Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2012-05-25 00:43
Oboi, I think you make a good point. Luckily the more professional productions know the score better... I'm thinking of Berlin.
I'm not sure one instrument is implicitly more .... shall we say "athletic" ? .... than another. When you study to get a Bachelor's and Master's degree (in Europe, the equivalent is "Concours de Conservatoire".... not sure how they say it in English, German, Italian or what have you), trust me, the oboe is just as florid as any other.
However, an old composition mentor of mine remarked the following: instruments with more "fluty" sounds (e.g. the clarinet or bassoon) transition more fluidly between notes whereas instruemnts with more "pastoral" sounds (e.g. the oboe or sax) seem to step between notes more distinctly. In fact, I still wonder why few pro-grade oboe makers do rings: I would think this would improve a sense of glissando.
At any rate, I was about to dispute my mentor's old theory (figuring reed-scrape modified sound could have the oboe flow between notes) until I tried a Covey oboe: the same reeds I use on my Loree sound MUCH more flowing on the Covey, so the instrument plays a huge part in this.
So flutes give more of a "winter-wind" kind of impression, but in terms of athletics, all the others can do as much: there is a You-Tube of a Contra-Bassoon playing Flight of the Bumblebee... very clearly and enjoyably too!
Possibly, past composers just wanted to benefit from the instruments natural impressions, but with the evolution of the istruments, newer composers share the roles more. There is a lot of late romantic repertoire that has the oboe doing as much as the flute. I am practicing some flute repertoire, going up to 3rd 8va key Bb, and once you get in the habit of the fingerings, you can play almost anything a flute plays.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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