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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000029.txt from 2006/10

From: Donald MacCourt <maccourt@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Sylvia Kushner/Wrestling with Angels...
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2006 08:01:18 -0400

If you want to hear Sylvia on record, get the old monaural LP of Stravinsky
conducting his Octet. Loren Glickman and Sylvia Deutcher are the
bassoonists and it is some of the best bassoon playing on record.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chleo Jet" <chleojet@-----.com>
To: "Doublereed list" <doublereed@-----.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 12:37 AM
Subject: [DR-L] Sylvia Kushner/Wrestling with Angels...

>I had the great pleasure last night of seeing the new
> documentary film (here at the Film Forum, NYC - soon
> to be released to "art" theaters around the USA and
> internationally, I assume) "Wrestling with Angels" -
> all about the playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in
> America," "Homebody Kabal," "Caroline or Change,"
> etc.)
>
> All through the movie a clarinetist and _bassoonist_
> provided a wonderful background - excellent players;
> unfortunately, didn't have a credit for them at the
> end of the film. It's appropriate that these 2
> instruments were prominent, since Tony's parents were
> both professional musicians - Sylvia was principal
> bassoonist with the NYC Opera and Bill Kushner was
> principal clarinetist for the NYC Ballet. The entire
> family moved to Lake Charles, LA, when Bill inherited
> his father's lumber business, some years ago.
>
> I had the great opportunity to study bassoon with
> Sylvia for a couple of years, while I was a student at
> Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. I commuted once a
> week to Lake Charles (was usually met at the door by a
> very young Tony!). She had one of the most magnificent
> tones I've heard - before or since - on our esteemed
> bassoon. I also played some with the Lake Charles
> Symphony, conducted by Bill Kushner (who still
> conducts the Alexandria Symphony in his 80's!). The
> Kushners were instrumental in encouraging me to go to
> Juilliard and get more "entrenched" in meeting lots of
> fellow bassoon/oboe students, as well as the contacts
> in NYC that have helped me through the years
> professionally. It was also a great treat to sit next
> to Sylvia when she periodically performed principal
> bassoon with the Beaumont Symphony. (I remember one
> Beethoven Violin Concerto performance in particular -
> her sound and musicianship were exemplary, and Werner
> Torkanowsky, the conductor, made a real point of
> publicly acknowledging her great artistry.)
>
> The film is quite inspiring in that it shows some of
> the creative process that Tony goes through with his
> art, as well as showcasing his entire family's major
> creative talents. (In addition to Sylvia and Bill,
> Tony's brother was French hornist in the Vienna
> Philharmonic - now he's in the Munich Philharmonic and
> performs in the movie. (Sylvia passed away a few years
> ago, and her Heckel (I believe) still resides with one
> of Eric's colleagues in the Vienna Phil!) When things
> got slow for her in Louisiana, bassoon-wise, she
> became quite a good actor in the local community
> theaters in the state!.
>
> This film is truly a gift - hope everyone on the list
> gets a chance to see it for yourself in the future.
> The Kushners are a real American artistic "treasure" -
> be their performances in Louisiana, Munich or NYC!
>
> Peace, Jim
>
> ************************
> James Jeter, D.M.A.
> NYC Bassoonist
> http://www.westfieldnj.com/wso/jeter.htm
>
> "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that
> you do it."Â Mahatma Gandhi
> "Mach' es kurz! Am Juengsten Tag ist's nur ein Furz!" Goethe
>
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
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