Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2011-09-12 16:19
Pliscapoivre, you are understanding me very well.
My tendency has been to prefer a reed which feels almost "stuffy" (subjective evaluation, probably having to do with tip vibration). But over the years, I have played on a number of reeds (from Graham, from Robert Morgan, and indeed, from Craig Matovich) which have seemed to me (again, subjectively) to be very vibrant and very easy to play, but beautiful-sounding nonetheless. Not kazoos by any stretch of the imagination!
When I listen to myself playing my usual reeds (the ones that feel perhaps a little stuffy), my tone sounds really quite good on the recording, but during the actual playing, it feels restricted and thin (leading me to want to blow harder), and more difficult to navigate the ups and downs of difficult passages.
Thus, I have begun to wonder if I might perhaps back off a bit on the "covered" and "stable" side of things, in favor of a little more color and warmth. As I mentioned, my section partner has what I would characterize as a very reedy sound -- almost to the point of being a little grating, and a tendency to hang flat. I, on the other hand, have a "purer" sound, and will go sharp if I am not careful. But we play well together -- others have remarked on how well we play together.
However, I got dealt the 1st oboe part for a very contemporary piece that has recurring exposed, high-register sustained-tone solo oboe, followed by lots of very odd short-note leaps, in no definable tonality. So I feel that the oboe tone color, per se, becomes extremely important to the success of the piece.
I don't want to embarass myself one way or another, but I just have not been happy with the way this particular piece sounds when I play it with my usual setup -- especially in comparison with how our other oboist sounds. Thus, my question.
Susan
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