Author: Bobo
Date: 2008-05-22 14:44
James,
Interesting what you say about Daniels' Italian Concertos CD! What I like about the album is first of all the great selection of pieces, many of which are not easy to find well recorded elsewhere (the Albinoni and Cimarosa come immediately to mind). He plays with great style, though in a head to head I would put his Vivaldi C Major behind Klein's simply because I think he takes it a bit slow, but I love it when at the end of the third movement he breaks out into trumpet like flourishes in the ritornello. On the sound, please forgive me if I opine that to the extent I don't love his sound I have attributed it to a British tone (more spread, less focus than American tone to overgeneralize) and I just try to tune that out. Maybe the Strauss will be different. Talking about British tone, let me be more specific about some oboists: I love Neil Black's tone and musicality though I think his technical level is of a past generation (his Mozart quartet is great); as an opposite reference for a sound I really don't like, I'd posit Celia Nicklin. But I definitely don't want to generalize because, a) globalization is having its effects (e.g. you were trained in Germany and probably have a more German sound I would assume), b) I have many recordings of UK orchestras wherein I love the oboe sound (a particular Scottish National Orchestra recording of Barber's 1st Symphony comes to mind). Before I forget, I would also strongly recommend Joe Robinson's Legends CD for another take on American oboe tone: fantastic playing with a round creamy tone. And Allan Vogel's two CD's Oboe Obsession and Bach's Circle. (And then there are a few by Lucarelli, but I should stop.) I hear what you're saying about Klein, and I know others who share your view, but when he's on, in my opinion, he's just on a very hard to attain plane...that probably requires taking risks that will occasionally turn people off (including me since I agree he's not consistently great). Btw, I think Daniels has a bit of that showman aspect too, there's a Youtube of him playing the Britten Metamorphoses that proves that. In any case, I'm glad you have the Izotov on the way - all I can say is, Chicago knows how to pick 'em! Good luck on the tour!!
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