Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-01-09 13:32
OK, first of all, I completely agree with the first poster that the "standard" sound of European oboists has changed in the directions indicated. The tendency toward an international homogenization of oboe sound, and the attendant disappearance of so-called "national" styles, has been widely discussed, here and elsewhere. And as nearly as I can figure it out, that change is probably due to the influence of the Tabuteau style.
Tabuteau style has been identified as "American" style, but my feeling is that this isn't because there was anything intrinsically "American" about the sound -- it's just because Tabuteau's career unfolded in the U.S.A., and his influence rather automatically extended to his pupils and their pupils, and so on. If Tabuteau had stayed in France, would he have sounded less like himself? Would he have been less influential on succeeding generations of oboists? Had he stayed in France, we would probably identify today's generic oboe sound as the French, rather than the American, style.
But I chuckle at the thought of lumping Ray Still, John Mack, and Joseph Robinson together as "old legends" of the American style. First of all, Robinson doesn't quite belong in that group -- he is a generation younger than Mack, and despite the acknowledged excellence of his playing, his influence is certainly not that pervasive. Nor would I consider Still's influence all that pervasive. If pervasive influence is the criterion for determining a legend, John Mack is the American legend of our time.
And I think it's a real stretch to say that Still, Mack, and Robinson sound anything alike. Still was so much heavier and darker than the other two -- an unusual and immediately recognizable tone quality. Mack and Robinson are more alike, but I would characterize Mack's playing as perhaps more aggressive and idiosyncratic -- unique, original. Robinson, to my ear, is smoother, creamier, more liquid -- perhaps more "homogenized," if you will.
I see how one could conclude that Robinson's sound is quite typical of the modern American oboist, but I would argue that Robinson himself is a product, and not the creator, of the forces shaping oboe sound internationally.
Susan
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