problem with using diaphragm vibrato is that it is very difficult to change speed, depth, or color. Look again at the string player. A violinist is initially taught to produce vibrato by using a motion with the left arm, from the elbow up. As the player becomes more sophisticated, subtler actions are engaged. He will then be taught to move from the wrist, then from the hand, and at the highest degree of refinement, from the knuckle. An elite player will use all of these in combination, or pick and choose among them to achieve different sounds. He may vary his choice according to the style of music or even alter between forms within one phrase! Diaphragm vibrato on an oboe does not allow for these subtleties. So, if I could get past the conceptual difficulty of using the air source for the air waver, I would still reject the diaphragm vibrato based on its limited variety. Now, on to what I DO accept! Some may refer to it as the throat vibrato, but I prefer to designate five specific locations. These are presented in order, from the highest spot, meaning a place higher in the throat or closer to the oboe reed, to the lowest one, meaning a place lower in the throat or further from the oboe reed. Remember, for the moment we will be trying these SANS oboe! Whistle. This vibrato is produced by whistling a tune without creating the pitches. Yankee Doodle

131 THE DOUBLE REED 129 works nicely. Feel for some motion in the soft area under the chin about one inch back from the tip of the jawbone. Sister. Saying the first syllable of the word sister, repeatedly, produces this vibrato. In other words say sis, sis, sis, sis. Be certain that it is sis not tsis. Begin the action with a hiss of the s, rather than a clear articulated t. Take care to continue the air stream while repeating the syllable. Now, feel for movement at the tonsil area where the doctor would check for swollen glands. Vocal. Sing a note and make it vibrate. Place your flat fingers over your voice box. You may feel some vibration there. Or, you may hear a vibration, but not really be able to locate a physical motion for it. Try as you may, you will hear the vibrato but not be able to feel its location. This is the classic vocal vibrato, as I call it. By the way, this was most likely the vibrato source used by those teachers who said, If you blow right, vibrato will appear. Cough. Imagine that you have a very sore throat but must cough. You don t want to, but you must. It would be a very weak attempt at that cough wouldn t it? Try that, and feel for the motion that this action creates at the sides of your throat slightly below the Adam s apple. Laugh. Place your open palm just where the chest meets your neck. Place your thumb on one side of your neck and your four fingers on the other side. Now laugh. Yes, laugh! Feel for a motion all along the edge of your index finger, your thumb, and the curve of flesh between them. Okay, as I see it, these are the five acceptable forms of vibrato. Each one alone offers a great deal of variety in speed and depth. Plus, a player can use these in combination or switch among them at will. Wow! This gives us the same capabilities as the most sophisticated violinist! Now, let s get to work. First, run a test to discover your best vibrato source. Without the oboe, try Whistle, Sister, Vocal, Cough, and Laugh. Use the checks mentioned above and decide which form produces the strongest action. My experience tells me that everyone can immediately access at least one of these motions. In fact, most people have several methods that work, so rank them according to ease of production. Once the favored version has been determined, spend at least one week, without the oboe, strengthening that action. So, a person with Sister ranked as number one will spend a week saying sis, sis, sis in the shower, walking between classes, while waiting in the post office line, and at each stop light during the commute to school. All week long the Vocal person will serenade the neighbors, the Cougher will worry her parents, the Whistler will annoy his roommate, the Laugher...well, you get the idea. Develop the chosen vibrato AWAY FROM the oboe. Strengthen the muscles that produce the waver. In week two, use that stronger vibrato action while blowing on the BACK of the oboe reed. Yes, that means place the oboe staple in your mouth instead of the cane! This gives the sensation of an oboe embouchure but eliminates the resistance of the reed. Again, strengthen the vibrating muscles. In another week or so, when the vibrato is occurring easily under these conditions, move to the next phase. Place the reed in the oboe and the oboe into playing position. Now, blow with the vibrato action but without using enough air speed or support to actually produce a sound on the oboe. You should be hearing just air which now has a waver. Remember, there is to be no pitch or tone, just air motion. Get familiar with this feel for yet another week. The final step is to increase the support and air speed enough that an oboe tone with vibrato emerges! It works like a charm. Or rather, it should. If it doesn t, one of several things has happened. Most common is that the process got cheated. Perhaps the student didn t really spend the week strengthening his vibrato source away from the oboe. Or, he did, but then skipped the work on the back of the reed. This results in failure because the vibrating muscles don t have enough power to counteract the resistance of the oboe. Just as the weight lifter gradually adds weights and the runner gradually adds miles, we must gradually add resistance. Be certain to take the time to build the vibrato strength. Another common problem is that a student will hear the initial vibrato result as being too broken. This causes him to stop the action! Instead, at that point, have him keep the motion going while using even more support and wind speed. He must think of blowing across the waver in order to make it smooth. Some students have a mental block. The symptoms are clear: every time the reed goes in the mouth, the vibrato action stops; or, in those that were taught the diaphragm vibrato, every time the reed goes in the mouth, the diaphragm motion starts. To solve this problem, use the following additional step. Have the student begin his vibrato without a reed. Then, in slow motion, have him slide the reed into his mouth. He must keep the waver going, without the diaphragm action, as the reed slides in. Have him repeat this process until it can be accomplished with ease. Then, introduce the oboe-with-reed in the same manner. This procedure breaks the mental connection of reed- ARTICLES

132 130 VIBRATO: NO LONGER A MYSTERY! ARTICLES in-mouth/vibrato stops or reed-in-mouth/diaphragm kicks in. Okay, we now have a lovely vibrato on the oboe. Bravo! And, if you desire more options, you can repeat this process for the other acceptable forms. Fabulous! But, how shall we get this vibrato into the music? For this task, I have a list of DOs and DON Ts. DO practice holding a long note while turning the waver on and off at random time intervals. Having this ability guarantees that you are in control of the vibrato; it will no longer mysteriously appear and/or disappear. DO practice varying the vibrato speed during a single note. Many of us understand the term long tone to mean a single note held very long with an increase then decrease in dynamics. Let s add to this concept the idea of a vibrato long tone. Hold a long note and vary the vibrato speed. Go from no speed through slow to fast and back again. Master this technique to assure vibrato flexibility. DO learn to disassociate the vibrato action from the fingers. This prevents two common faults: 1) vibrato always beginning after the start of the note, and 2) vibrato being used on slow notes but not on fast ones. Develop the ability to vibrate the phrase regardless of the pitch or rhythm changes. To discover this skill, enlist a practice buddy. Student will hold the oboe with reed-in-mouth and right hand only. Buddy will cover the left hand pads with his left hand fingers one, two, and three, thus fingering the note G. Student blows with continuous vibrato action, varying the speed as in the vibrato long tone. Buddy now improvises a melody with the left hand by changing fingers one, two, and/or three to randomly produce notes G, A, and B. These finger changes should be made with various rhythmic patterns and tempos. The vibrato-producing person (student) will now actually hear and feel the vibrato continue through pitch and tempo changes. This exercise duet firmly establishes the concept that vibrato can be disconnected from finger action. DON T practice the vibrato by pulsing a set number of wavers (triplets, sixteenths, etc.) per metronome beat. This concept may have stemmed from string pedagogy. String players benefit from this type of practice because of the actual distance that the arm, hand, finger, or knuckle must travel. It forces them to vary the speed and enables them to better feel how far to move. In a wind player s case, this practice can be musical vibrato suicide! We want a flexible, living vibrato that can be added at our discretion to a musical line. We do not want to sound like a vibrato stop on a theater organ! Do not use this rhythmic method to vary the speed and depth of your vibrato. Instead, refer to the previous vibrato long tone discussion. DON T begin applying vibrato to music with the idea of using it only on long notes. This thought strengthens the mental block preventing the disassociation of fingers and vibrato. Instead, take a simple melody lets say, Happy Birthday. Now, imagine the melody while playing only one pitch. Vary your wind speed, dynamics, and vibrato on the one tone to enhance that imaginary musical line. Next, imagine that same melody but play only the first note, the climax note, and the ending note. Again, move your wind speed, dynamics, and vibrato to enhance that slightly more complex presentation of the line. Finally, play the melody in its proper form. Move your air speed, dynamics, and vibrato to enhance it and VOILA! There is a beautifully vibrated musical line produced with control at your discretion. So, we have arrived!!! You now have a lovely vibrato to add life, warmth, and expression to your playing. You are armed with tips and techniques to help your students. And, the vibrato mystery has been solved. Enjoy! AUTHOR S BIOGRAPHY Jan Eberle is associate professor of oboe at Michigan State University, East Lansing. During the summer months, she serves as principal oboist of the Chautauqua Symphony and teaches at the Chautauqua School of Music in New York. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, having earned a Bachelor of Music degree and a Certificate of Special Study. Her principal teachers have been John Mack, John de Lancie, and William Criss. Other strong influences have been Joseph Robinson, to whom she played second oboe for four summers, and Marcel Tabuteau, through study of his tape-recorded master classes and teachings of his former students. Prior to teaching at Michigan State, Jan spent eighteen years as principal oboist of the Fort Worth Symphony in Texas. She has recorded orchestral, chamber music, and solo repertoire for Musical Heritage, Zefel, Resmiranda, Blue Griffin records, and Rosen DVD. She can be heard annually on the National Public Radio broadcasts of Concerts from Chautauqua.

