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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000001.txt from 2003/10

From: Mike Benthin <benthin@-----.net>
Subj: [DR-L] (ob) Dark vs Bright sound vs decibel perception
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2003 15:52:34 -0400

Now I wonder- that nasal quality (brightness) we strive so diligently to
remove to have a "dark" sound.......must one then play LOUDER to balance
this sound in an ensemble? I've noticed this in quintet playing-a nice
dark reed I used makes others claim I am not playing loud enough (or the
sound is getting lost in the ensemble), whereas a brighter reed is
PERCEIVED as being loud enough in the group, even though I may be
pushing less volume than on the dark reed. Conversely, when playing at
a pp level, the darker reed is easier to blend but more difficult to
keep vibrating, while the reed scraped for brightness is easier to
control but still stands out to the listening ear! This perhaps is why
orchestral dark sound players look for the loudest oboes like Loree vs
small ensemble players who may prefer a softer sounding oboe, especially
if bright "french" style reeds are used?
It must depend on the music-When listening to baroque music I like
the bright sound that seems to always be audible vs a sound that may
blend well with flutes but has no character of its own! The latter may
do well on orchestral solos or music that stresses a compatible blend.

"MUTS" = Michael's Ultimate Thumb Saver - Oboe/English Horn Support

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