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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000040.txt from 2006/02

From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Re: Ray Still/Heinz Holliger... Favorites?
Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 20:15:01 -0500

Wai Kit,

On 2/3/06 2:29 PM, "Wai Kit Leung" <wkleung11@-----.com> wrote:

> Tabuteau changed his reed style not because he had to play all styles of
> music (which he did of course), but to blend with the German bassoons. In
> France he played with bassoonists on the French system, and a change for a
> darker tone was required when he wanted to blend with his German bassoon
> colleagues in the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Actually, he was not forced to change his sound, he finally was able to play
with the sound he preferred because, in that lovely Academy with musicians
who produced such a transparent sound quality, he didn't have to blow his
brains out. Gone was the sound of the Continental band. Kincaid was from the
French school of flute playing, as was Bonade on clarinet. The wind section
pretty much defined the "American Sound". Yours is a hasty assumption, and I
fear incorrect, that Tabuteau would have preferred to play in the prevailing
French school of sound, but changed to accommodate the bassoons. He was not
a terribly accommodating fellow in that regard.
Playing in the Philadelphia Academy is like being in Eden. Every sound is
heard clearly, and one can play in that large orchestra as if it were large
chamber music. You do not have to force the sound and you can play in tune.
What more can you ask? I have listened to that orchestra from the very cheap
seats for years, and you can easily hear a "mouse fart" while the orchestra
is playing.
Best,
Herb

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