133 A Bassoon Lite, Please... Divine Inspiration, Protective Mozart-ical Custody Alan Goodman Bedford, Wyoming THE DOUBLE REED 131 DIVINE INSPIRATION Bassoonajuana. Bassoonijane, Bassoonihemp. The stuff was all over the place. Who would have thought a high country meadow tucked away within a half day drive of the Continental Divide would harbor what appeared to be several tons of the stuff. But here it was just ten miles up from Bedford, along the Strawberry Creek Trail, growing as well as any native dandelion. Looks like poison ivy, Horace Sherwood said into the high altitude quiet. Horace has lived in Bedford all his life, which means he was born before the town. Just one house in And that s the way it stayed until after the war. After that all Hell broke loose when the GI s came home. Building like you never saw before. When the dust settled there were four houses. That s when we decided on the name, Bedford. Things ain t never been the same since. You sure it s not bassoonajuana? What in hell is bassoonajuana? Horace said. I d learned to be patient with local folks like Horace. Several explanations of how I had made my living playing bassoon in a symphony orchestra hadn t really stuck. You mean somebody paid to hear you toot on that thing? he d managed to repeat after my every introduction on the subject of classical music. Well, sure, I d say. You see they got this big building downtown where everybody goes to hear us musicians play stuff like Mozart. I d go onstage and play my music along with about ninety-nine other musicians Wait a minute, Horace always said. He d screw his face up like he was trying to imagine one-hundred fleas dancing on the head of a pin. You mean to tell me you d take that tooter of yourn and be tooting away at the same time as ninety-nine other tooters, plunkers and pickers? Well, yeah. That s how it s done. It s like a family reunion - we all talk at one time and somehow it all makes sense in the end. That s when Horace would turn his head from side to side and the eyes would give a You-think-I-was- born-yesterday look. I leaned over one of the bassoonajuana plants and was poised to pluck one of the leaves when a voice boomed out from the surrounding mountains, DO NOT TOUCH MY STASH! Holy crap! Horace hollered. What in hell was THAT? You know, I said. This stuff could be worth a lot of money. It doesn t work on the oboe. Those guys are beyond help. But when you inhale some of this stuff though the bassoon bocal suddenly your reeds get less reedy and your tone gets tonier. Horace was tugging at my sleeve. That voice was unreal. Let s get out of here. I been up here a thousand times and I never ever heard a voice like that before. As a matter of fact I never ever remember anything like this poison ivy patch here. That stuff just doesn t grow in the mountains. But I was already stuffing several of the leaves into my pocket. A bolt of lightning hit about a hundred yards from us and a pine tree the size of a ten story building crashed down taking several other trees with it. Horace bolted down the trail in the direction of town going about as fast as a man could bolt carrying a heavy day pack through brush and fallen timber. I WARNED YOU NOT TO TOUCH MY STASH. THE NEXT TIME I WON T BE SO MERCIFUL. Normally I would have been scared out of my wits, but you just don t come upon bassoonajuana in the wild like this. I was delirious with the possibilities. I figured if I picked several pounds of the stuff I could easily make my debut as the most fantastic old bassoonist the world had ever seen. Why, with enough of the stuff I could play the Stockhausen Bassoon Concerto with my eyes closed and my toes curled over the edge of the manuscript. The future was mine for the picking. No voice - no matter how frightening - could separate me from my bassoonistic destiny. That s when the itching started. It began in my pockets where the leaves were and headed up my sleeve to my armpit. Before you could count to five, I was dancing like a mad rabbit in heat. Every part of my body was on fire. Oh, God! I hollered into clear skies. ARTICLES

134 132 A BASSOON LITE, PLEASE... ARTICLES YOU CALLED? the voice boomed out. Why hast thou forsaken me? This itching is driving me nuts. I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE MY STUFF ALONE. BUT NOOOOOOOO, YOU HAD TO HAVE SOME OF MY PERSONAL BASSOONAJUANA. AT LEAST I SPARED YOU THE BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS IN GOOD SUPPLY UP HERE IN THE MOUNTAINS. But I just wanted some for my old-age bassoon comeback, I said. Just think, I could be the greatest bassoonist who ever played after senility. WHAT IS YOUR SENILITY COMPARED TO MY RUNNING THE WORLD? You mean you use this stuff to run the world? I said. LET S JUST SAY WITH THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE, IT HELPS TO BE HIGHER THAN THOU... AND THOU AND THOU AND It took me several hours to get down the mountain. Horace was waiting at the trail head when I got there. Geeez, you look like one large welt. I told you that stuff looked like poison ivy, he said. Several weeks later, after the last of the rash had disappeared and my skin began to look normal, I got a call to give a bassoon recital in nearby Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I can t, I replied. I would if I could, but divine intervention has deprived me of inspiration. Just as well, Horace said when I gave him the news. Inspiration is overrated. At least now we have time to go fishing. PROTECTIVE MOZART-ICAL CUSTODY Flashing red and whites in my rearview. Time to pull over, roll down the window and remember if the auto insurance card was in the glove compartment, my wallet or well-hidden under the seat with the bubble gum and candy wrappers. Evening, officer. Can I see your license, Sir? And proof of insurance? The license was in my wallet. The insurance card eluded my shuffling through both wallet and glove compartment. The cop waited patiently. Officer, I m glad you stopped me. I wonder if you wouldn t mind taking me into protective custody? You been drinking, Sir? As a matter of fact I just had two glasses of red Mozart Bassoon Concerto, another of white Beethoven Fourth Symphony. And afterwards, a cold bottle of Last Rite Of Spring. Sir, I need your insurance card. Officer, I demand protection. For my own good, lock me up! Sir, you were only going ten miles per hour over the speed limit. You don t understand, Officer. I m a former bassoonist. I ve just accepted an offer to play at a bassoon festival in Idaho. Now I have to go home and make a reed, something I swore I d never, ever do again. Sir, can I have your insurance card? Officer, I m a marked man. Cuff me. Throw me in the clink. I can go eleven mph over the speed limit if that helps. My bassoon is trying to reclaim my body and soul. Body and Soul? Sounds like the name of a tune I heard once. Yeah, sure, maybe on a normal instrument like the saxophone. But we re talking weird. Insane. Something from out of your shadowed past. Creepy things that go Bolero in the night! Bolero in the night. You been smoking something harmful to society, Sir? Officer, my bassoon is gunning for me. I know it. It can t be a coincidence that there s a full moon on the same night I get a call to play in a bassoon band in Idaho next month. Can it? Help me. Arrest me and shuffle me into the bassoon protection program. Sir, if you ll just calm down and hand me your insurance card we can both get on our way. The officer tipped his Smokey The Bear hat when I found the card. He walked back to his Black and White, assuring me he would be back in a moment. I sat there thinking about the last time I had tackled Beethoven s Fourth Symphony. It had been at the Hollywood Bowl. The cool Pacific breeze had wafted in like it always did just before the slow movement, tightening violin strings to within a twang of criminally sharp. I was squeezing the reed, the tune, the bassoon, and my mortgage up to a unbelievably high tuning with a mere two lips. My life passed before me. The last movement with the speedy bassoon solo passed beneath me. Innocence passed me by for the umpteenth time. Without mustard, sauerkraut, and luck of the Irish, Beethoven might easily have careened off the tracks to meet up with some light-at-the-end-of-thetunnel Chattanooga Choo-Choo. Pupils still dilated to full tilt, bassoon steaming from warp speed minus any effective re-entry heat shield, I had nodded to an ancient patron s suggestion while coming offstage that I must be the luckiest man on earth to be able to actually sit in the middle of such a great performance

135 THE DOUBLE REED 133 night after night. Okay, Sir. Here s your license. I m going to let you off with a warning this time. But be careful of your speed. Officer, please arrest me before I go home and take the bassoon out of a dusty case. If I get mugged by a large-bore bassoon with a Stravinsky score to settle, it will be on your conscience. Look, Sir. Why don t you play it safe and send a sub. You mean like Ron Klimko? That s the ticket. I can t do that, Officer. Why not? It s against the Marquis D Compose rules of critical engagement, as set down by the IDRS Bored of Valid Excuses. They gunning for you too? Not yet, Officer Well, hang in there. Sounds like you re ripe for their list. Maybe next week. He handed me my warning and drove off. Cops are like conductors, I m thinking. They re always there to stop you, but rarely to offer the help you need most. ARTICLES

136 134 REVIEWS Reviews

137 THE DOUBLE REED 135 Bassoon RECORDING REVIEWS REVIEWS BY RONALD KLIMKO McCall, Idaho between all instruments is incomparably good - perhaps the best I ve ever heard! It is as if one is sitting in the ensemble oneself, surrounded by these wonderful performers - quite a sensation. With only these two works on the CD, the recording is horribly short in length. But despite this I MUST give the recording very high marks - in this case, QUALITY wins out strongly over QUANTITY! Zéphyros Winds: Music of Gounod and Mozart in Concert (Jennifer Grim, fl ute; James Roe, oboe; Marianne Gythfeldt, clarinet; Patrick Pridemore, horn; Douglas Quint, bassoon; with guest artists: Thomas Gallant, oboe; Gilad Harel, clarinet; Laura Koepke, bassoon; Angela Cordell, horn) MCM Artists, PO Box 825, Highland, NY 12528; Tel: info@mcmartistsworldwide.com This is a nice, live and lively recording of two of the all-time favorite pieces for a chamber wind ensemble: the Mozart Serenade in Ef Major K. 375 (1781-2) and Charles Gounod s lovely Petite Symphonie for flute, and oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons in pairs. Throughout the recording one can find everything beautifully handled: performance, tempos, acoustics, recording technique, etc. Indeed the only disappointing aspect of the recording, recorded live at Northeastern Illinois University on April 1st, 2006, is the audience applause at the end of each of the works - they obviously didn t have as large an audience as such a fine performance (and recording) would merit! The Mozart opens the recording with verve and lots of spirit throughout. I particularly like the brisk, sparkling tempo of the Allegro finale. Both oboe soloist James Roe and bassoonist Doug Quint have nice spurts of dazzling technique at this tempo, and neither disappoint. Following this is Gounod s lovely Petite Symphonie, a long-time favorite Romantic wind chamber work of mine. Here, I was particularly impressed with the lovely Andante second movement, where both solo flutist Jennifer Grim and the ensemble accompaniment seem to be in perfect sync throughout - both phrasing wise and most especially dynamically. Bravo! What is most impressive about this recording, besides the excellent musical performances, is the high quality of the recording technique. The balance Rating: 3 Crows Pas de Trois: Music by Bernard van Beurden, Jindrich Feld, Don Freund, David Froom and Perry Goldstein (Kenneth Tse, Saxophone; Benjamin Coelho, bassoon; Alan Huckleberry, piano) Crystal Records NE Hancock Road, Camas, WA Tel: ; Fax: info@crystalrecords.com Website: CD358 No, this is not your usual combination of instruments! As a matter of fact the opening work, Pas de Trio by Dutch contemporary composer Bernard van Beurden (b. 1933), was originally composed for soprano saxophone, tenor sax and piano; and in this recording the bassoon takes the place of the tenor sax. In three movements: Overture, Pastorale and Tarantella, the work takes on the quality of a ballet - very dance-like throughout. At 10+ minutes, it is not a very long work, but might be of interest to any bassoonists looking for interesting and well-written modern music to perform. I like the fact that the program notes give the publishers of these works, (in this case, it is MuziekGroep Nederland), since they are so much less well known. An equally spirited work by Czech composer Jindrich Feld (b.1925) follows: Trio Giocoso (1994). Also in three movements and published by Leduc for clarinet, bassoon and piano, this arrangement for sax, bassoon and piano was especially done by the composer for Tse and Coelho, who gave it the first performance with pianist I-Hsuan Tsai in The altissimo parts in the saxophone are particularly challenging, but come off beautifully in the recording by saxophonist Tse, especially toward the end of the final movement. REVIEWS

138 136 REVIEWS REVIEWS By contast, the next work, Arirang Variations (2005) by American composer David Froom (b. 1951) begins quietly with a simple statement of the lovely, well-known Korean folk tune (in unison by the saxophone and bassoon) upon which the eight variations are based. This is a particularly lovely composition, I feel. Each of the variations flow from one another and are striking in their contrast in the overall 11 minute length of the work. Especially appealing was the one variation for the saxophone accompanied by a dramatic, chordal piano part. The bassoon and piano then follow very playfully in the next variation, over which the saxophone soars with a cantus-firmus-like statement of the original folk tune - a lovely touch. After all this activity, however, the final variation is very slow and quiet, as in the beginning, and the piece drifts off gently and quietly. This work is to my mind the most effective on this fine recording. The composition Noir (1999/2005) by American composer Perry Goldstein (b. 1952) follows. It is a busy, 14+ minute single movement work for alto saxophone, bassoon and piano, originally for viola rather than bassoon, and arranged here especially by the composer for the ensemble on this recording. Throughout, the work contrasts between slow, soaring melodies in one part or another, while the other instrument or instruments have short, sporadic busy work to play. The result is a reasonably interesting, and overall lively piece of music based upon the evershifting contrast of these two elements throughout. The work is published by Stone Breaker Music. The concluding work on this recording is Louder than Words (2001) by American composer Don Freund (b. 1951). The 17+ minute composition is divided into two roughly equal 8+ minute Parts. Effectively, however, the work has a decided streamof-consciousness about it. The music seems to jump from one thematic idea to another and then goes on to something new, as if the work were in an almost constant stage of beginning over and over again. Some of the sections arrive at a climax, but it never seems to lead anywhere beyond another beginning. I suspect the composer might have been cleaning out his sketchbook of thematic material when he decided to throw it all together into one composition. Moreover, there is virtually no contrast to Parts one and two. The first ends frantically - and the second begins with virtually the same frenetic energy. I confess I had a harder time dealing with this schizophrenic work than any other on the CD. The best I can say about it is that it is energy-packed throughout much like a bad case of the jitters. The final contrast comes between the boogie-woogie like theme and the troubadour song at the very end of Part two - a real head-scratcher to be sure! If as a bassoon performer you are looking for some different music to perform, you will want to check out this overall finely played and finely recorded CD. Ben Coelho s bassooning, as in all his recordings, is excellent throughout; and he is matched perfectly by saxophonist Tse and pianist Huckleberry. This is a first rate CD and I recommend it strongly to you. Rating: 3 Crows Intrada (Ryan Hare, bassoon solo) Present Sounds Recording (Available from: or PS040. This is an hour long recording of modern solo music for the bassoon by Ryan Hare, who is bassoon professor at Washington State University, Pullman, and a member of the resident Wingra Wind Quintet. The CD gets its name from the opening composition Intrada (2003), which is an interesting work consisting of bassoon multiphonics throughout its four minute length. Imposition (2002) by Tom Swafford which follows is much less interesting, consisting of a pointillistic atonal presentation throughout it s five minute length. Josh Parmenter s Music for Bassoon (2003) is a longer 10 + minute piece for solo bassoon and interactive real-time audio synthesis. This combination results with the bassoon sound being constantly processed and altered electronically throughout. This would have been a much more effective compositional device, I feel, if it hadn t been so lengthy a work. David McIntire s Each New Departure is by contrast a virtual dinosaur time-wise, compared to the more recent composition of most of the works on this CD, this one having been composed way back in 1993! Musically, however, it provides little new, with its moderately pointillistic, and rhythmically driving atonal-universal-but-not-very-individual style. Again, brevity would have served this work well, as it has a hard time sustaining interest over its 8+ minute length.

139 THE DOUBLE REED 137 Following this, Elegy #2 (2002) by Tom Baker begins with a lot of key and tone hole noises, and only occasional splats of notes and silences. Next, rapid-but-non-specific note patterns are introduced, followed by multiphonics. These effects then alternate with soft, sustained harmonic pitches. Sadly, however, the work is almost predictable as it goes from one of these effects to another, ending once again with the key clicks of the beginning. Nothing new here. Variation Variations (2002) by Michael Chealander returns with the same pointillistic, atonal style as Josh Parmenter s previous work. It is a virtual clone of the latter, except being mercifully shorter in length at 6 and ½ minutes. (It could almost be Parmenter s work backwards!) By contrast, I really liked the next work, Distance, Dance, Discern (1996) for bassoon and pre-recorded sound by Bret Battey. It was, finally, a work that seemed to be more than a bunch of non-related sounds thrown together. The electronic sounds of the accompaniment provided a nice, colorful, often drone-like background to the bassoon, which also provided its own interest in developing small motivic musical ideas - at times both pointillistic and nonpointillistic. At 11 and ½ minutes, it was the longest piece on the recording, but managed to maintain my interest throughout, (unlike most of the other works on the CD). The final work, Verdichtung (2002) by Eric Flesher, is another virtual return to the techniques of Baker s Elegy #2 fingerwagging fast passages followed by sustained notes or multiphonics, etc., etc. In other words nothing new. Bassoonist Ryan Hare has done a great job in learning and performing all these pieces, most of which, I confess, I wouldn t have wasted my time learning. As an album, however, it is pretty tough to take in its relentless presentation of contemporary bassoon techniques, interspersed only too rarely with actual musical ideas, so few of which are even worth hearing more than once. The recording technique, while being very clean and clear, also has that done in a studio sound, but since it is just solo bassoon most of the time, I didn t miss the concert hall presence I usually prefer in modern recordings as much as I normally would. In summary, therefore, I applaud Ryan for his effort and his obvious skill and facility with modern bassoon technology. I urge him, however, to give us a greater variety of music in his future recordings. For those bassoonists looking for new literature, I would recommend Ryan s own composition, the opening Intrada and the very intriguing Distance, Dance, Discern by Bret Battey. These were the only two works I wouldn t mind learning myself. Life is too short to spend any time with the others, however, in my humble opinion. Rating: 2½ Crows Brazilian Dances and Inventions Vento Trio (Kevin Willois, flute; Sarah Koval, clarinet; Janet Grice, bassoon) Website: Jangrice@Yahoo.com JG206 This is a nice, lively recording of music by Brazilian composers for wind trio. Included are compositions by eight different artists, most of whom are, sadly, not well known in North America. One of the nicest works is a five movement Trio No. 2 Para Sopros (Polca, Dança dos Caboclinhos, Canção and Frevo) by Cesár Guerra Peixe ( ), which is the second selection on the album. The Canção movement is a particularly lovely slow movement. According to the program notes this work is more folk-like in character based on the composer s research in Brazilian folk music. Peixe s earlier Trio #1 pour flute, clarinette et basson is also on the disc; but contrast this work is in a more traditional three movement (slow, fast, slow) format and is essentially atonal - possibly 12 tone, dating from an earlier student period in the composer s life. Although well written, it lacks the warmth and quality of his later work. Another three movement work is the Tres Invenções para flauta, clarinete e fagote by José Siqueira ( ). One can feel very strongly the legacy of Villa Lobos on the style of these three movements. The final movement especially, with its three way imitation, greatly suggest the influences of both Bach and Villa Lobos on the composer. Composer Oscar Lorenzo Fernândez ( ) is represented with his Duas Invenções Seresteiras (Allegro Moderato and Ben Allegro). Both of these inventions are also strongly reminiscent of the Bachianis Brasilieras compositions of Villa Lobos. The final multi-movement work on this recording is the Micro Suite (Pequena Polka, Valsa Pequena and Pequena Choro) by Luiz Otávio Braga (b.1953) which consists of three short, tiny movements of dance- REVIEWS

140 138 REVIEWS characteristic Brazilian music. Interspersed between these works, all presumably originally composed for wind trio, are arrangements by bassoonist Janet Grice of single movement compositions by other Brazilian masters which were probably not for wind trio initially. These include composer Pixinguinha ( ), with the dancelike works Carinhoso and Naquele Tempo; Jacó de Bandolim ( ), and his Doce de Coco, which begins with a long bassoon solo before turning into a sprightly allegro; Milton Nascimento (b. 1942), and his interesting Ponta de Areia, and finally Luiz Gonzaga ( ) with his slow/fast Asa Branca Assum Preto, which brings the album to a lively conclusion by starting lyrically before turning into a fast and exciting final dance. Bassoonist Janet Grice is to be congratulated for bringing these interesting and beautiful musical works to our attention. Her long active research into the style and literature of the music of Brazil has paid off with such nice dividends as this wellconceived and well-played CD. There are a few minor technical problems with the recording in that there is an inconsistency of quality and resonance from one composition to the next, representing, no doubt, different recording dates and/or venues. Also, while all three artists are technically strong, the clarinettist Sarah Koval has a rather dark and dead tonal quality, compared to the more lively and rich sound executed by both the flute and bassoon. But that does not deter me from recommending this CD strongly, especially for musicians looking for new and interesting music to perform. Rating: 2½ Crows REVIEWS BY DANIEL LIPORI Ellensburg, Washington Bassoon MUSIC REVIEWS MUSIC FROM TREVCO MUSIC P. O. Box 4, Tallevast, FL Burns, Michael: Blues for Contra, for solo contrabassoon with optional high-hat. TCO 1329 ($8) With Blues for Contra, Michael Burns has given us a wonderful new addition to the contrabassoon repertoire. It is an adaptation of Dr. Burns work Blues for Tuba of 1998, premiered in January 2006 on contrabassoon. It has a catchy melody right from the beginning, which should get the audience s fingers snapping and into the groove presented in this work. It is not an overly difficult work, perhaps about a grade of III for someone familiar with the contrabassoon. The work is about six minutes in length, and the range is just over three octaves, going from low Bf up to a high Bn. There is included a suggested high-hat accompaniment, which I believe could be supplemented with a drum set, or even a double bass. I highly recommend this piece and look forward to performing it soon. Music of Nazzareno Gatti edited by Steven Dibner. REVIEWS San Francisco Symphony bassoonist Steven Dibner presents these works of the Italian composer/bassoonist Nazzareno Gatti, as a culmination of a sabbatical he took in Gatti, as a student of Rossini s, studied and later taught at the Bologna Conservatory, where the manuscripts to these pieces were found. They explore some of the wonderful operatic repertoire of the nineteenth century Italian composers, as it was very common at that time to make transcriptions of the popular opera melodies of the day. In these eight compositions, familiar melodies of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, as well as original melodies of Gatti are presented on the bassoon. I think you will

141 THE DOUBLE REED 139 enjoy performing just one, or the entire set of pieces. All of these works have some similar qualities, so my descriptions might be a bit repetitive. Gatti, Nazzareno: Capriccio Fantastico, op. 1, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1701 ($17) This work begins with a short cadenza, before the principal melody is presented, which is a quarter note theme ascending up by step in an andante tempo. Following this is a sixteenth note passage that does not seem to be connected to the earlier material. A second theme is presented next, again in a slower, andante tempo, which moves into another cadenza passage. The next section is a group of arpeggiated sixteenth notes, which leads to the final melody presented. This final melody is slightly faster, marked allegretto. The final section of the piece is a eighth note triplet section, which has many large jumps, which reminds me of some of the virtuosic flute solos of this time period. This is one of the more difficult works in the collection, as I would give it a grade of IV+, and the range extends up to c2. Of all of the Gatti compositions, this one seems the least structured, as each section does not appear to have any relationship to the previous. Gatti, Nazzareno: Reminiscenze Belliniane, op. 2, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1702 ($17) The main melody in this composition is Ah! non credeamirarti from Bellini s opera La Sonnambula. The melody in the introduction immediately made me think of the opera Norma, as it is very similar to some of the march-like sections of that work. The main aria is presented next, followed by a short cadenza section. A new theme is presented afterwards, which is a bit more virtuosic, using a variety of rhythms, and having a faster tempo. The work ends with another difficult section, using sixteenth notes with many larger jumps in the line. This work is rather difficult, earning a grade of IV+, and the range extends up to c2. Gatti, Nazzareno: Concerto per Fagotto on themes from Rossini s opera William Tell, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1703 ($17) This work uses some of the well-known melodies from the overture, as well as some of the vocal arias within the opera. You will hear the English horn excerpt early on, and the work closes with the famous Lone Ranger melody, so it is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Two aria melodies from the opera are presented; first is Ah! Mathilde, idole de mon âme and later on Sombre forêt is heard. There are two moderately difficult sections in this work, one being a triplet section with many larger jumps within, and a sixteenth note section within the Lone Ranger portion which has a lot of jumps of thirds, that are fairly awkward (or they were for me!). I would give this one a grade of IV+ and they range only extends up to c2. Gatti, Nazzareno: Pensiero Melodico, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1704 ($10) Here is a short, slow aria-like work. It has several short cadenza passages, and overall is not too difficult. However, the bassoon line does go all the way up to ef2, so this would earn a grade of III+ due to the range. This might be a nice encore piece for a recital. Gatti, Nazzareno: Potpuri per Fagotto su vari motivi del Donizetti, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1705 ($17) In this work Gatti uses the aria Fra poco americovero from Donizetti s opera Lucia di Lammermoor in a wonderful adaptation for bassoon. It starts with a recitative section before the first melody is presented. Following another recit, the second theme is introduced, followed by a variation. A third recit occurs next, followed by a finale section, which is the most technically demanding section of the work. The range goes all the way up to ef2, and I would give the work a grade of IV+. When I first played through this piece, I recognized the primary theme right away, but could not place it at first. I eventually realized that this melody is also used in a recording of Stefano Canuti titled Fantasi di Bravura per fagotto ed archi su temi di Verdi, Donizetti e Bellini. The same melody is used in Canuti s performance of Antonio REVIEWS

142 140 REVIEWS REVIEWS Torriani s Divertimento su Lucia di Lammermoor di G. Donizetti. Gatti, Nazzareno: Elegia, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1706 ($17) This might be my favorite piece of the set. There are a few freer passages around the primary melodies presented, which will allow each performer to interpret the work slightly differently. The work is in a 6/8 meter, with many arpeggios in the sixteenth note passages. The range extends up to ef2 in this composition, and I would give it a grade of IV. Gatti, Nazzareno: Preludio e Cantabile, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1707 ($10) Here, we have another original composition of Gatti s, that is very similar to a recitative and aria. The main aria is a slow melody, with a few larger jumps in the groups of sextuplets. This is one of the easier pieces in the set, only earning a grade of III+, with the range extending only up to c2. This is also a bit shorter in length than the others, only being about four minutes in length. Gatti, Nazzareno: Capriccio per Fagotto, for bassoon and piano. TCO 1708 ($17) The Capriccio is another short piece, similar to a recitative and aria as well. The main melody is in a slow 12/8 meter, with some thirty-second notes at the ends of phrases. This work has the smallest range of the set, only ascending to af1, making it more accessible to younger students. It also is not overly difficult, earning a grade of III+. This might be a good work to introduce your students to the operatic style and working on rubato. Dvořák, Antonin: Quintet in E-flat for Winds, after the String Quartet, opus 51, arranged by David Jolley for Woodwind Quintet. TCO 1055 ($ 44) This four movement string quartet of Dvořák s transcribes very nicely for wind quintet. There is nothing extremely difficult for any of the players and the key of Ef major is fairly comfortable as well, perhaps giving work a grade of III+/IV-. The only moderately difficult movement is the final one, where there are some sixteenth note scale patterns passed between all the voices, as well as some repeated ones, that certainly would be easier on the string instruments. Perhaps these repeated sixteenths could be played as eighth notes if needed. The melodic material is given to the upper woodwinds, while the bassoon pretty much plays the cello part, and only has occasional melodic passages. While David Jolley has done a very nice job in this particular arrangement, for some reason he only included the metronome marking for the final movement, when there are tempos given for the other three in the original quartet version. Perhaps this was just a publishing error, but certainly this is a welcome addition to the quintet repertoire. Holdeman, Chuck: Lyric Seasons, for bassoon, harp or piano. TCO 4309 ($20) Lyric Seasons uses the unusual combination of bassoon and harp, though the composer says that a piano, or even a harpsichord could be substituted, but I get the impression that the harp would be the ideal instrument to use. The first movement, Mist Plus, has somewhat of a minimal quality to it, with both voices having repetitive patterns in the faster middle section, which is surrounded by short recitatives, forming a basic ABA structure. Movement two, Ostinati e Soli, again has repetitive patterns throughout. The first section has the bassoon playing the melody while the harp repeats the same group of four sixteenths continuously. The harp then presents a new, more rhythmic melody, while the bassoon moves to the repeated sixteenths. The third movement, Adagio in 5, has some similarities to the slow movement of Maurice Ravel s Piano Concerto in G. The primary melody is a slow eighth note pattern that is presented first in the bassoon, and later in the harp. The composer describes the fourth movement as written out jazz with homage to the Desmond/ Brubeck Take Five. One will easily recognize the riffs from the original jazz melody. There are a few short speaking parts in this movement, where the performers are asked to call out numbers, I assume to help lead to the next section of the work. This composition is moderately difficult, as I would give it a grade of IV, and the bassoon part extends up to ef2.

143 THE DOUBLE REED 141 Holdeman, Chuck: Bagatelle, for bassoon, vocalise or instrument, and piano or harp. TCO 4310 ($18) When I first read through this work, I quickly became scared, as there are several high F s in the line, and immediately thought I probably would not be playing this piece soon. Then I turned the bassoon part over, and saw an alternate part, written down the octave in the higher sections. Boy was I relieved!! I have always liked the use of a vocalise, so this piece immediately intrigued me. The composer does state that an instrument could be substituted if needed, mentioning flute, oboe, English horn, or violin as possible replacements for the voice. There is a regular accompaniment pattern throughout the entire work, while the bassoon and voice play over this fairly simple pattern in the piano. There are very few expressive markings in the score and Mr. Holdeman encourages the performers to create their own unique interpretation in somewhat of a Baroque fashion. This work, with the original high bassoon part, would definitely be a grade V work, but with the alternate lower line, the work would only be a grade III+. The majority of the voice part is within a small range and has a nice variety of rhythms, including some repeated staccato sixteenth notes. If you are looking for something a little different for your next recital, you might want to take a look at Bagatelle. Bizet, Georges: Carmen Fantaisie, arranged for woodwind quintet by Marc Vallon. TCO 5005 ($28) Marc Vallon s arrangement of François Borne s Carmen Fantaisie is a bit of a showpiece for the upper woodwinds, which have many fast runs and arpeggiated figures throughout. Most of the wellknown themes from the opera and suites are heard, which should bring a smile to the audience, as well as to the performers. The bassoon line is mostly accompanimental, including the famous habanera rhythm. There is one rather tricky accompaniment in this section as well, where the bassoon plays some arpreggiated sixteenth note triplets. The work is moderately difficult, earning a grade of IV/IV+ due to the more virtuosic runs throughout. This would be a great closing piece to a concert, that is sure to generate lots of applause and is a welcome addition to the quintet repertoire. Durocher, Silas: Quintet in B Minor Peanut Butter on Rye, and Quintet in C Major Pink Lemonade, for Woodwind Quintet. TCO 5108 ($15) Here are two short, fun new quintets that will add a nice variety to your concerts. Silas Durocher began his musical training in popular music, before starting formal, classical training, and employs elements of funk, rock n roll, blues and other styles into his compositions. The Quintet in B Minor Peanut Butter on Rye combines elements of classical music and funk. There is a catchy ostinato pattern through much of the work in the bassoon line, while the other instruments play melodic fragments above it. There is a bit of syncopation in this work, and the counting aspect might be the most difficult part of this piece. The Quintet in C Major Pink Lemonade Durocher describes as a blow down hoe down. You could easily have your audience tapping their toes to this cute little piece. As with the other work, the melodic fragments are passed around between all the voices. This work is not overly difficult, earning perhaps a III- grade and none of the parts are extreme in range. These works would be great additions to outreach concerts, or a fun ending to a more serious concert. Richards, Paul: V ha-eir Eineinu (Enlighten our eyes), for solo bassoon. TCO 6105 ($12) Paul Richards has made an adaptation of this Chassidic melody by Shlomo Carlebach in what is basically a variation set, though there are a few recurring motives. The primary theme has a variety of rhythms in it, and encompasses almost a three octave range. Each variation has its own unique character. For example, the first variation is marked somber, yearning, while the second variation is marked strict, dancing. There are several large leaps throughout the work and the range is quite large, extending from low Bf to e2. The most difficult variation is one in a 5/8 meter primarily, that takes a bit of practicing to understand the feel and groove. It is a moderately difficult work, as I would give it a grade of IV+. I enjoy pieces such as this, where the performer can put more of their own personal expression within the uniqueness of each variation, and hope you consider adding it to your solo repertoire. REVIEWS

144 142 REVIEWS REVIEWS Kim, Chan Ji: A Year from Tomorrow, for solo bassoon. TCO 6106 ($12) This work was written for Dr. Arnold Irchai, who just recently performed it at the 2006 IDRS conference at Ball State University. The composer writes of the title When Dr. Irchai asked me to write the solo bassoon piece for him, I was pursuing my doctoral degree feeling a bit overwhelmed. It was a time of uncertainty, I did not know any more about tomorrow as a year from tomorrow. Whenever I thought about the future I was in the same place I started: I do not know, but I am curious to learn. Whenever the lowest tone, Bf is heard in this piece, it represents that familiar place and I think of a year from tomorrow. As you can guess from this description, there are several low Bf s interspersed around a variety of other ideas. Several extended techniques are used, including multiphonics, free glissandos, pitch bends, and varying vibrato speeds, to name a few. There is a beautiful melody which occurs midway through the composition, where it is marked peaceful, with emotion, which is my favorite section of the work. I had a little bit of difficulty interpreting some of the extended techniques. Some of the multiphonics did not come out initially for me, and I had to alter my embouchure quite a bit to get them to speak properly. Also there are notes marked free glissando, where it is a bit unclear to me as to whether the glissando should only be around that note, or if it should go to higher and lower pitches. With all the extended techniques the work is fairly difficult, earning a grade of IV+, but the range is not terribly large, extending only up to bf1. I wish I had heard Dr. Irchai s performance of this piece at the convention, because there are few sections I do not understand completely. I love the middle section mentioned earlier, but I do not understand the connection between that and the other material where most of the extended techniques are employed (maybe there is not supposed to be one). If you are looking for a more challenging piece to refine some of your extended techniques, perhaps consider looking at Chan Ji Kim s A Year from Tomorrow. Reed, Tim: Sonata, for bassoon and piano. TCO 6108 ($16) metronome equal 120 and has the melodic material passed back and forth between the two instruments (Reed describes the movement as conversational ). It is in an ABA form, with many sudden dynamic contrasts throughout. Movement two begins in a slow 5/8 meter with a very lyrical melody in the bassoon, and then moves to a 4/4 section, also mostly slurred throughout. The form could be seen as ABAB and coda. The third movement is marked at a very fast tempo (quarter note equal 195) and has many off accents throughout. This movement is mostly articulated, at times even marked mechanically with staccatos over a majority of the notes. Though the tempo is quick, it is written in mostly eighth notes, with a few eighth note triplets, so the technical aspects are not overly demanding. There are some rhythmic patterns that recur a few times throughout the movement. This movement appears to be in an ABA format as well and the range is not extreme, extending to b1 only once. I enjoyed reading this work. It would be a nice contrast to give your intermediate students to work on. MUSIC FROM BOOSEY & HAWKES 16 Wigmore Street, London W1 Mozart, W. A.: Rondo in A Minor, KV 511, for Woodwind Quintet and Double Bass. EE 5310 ($29.95) This is a very nice arrangement of this work of Mozart s originally for piano solo. Most of the melodic material is given to the upper woodwinds, so the bassoon has mostly an accompanimental role and only gets to shine in a few places. Much of the double bass line is doubling the bassoon at the unison or octave, and I believe that it could be performed on the contrabassoon as well. The work is not overly difficult, as I would give it a grade of III. This might be a nice work for a intermediate level student quintet to play. Brahms, Johannes: 12 Waltzes op. 39, for Woodwind Quintet and Double Bass. EE 5308 ($34.95) Tim Reed s Sonata is a three movement work in a neoclassic style. The bassoon and piano parts are fairly equal, neither of which is overly difficult, earning a grade of III-. This first movement is marked Similar to the Mozart work just described, this arrangement of a work originally for two pianos could be played with contrabassoon instead of double bass. Again the bassoon serves more of an accompanying

145 THE DOUBLE REED 143 role, but does get some melodic material in two of the waltzes. I believe the arranger, Heribert Breuer, has done a very nice job of capturing the character of each of the waltzes with the wind colors he chooses for each waltz. This work as well would earn a grade of III and would be very suitable for a young college ensemble. MUSIC FROM WEHR S MUSIC HOUSE 3533 Baxter Dr., Winter Park, FL Flores, J. Abelardo D.: Etchings in Shadow, for Woodwind Quintet. WM 336 ($10) The description of this piece on the back cover reads: The music for Etchings in Shadow was originally written as incidental music for a public television documentary on German Expressionism, focusing mainly on the artist Kathe Kollwitz. A socially conscious artist, Kollwitz was known for her protest themes, championing the poor and oppressed of the time via striking woodcuts, etchings, and haunting wood-block prints. I chose serialism to complement images of Kollwitz s artwork, and the medium of the woodwind quintet was ideal in musically portraying the contrasts of light and darkness inherent in her style. I had problems understanding this work, until I read this quote and then did some research of Kollwitz and her artwork. The music is definitely expressionist, and has a fairly sparse accompaniment to the melodic material. It is a one movement work, with several sections of different tempos, where new melodic material is then presented. The work is not very difficult, earning a grade of III and none of the ranges for any instrument are extreme. This might be a good piece to introduce your students to elements of expressionism and also to elements of music written to depict artwork. MUSIC FROM EditionsVIENTO 8711 SW 42nd Ave, Portland, OR Braga, Antonio: Suite Greca, for Flute, Bf Clarinet, and Bassoon. EV 330 ($8.50) I really enjoyed reading this piece. It is a nice suite of short dances of which I assume are of Brazilian/ South American origin. Though the flute has the melodic material most of the time, each part has a variety of fun rhythms and ostinatos throughout. In the first movement, Zámicos, the primary melody uses a variety of rhythms opposite a mostly eighth note accompaniment in a moderato tempo. The second movement, Tragúdia, is a slower, Lento movement, again using a variety of rhythms in the melody. The third movement is a lively Choro which has a repeated rhythmic pattern used throughout in the melody as well as the accompaniment. The final movement, Pentosalis, again uses a repeated rhythmic pattern in both the melody and accompaniment. This movement, however, starts at a slower tempo, and gradually increases in speed in each new section, ending in a lively presto tempo. This work is not overly difficult and I would give it a grade of III. This would be another great work for a student group or for adding a little variety to your chamber concert or outreach program. Guerra-Peixe, César: Trio No. 1 para Sopros, for Flute, Bf Clarinet, and Bassoon. EV 331 ($8.50) This trio uses the expressionist (12 tone) compositional method. Despite the stereotype that often comes with this style, the melodic material is very prominent throughout, and the technical demands are not overly difficult. There are three short movements, which have very contrasting ideas and styles and most of the melodic material presented does not return, so all are basically through composed. The work is of medium difficulty, earning a grade of III+. This might be a nice work to introduce a younger college group to some of the elements of expressionism. Guerra-Peixe, Cesar: Trio no. 2 para Sopros, for Flute, Bb Clarinet, and Bassoon. EV 332 ($8.50) According to the liner notes for this piece, it is written in an expressionist (12 tone) style, however after reading through the work, I personally would not call it that. Perhaps this comment is made in reference to the difference between Guerra-Piexe s earlier and later works, where the later ones clearly use elements of Brazilian folk music, while his earlier ones (including this trio, written in 1951) do not use any folk elements. Though it is not completely tonal it does not appear to REVIEWS

146 144 REVIEWS REVIEWS use all the elements of expressionism. Either way, this is a very nice trio with four short movements. There are some rhythmic ostinatos, which help to unify each of the movements. Melodic material is passed between all instruments fairly equally and many of the motives use syncopated rhythms. The ranges are not extreme for any instrument, and the work is of moderate difficulty, earning a grade of IV-. This work might be a nice filler work if you are looking to add a little more time to a chamber ensemble concert. MUSIC FROM GERNOT WOLFGANG Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA Wolfgang, Gernot: Dual Identity, for solo bassoon (no price listed) Wolfgang wrote Dual Identity for Los Angeles area bassoonist and teacher at USC Judith Farmer (who he also happens to be married to!!). I thoroughly enjoyed reading this work. There are a few repeated patterns (or grooves, as Wolfgang refers to them), which act as an ostinato, as well as the primary melodic material of the piece. It has some syncopated ideas, and a small bit of a jazz feel to it. It is an ABA form, with the outer sections being faster and more detached, with the middle section being slower, more lyrical, and mostly slurred. There are a few multiphonic fingerings included, none of which are difficult to produce. The range is moderately extreme, extending up to df2 once, and I would give the work a grade of IV-. I would definitely recommend adding this piece to your repertoire. (And, if you like this work, Wolfgang has written another piece for bassoon, for Los Angeles Philharmonic bassoonist David Breidenthal, title Moody Blues, for bassoon and piano, heard on Breidenthal s Bassoon Power CD.) Wolfgang, Gernot: Common Ground, for bassoon and cello (no price listed) As with Dual Identity, this composition also uses a lot of repeated patterns or grooves. Wolfgang says of the title: Common Ground seeks to establish just that a common ground between the traditional approach to writing for this instrumentation and the grooveoriented world of jazz and funk. The first movement, Blues Upside Down, starts with a motive played in octaves with a lot of syncopated ideas. The pattern (as the title indicates) turns itself around midway through the movement. It is a rather fast movement, with moderately difficult riffs/patterns for both instruments. The second movement, Trading Places, begins with a long lyrical melody in the bassoon with a basic eighth note accompaniment in the cello and again as the title indicates, the two instruments switch parts near the middle of the movement. The third movement, Igor, At Last, uses some motivic material from the previous movement, having some syncopated ideas and exploring the funk elements a bit more. The title refers to a section of the movement that reminded Wolfgang of a composition by Igor Stravinsky. The work is rather difficult, and I would give it a grade of IV+. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this work and hope to be able to perform it soon. There is a limited amount of repertoire specifically for bassoon and cello, and this is a welcome new addition. Wolfgang, Gernot: Cadenzas for the Mozart Bassoon Concerto in Bf Major, K ( 5.90; available through Wolfgang originally wrote these cadenzas to the first and second movements of the concerto for David Breidenthal, who premiered them in January He revised them in 2005 and this version was premiered by Judith Farmer at the IDRS convention in Austin, Texas of that year. As with many of Wolfgang s compositions, there are some jazz/blues elements in them which brings up the recurring discussion. When composing a cadenza, how close to the style of the original composer should we follow, or is it appropriate to use newer styles in a cadenza? I won t get into that discussion, but if you are more of a purist when it comes to issues such as that, then perhaps these cadenzas are not for you. Both cadenzas start and end in more of a Classical period style, but venture away a little in the middle. Neither of the cadenzas is overly difficult, earning a grade of a III+ for the first movement one and a III- for the second movement cadenza. Both extend up to a d2 in range and Wolfgang has tried to notate his rhythmic intentions as accurately as possible, so there are several mixed time signatures in both as well as several tempo indications. One small thing that caught my attention was that the cadenza for the second movement is written in two flats, when the rest of that movement only has one in the key signature. There are a few Efs in this cadenza which adds a little to the blues feel of this cadenza. If you are searching for some cadenzas

147 THE DOUBLE REED 145 for this concerto, you might want to check these out as a fresh alternative to some of the other written out cadenzas available. Daniel Lipori serves as assistant professor of bassoon and music history at Central Washington University. He is editor of Georg Wenzel Ritter: Six Quartets for Bassoon and Strings op. 1, published by A-R Editions, Inc. (1999), and author of A Researcher s Guide to the Bassoon, published by the Edwin Mellen Press (2002). REVIEW BY RONALD KLIMKO McCall, Idaho Frederick W. Moritz: Two and Three Tone Exercises for Bassoon (Revised by George C. Adams) Allyn Publishing, Lubbock, Texas For the most part, every active bassoonist I know has a routine, a warm-up, or a to begin with way of getting started in a practice session. Many of these are based on routines promoted by an influential teacher in a student s life. In my own case, I usually begin by running the scales as found (with some of my own personal modifications) in the pedagogy books of Maurice Allard, followed by the scale of the day - one scale slurred in thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths and octaves also as taught by Allard. This is all a holdover to the wonderful year of study I had with le maitre years ago. In the case of IDRS Honorary, the late Frederick Moritz ( ), the former principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and his student, George Adams, conductor of the Idaho Falls Symphony, and bassoon professor at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho, I am sure this is a similar practice. As bassoon professor at UCLA and USC, Moritz gave these exercises to all his students as practice studies for the perfection of small scale and interval patterns, and as George Adams admits in his excellent introductory notes: The Exercises have been a part of my daily practicing since I received a copy. It is my belief that bassoonists will find them valuable in building secure, fluid technique. The album begins with a comprehensive biography of the life and career of Frederick Moritz, followed by Adams Introductory notes, in which he gives an excellent explanation for Moritz s insistence on the careful use of the speaker keys being always held down for the playing of the sensitive middle register notes a, bf, bn, c, and d. This is followed by Practice Notes in which Adams urges slow and careful practice of the exercises, listening carefully for intonation and cleanliness of execution. The final Technical Notes deal with detail of flicking and special fingerings for special slurring problems (up and down) in the exercises. The Exercises follow. They consist of two short, separate patterns, slurred and repeated four times each, of intervals: first in minor seconds and minor thirds (I a, b, and c in each octave); then in major seconds and major thirds (IIa, b, and c); then threetoned patterns (IIIa, b, and c). Interspersed between are supplementary exercises for each of the patterns encompassing the intervals of the original in halfsteps (eg: filling in the minor third of the original I pattern). To these, the original Moritz patterns, Adams has added more exercises (IV thru VII) extending them out over patterns in: perfect 4ths and perfect 5ths (IV), augmented 4ths and minor 6ths (V), major 6ths and minor 7ths (VI) and finally major 7ths and perfect octaves. To be sure, a steady diet of these for a full practice session would be mind-bogglingly boring! But, like my scale of the day in Allard s scales at all intervals, they could be excellent for developing technique and facility taken in small doses on a daily schedule - both in the student and the more accomplished performer. And for that very purpose, I recommend them strongly for your consideration. GUEST MUSIC REVIEWS Reprinted from the Double Reed News of the BDRS The following reviews are reprinted with permission from the Double Reed News of the BDRS: Issue 72, Autumn, 2005, p. 38, and p. 49; and #75, Spring, 2006, pp Ed.) Concerto Burlesco for bassoon and small orchestra by Paul Lewis Pub. Goodmusic Publishing; Bassoon part with piano reduction ( 7.50) Composed 2005: fi rst performance by Graham Salvage March 4, This is a rather light-hearted piece in three movements entitled Burlesque, Serenade and Fandango. It is generally well written for the bassoon in relatively easy keys using the full range up to top E, but is technically far from straight-forward and is physically taxing - definitely not for the beginner. REVIEWS

148 146 REVIEWS REVIEWS The tunes are simple and much use is made of chords with 7ths and 9ths and cyclic sequences. I quite liked the slow movement melody and harmonies but found it, along with the other two movements, rather naïve and definitely too long. There were far too many repetitions of very basic themes and certainly the piano reduction version would have benefited from some severe cutting. Maybe the orchestral version would have more variety and interest. 4 Epigraphe nach Escher for heckelphone, viola and piano by Graham Waterhouse. Date composed: 1995; Publisher: Hofmeister This piece, with its unusual instrumentation, was written as a companion for the Trio by Hindemith at the suggestion of Dr. Gunther Joppig, curator of the Museum of Musical Instruments in the Munich Stadtmuseum (who had had another piece for this combination written in the 1980 s by Harald Genzmer). The mood or atmosphere of each of the four movements is suggested by prints entitled Droom, Band von Mobius II, Ruiter and Reptilien by the Dutch artist Maurits Cornelius Escher, which are shown at the beginning of each movement. Enlarged versions of them were displayed next to the stage at the first performance in the Munich Stadtmuseum. On that occasion, Dr. Joppig was the heckelphonist, Barbara Sterff the violist and the pianist was the composer. Other performances were given at the IDRS Convention in Tempe, Arizona in 1998 and the IDRS-Deutchland Convention in Wuerzburg in These pieces were written as musical reactions to the images, and the wistful tones of the heckelphone and viola seemed somehow to fit the other-worldly cosmos of Escher (composer). As the heckelphone part does not go below C it could also be played on the bass oboe. The first, Dream, marked adagio, is slow and expressively written and its rather mournful theme is shared and imitated by all three instruments. It is thinly scored and certainly gives the impression for a praying mantis on a tombstone. The second is an image of ants and is marked vivace in 6/8, interspersed with 5/8, 7/8, 2/4 and ¼ bars. Lots of staccato, scalelike passages in unison and contrary motion give a very good impression of ants scurrying around. The third, Horseman, is a slowish march with a trumpetlike triplet theme and again quite sparsely scored. The final movement, Reptiles, another adagio, is a little reminiscent of the first, with short chromatic runs, building to a climax and eventually fading away. My impression, without actually hearing the piece performed is of four very descriptive and well-written movements. They each have their own atmosphere and seem to show off the characters of the instruments to good effect. The parts are very approachable with moderate difficulty. It is well presented and I can imagine it to be satisfying to perform. I look forward to hearing it. John Orford The Seasons for clarinet, bassoon, violin and double bass by David Baker David Baker s The Seasons is an intriguing work for several reasons. Firstly, the combination of instruments: why select (only) a bassoon and a clarinet from the centre of the woodwinds, and the extremes of double bass and violin from the strings? Secondly, the subtitles: all but Autumn have some qualification, eg: Winter Knows, Spring? Indeed why did he write a work about the seasons at all? So I tackled the composer, who is sub-principal bassoon in the Orchestra of Opera North, for some answers. He responded: Having made a great number of arrangements of pieces for this combination (from Wagner to Cole Porter and in particular Piazzola), I was amazed how well it worked and by the range of colours (and pitch!) it offered. As regards this piece, it was written over the period of a year, literally season by season, and I think reflects not only the (major!) changes in my life at the time, but also the musical influences of the repertoire (orchestral and operatic) at Opera North during this period. Spring? note the question mark is an approachable allegro (though Baker uses no Italian terms at the heads of his movements, only metronome marks) at crochet=120. It appears quite tonal, beginning in one flat, later adding a second, and finishing with a third, squarely in Ef major. Just occasionally it escapes from common time with a few 3/8 bars. The clarinet seems to have the fastest notes to negotiate, but the double bass is certainly not limited to plodding around in the basement. Summer, with the subtitle Childrens games, heat and happiness also adopts crochet=120 to begin with, but immediately accelerates to 150 and leaps into compound duple time, almost as though the first few

149 THE DOUBLE REED 147 bars were a mistake. There is much more variety in this movement reflecting, not surprisingly, the three contrasting aspects of the subtitle. Autumn is a light-hearted affair with some obvious dance rhythms and a lyrical middle section. But this also works itself up into a frenzy later and, like Spring?, builds to a hectic climax, again with some demanding music for the clarinet. In the final movement, Winter Knows, it is not only the clarinet which has to deliver some pretty nimble passagework; this time the bassoon has a fair share of the faster action. The movement starts off innocently enough, but soon the time virtually doubles, a device that Baker uses again later, enough to move everyone closer to the edges of their seats. David Baker expressed his aim (as in all his writing) to produce music which is instantly accessible to an audience. Most people hear a work for the first time in performance and should not have to have it explained or to have studied it before they can enjoy it! Certainly this clever work achieves that and, but for a few notational errors (presumably), is well presented. As part of this review, passages were played to a quality control listener who was asked to decide which movements represented which seasons. She got two out of four right. Like the weather really! Score and parts can be obtained from the composer: tel: or ; Adler1197@ aol.com. David Baker has plans to write for bassoon and strings (maybe a companion piece for the Devienne quartets) and also a quartet for violin, viola, bassoon and contrabassoon! Clive Fairbairn REVIEWS BY JEANNE BELFY Boise, Idaho Oboe RECORDING REVIEWS Twentieth Century Oboe Concertos Alex Klein, oboe; Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Freeman. Cedille Records CDR , This two-cd set features two lengthy concertos written for Alex Klein about fifteen years ago. The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation s Cedille Records proudly presents former Chicago Symphony principal oboist Alex Klein with Chicago Sinfonia founder and music director Paul Freeman, who also conducts the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. The two new oboe concertos are mammoth works, 28 and 37 minutes long, with large, dramatic orchestrations and epic ambitions. Alex Klein set the minimum 30-minute running length for the commission of Japanese-Brazilian composer Marco Aurélio Yano and also specified that the piece have extreme technical demands so as to provide players with a much needed evolution of the instrument s technique. (Klein). The tragic medical circumstances of the composer s short life, described in detail in Klein s liner notes, resulted in his death, at age 27, before the concerto was fully orchestrated and revised, and so both his composition teacher and Klein had substantial contributions to make prior to the work s first performance. Named In Memoriam by the oboist, the first movement begins ominously with angry, pounding brass and percussion, and swirling sound effects from the synthesizer (yes, synthesizer). The overwhelming dynamic explodes into the solo oboe part, which begins simply enough, but soon addresses Klein s precompositional demands. Hyper-speed oboe patterns in dissonant sequences come one after another, while the relentless, accented orchestration builds ostinato upon ostinato, section after section. The cadenza uses brief multi-phonics with synthesizer effects, then sustained over-blowing. The orchestral machine starts another busy texture, and insanely fast, complicated oboe figurations once more develop. The orchestra has their hands full here the REVIEWS

150 148 REVIEWS REVIEWS effort that must have gone into rehearsing this! The movement culminates in a sustained high E, nonvibrato, in the oboe, 45 seconds worth, symbolic, in Klein s interpretation, of the composer s vision of his own death. The gentle, meandering solo opening of the second movement soon develops into a predictable melody with accompanying jazz-influenced pop harmony. Titled Seresta, it pays homage to Brazilian musical culture. A huge cinematic cadence about two thirds of the way through is followed by another oboe cadenza, this one an extended melodic passage of trills and more chromatics. Punctuated by a sudden, ferocious Iberian cadence, the cadenza melts into a reprise of the relaxed but moody pop melody. The gigantic final movement, Frevo, starts simply, with a 7/8 quasi-clave pattern in pizzicato strings. The solo oboe s lyrical but sweetly syncopated and increasingly complicated tune is partnered by keyboard percussion, then taken over by heavy brass. The playful character is interrupted by and alternates with a weighty Aragonaise vamp. The movement also frames a quiet, central episode with solo horn setting up a restrained, lovely oboe solo. The return of Frevo material is complicated by ever-increasing virtuosic notey-ness. Yet another extended cadenza with both fireworks of fingerings and extended techniques leads to a Hollywood ending bar none. The other Klein-inspired concerto was composed by an Oberlin student who emigrated from Poland, Pawel B. Sydor. Upon fishing Oberlin, Sydor continued his studies as a graduate student at Juilliard with John Corigliano, and Virtuti Militari won him the Juilliard School Composer s Competition in 1994, as well as a premiere by Bert Lucarelli with the Juilliard Symphony and a Charles Ives Scholarship in Composition. Sydor, born in 1970, continues to compose concert music, electronic music, and film scores. Virtuti Militari refers to the highest Polish military distinction, adopted in 1792 by the last Polish king. Its programmatic content is painstakingly spelled out by the composer in his notes, with the solo oboe representing the heroic common man in the Polish struggle for freedom and autonomy. The orchestra plays various roles, depending on whether or not the half-step motive symbolizing mean-spirited rulers is heard. A single thirty-minute movement in five sections, the sprawling oboe concerto has inner thematic connections and a recognizably coherent style. It moves comfortably from traditionally virtuosic if dissonant passages to similarly virtuosic strings of multi-phonics, delivered by the oboist with spot-on accuracy. When it waxes nostalgic and tonally lyrical, there is just enough originality and residual dissonance for it to be convincing. As with Yano s concerto, the oboe part is deliberately over-the-top in its technical demands, and so we have a show-off piece of extreme length, large orchestration, and weighty subject. An unresolved, protracted piercing high Bn from the oboe concludes the drama no feel-good ending here. The CD includes Bohuslav Martinů s modest oboe concerto of 1955, so appropriately accompanied by this Czech orchestra, a work that should be recorded often. Klein elected not to make use of the published (The Double Reed, Vol. 13, No. 1, Spring 1990) corrections to the mistakes in the oboe part, several of which survived into the second printing, the one evidently used here. Especially noticeable is the low Ef fermata at the end of the third movement s cadenza - correctly an En. The Ef is left over from the original two-cadenza version, and does not transition well in the published version, which eliminates the second cadenza, thereby moving into a different tonal center. The music loses effectiveness when the solo oboe outruns the orchestra in the first movement, causing the syncopated orchestral punctuations to miss their mark. Alex Klein s amazing agility and astonishingly sweet tone also distinguish this recorded performance from several others. Bach: Pièces pour hautbois & Airs de cantates Olivier Doise, oboe; Gaële Le Roi, soprano. Arion ARN68566, Olivier Doise of Douai, France, teamed with soprano Gaële Le Roi to make a most satisfying album of alternating oboe solos and cantata movements in He had recently won the principal oboe position in the Paris Opera Orchestra; she is a young but well-traveled opera singer and actress with a long-list of credits. They are accompanied by cellist Jérôme Pernoo and keyboard player Jérémie Rhorer on harpsichord and organ, and the occasional orchestral assistance of two fine violinists and a violist. The cantatas begin with BWV 187 Es warten alles auf dich, the optimistic, declamatory Gott versoget, alles Leben. Its majestic, double-dotted French overture style is the ideal pick for opening the collection, and the fine compatibility of the two soprano timbres is immediately evident. Doise performs our G minor version of BWV1030 with a light, precise style. His Marigaux oboe has a sweet but crystal-clear tone, and his articulations are deft, separated, and clean, with some obeisance to

151 THE DOUBLE REED 149 Baroque performance practice. He chooses to use full continuo (with cello), optional to this work, but not a bad idea to balance the modern oboe. Only slight differences distinguish the repeats in the Sarabande a bit of terraced dynamic, an occasional ornament. The transition to the juggernaut of third/fourth movement is just right; the machine begins with solid tempo and transparent counterpoint. By the time Doise approaches the gigue, there is no doubt that the rhythms will be illuminated by absolute clarity of ensemble. The oboist and continuo work together in tireless and stable interlock this would be an especially useful performance to recommend to a student learning the work for the first time. Liner annotator Giles Cantagrel had no problem persuading me that this sonata and the Partita in A Minor for flute alone (BWV 1013) belong in the oboists repertoire. Of course, just owning the old Vade Mecum puts young oboists in the position of fooling around with the partita. Doise isn t fooling, though, when he winds up and delivers the full four dance movements, with repeats, and a few carefully chosen graces. The Allemande is a tour de force made of one piece, with no retakes that I can tell. The freedom of rhythm in the Corrente, expressed through a torrent of melody and sequences, bespeaks a joyous outpouring of technique, and the sultry, melting Sarabande provides a platform for Doise s tasteful, restrained agréments. The Bourée angloise is all one could want in terms of spirit, articulative excitement, and down-right virtuosity. The other cantata movements offered include BWV 202 Weichet nur, betrübe Schatten (1 and 7), BWV 199 Mein Herz schwimmt im Blut (12 and 13), BWV 105 Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht (14), as well as the third aria from the Magnificat, with oboe d amour. They are tastefully positioned around and among the solo oboe works, and Doise and Le Roi complement each other with gorgeous, liquid color. Especially to be commended are Doise s deference to the voice and his ability to put focus and beauty in his sound even when accompanying. The recording placement is balanced and well-separated. The album is one of those serendipitous efforts that manages to be compelling for the specialist, but also wonderfully agreeable for the general marketplace. I hope it is finding a broad audience. Widerkehr: Chamber Music with Oboe Omar Zoboli, oboe; Felix Renggli, fl ute; Alberto Guerro, bassoon; Jean-Jacques Dünki, fortepiano. Pan Classics , With over fifty CDs under his belt, using oboes from the 17th century all the way to the present, Italian oboist Omar Zoboli might come up with just about anything at this point. In 2002 he unearthed and realized four large works by Jacques Widerkehr, who was born in the city of Strasbourg in northeastern France and musically located in the Paris of the late 1700s. There Widerkehr wrote a great deal of household music and other chamber music, most notably duets for solo winds and piano, i.e., wind sonatas. Zoboli s recording contains two of these, along with two trios for flute, oboe, and bassoon. These are substantive pieces, the sonatas, each in four movements, lasting about 22 minutes total, and the three-movement trios taking approximately fifteen minutes each. For this effort, Zoboli and his colleagues use reproductions of period instruments. The flute is a Heinrich Grenser original, the bassoon is an A. Grenser copy, and the oboe is a Grundman copy. The fortepiano is an 1805 Viennese copy. I will admit to inexperience in listening to 18th-century bassoon; the others I have much more familiarity with. I m not sure I ve ever heard a sound quite like that made by Alberto Guerro a warm, fuzzy, furry humming tone with little or no attack. The ensemble plays together with flawless intonation, nonetheless, the flute and oboe sounding relatively predictable, with distinct timbres that separate the counterpoint well. Both flutist Renggli and bassoonist Guerra match Omar Zoboli s prodigious technical control and fluent, expressive passagework. Vibrato is minimal and balance is exquisitely sensitive. The two trios presented are No.s 2 in C major and 3 in D minor, each with well-crafted sonata-form first movements; gracious, slower central movements; and concluding lighter movements, a theme and variations in No. 2 and a fugal rondo for No. 3. Zoboli writes compellingly of the music on this CD in his exceptional liner notes, and I will not discuss them in detail. The trios certainly represent a repertoire find for me real trio music truly meant for this combination of instruments, well-written, playable, and not Baroque! The liner reports their publication by Marter Editions. The duo sonatas open with a bang. The oboist seems to use a brighter reed to match the edge of the fortepiano, and the dynamic is explosive at the REVIEWS

152 150 REVIEWS REVIEWS beginning of the sonata in E minor. Throughout, the oboe takes a primary role, presenting much of the thematic material, and later alternating with piano argumentatively, especially in the developments. The movement patterns include dance movements (minuet or scherzo), and singing slow movements, most notably the lilting Adagio of the sonata in F major. As pianist Dünki points out in his contribution to the liner notes, the Finale to the sonata in F major is filled with joyous cheeky appoggiaturas, somewhat reminiscent of the final movement of Mozart s oboe quartet, in 6/8 time. This recording is an excellent piece of work, a fine documentation of the musical viability of several littleknown works in the repertoire from a time period that could use more representation in our programs. The oboe parts are not excessively difficult, at least on the modern oboe, but the surprising length of the sonatas will limit their versatility. Oboe MUSIC REVIEWS REVIEWS BY ROBERT J. KRAUSE Canyon, Texas 15 Inventionen by Johann Sebastian Bach arranged for two oboes by Harmut Feja Feja (ISMN M ) KMB #35 Harmut Feja has taken J. S. Bach s 15 Two Part Inventions for keyboard and arranged and edited them for two oboes. He has used the original keys of each of the inventions except for numbers 3, 5, 6, 12, and 14, which have been transposed to better fit within the range of the oboe. He has also adjusted some of the tempo markings, articulations, dynamics, and ornaments so that they are not always reflective of the keyboard versions. There is a preface (written in German) which includes a chart for the execution of the ornaments that are used. Ranges They vary for each invention, but the lowest note required to play is small b and the highest is d3. Dynamics There are only two inventions (Nos. 3 and 5) in which Mr. Feja has included any dynamics. Articulations Many times slurs have been added to maybe help facilitate a smoother performance on the oboe. In inventions nos. 7, 12, 13, and 15, Mr. Feja has written a more detached version than that in the original keyboard one. Ornaments Markings for mordents and inverted mordents are not always in sync with the original keyboard versions. There are times when the two are reversed. Trills sometimes are added to make for more effective cadences. These duet transcriptions are very playable and fit the oboe very well. I have used them with my students for sight reading and pedagogical and technical pieces. They would work well as recital material. (Medium difficulty to difficult) Felix Mendelssohn: Romances sans paroles, Op. 30 pour hautbois et piano (Volume 2: Romances 7-12) transcribed for oboe and piano by David Walter. Gerard Billaudot editeur, 14, rue de l Echiquier 75010, Paris, What a wonderful choice of original piano music Mr. Walter has chosen to transcribe for oboe and piano. Mendelssohn s Songs Without Words are such intimate gems in miniature form. What better introduction to the Songs Without Words than that which the composer, himself, wrote in a letter of 1842 to Marc- Andre Souchay: There is so much talk about music, and yet so little is said. For my part, I believe that words do not suffice for such a purpose, and if I found they did suffice I would finally have nothing more to do with music the same words never mean the same things to different people. Only the song can say the same thing, can arouse the same feelings in one person as in another, a feeling which is not expressed, however, by the same words. The timbre and lyrical quality of the oboe lends itself so well to the expressiveness that Mendelssohn was referring to, and David Walter has expertly adapted the shapely melodies of each song to make the listener believe that these petite pieces were originally conceived with the oboe in mind. Mr. Walter has arranged Romance #7 (Op. 30, No. 1 in Ef major) with the option that the solo part can be played on the oboe or the English horn. Both versions work well (the oboe version does go down to small bf), but I am really partial to the almost human voice sound of the English horn version. Romance #9 (Op. 30, No. 3 in E major) has been arranged with the option that the solo part can be played on the oboe or