 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2009-01-21 07:05
I had been meaning to write something about the 2008 DR festival @ CSU Fresno, but never got around to it. Since the 2009 festival is approaching soon I thought I'd share my thoughts so that anyone who is planning on going knows what to expect.
Here is my recollection of 2008!
8AM Registration -
Finding the building on your own is a no no. There are no visible signs indicating there is any sort of festival anywhere. I followed the first group of people with instrument cases I saw.
At the registration area you get a name tag, a schedule, sheet music for the ensemble, and some goodies (pencils/bumper stickers),
9AM - Lecture I (Martin Schuring - Warm-up Essentials)
I found Martin Schuring's lecture to be entertaining and educational. The focus was on breathing & support. People were polled on where they though breathing started and where playing starting and explaining how and why it should happen. There was some group playing trying to mimic Schuring's examples.
Schuring was taken by someone's auto-octave oboe and played around with it and explained the difference and the extra regulation that may be needed.
That's pretty much all I recall!
10AM Exhibits open
This was really just a break between master classes.
The exhibits were disappointing to say the least.
The vendors present were: Forrest Woodwind, Mark Chudnow, and an independent double reed music writer (Rafael Mevorach).
Forrest had only a couple instruments on display and some accessories, Chudnow only had cane and reed cases, and the independent guy was selling his own works.
That was it.
There was such a crowd that no one really dared play test the oboes except for a talented little kid.
10AM Lecture II (Martin Schuring - Practice and Performance Prep)
I skipped this! I had made plans for breakfast with friends as I didn't think that performance prep would be for me. I was so bummed, it was a continuation of the previous lecture and Martin Schuring was actually a really good lecturer.
(yes, yes, this is the same Schuring that I bad mouthed about his Barret edition for making cuts. He's a nice person outside of that <g>)
12PM - Lunch! (There's a major mall nearby)
1:30PM Master Class (Martin again)
5 acts, only 3 showed.
Act 1. Trio or Two Oboes and English Horn (Beethoven)
I thought these were highschool girls and now that I look at the program... they were CSUF students!!! Heavens! I must be getting old now.
Martin Schuring really only covered two things with this group.
-1. The piece is not a dirge. It required a quicker tempo than what the girls settled on.
-2. An English Hornist (and oboist too) cannot pull out their reed to compensate for a sharp reed. It causes more problems and won't solve the original problem.
Act 2. Sonata for Oboe and Piano (Paul Hindmith)
This girl comes from UCLA and she was a really good player.
However I must comment on attire. The girl came in an outfit fitting for a fairy... it was extremely short and didn't leave much for the imagination up top either.
The girl however came off as extremely modest/bashful/shy which helped to offset the fashion choice as an innocent one.
The performance was very nice.
At most Schuring made comments about her making unnecessary fingering changes (sometimes you can leave some keys down while the rest get busy), it was not efficient playing.
Martin Schuring was also interested in the the girl's reed. She commented that she made it herself and he was impressed. He asked to see it... and he played it. Sweaking and squacking and made a comment about what level of a reed maker she was at and that it was very good though there is still some more ways to go for it to get at a professional level.
He then had her play some things and work on expression.
Act 3. Schumann Romances
A girl from Clovis, CA. No school listed.
I felt sorry for this girl. Act 2 was a very hard act to follow and she definitely looked grim and didn't really get out of that "I have no chance in hell to sound remotely as good as her" mood throughout her whole masterclass. Her playing was ok and though Martin Schuring was trying work things out with her she was rather ho-hum throughout. She was asked if she made her own reeds, but she did not.
And that's it for masterclasses!
3PM Break
3:15PM Double Reed Ensemble Rehearsal
The double reed ensemble performance was disappointing. There was interesting music available, but rather than test play the pieces, the conductor (Adam Wilke) just picked out the most basic, hot-cross buns-ish, music for the group to play and that was that.
I was rather upset with the decision and decided I would not be playing with ensemble and as that was the last event before the final concert, I took an early start home.
5:30PM Gala Recital:
Martin Schuring Oboe, Leonard Hindell Bassoon, & DR Ensemble.
It would have been nice to see Martin Shuring play, he played:
Trio Sonata (Telemann)
Fantasie Caprice (Dallier)
Sonata for Oboe and Piano (Camille Saint-Saens)
Oh well... it was a long drive home (Fresno to Los Angeles)... and I didn't get home till around 11pm so it was probably good that I didn't try to drive home after the concert.
Conclusion:
If one went for just the lectures and masterclass then the event is great. Just keep in mind, that they don't have many vendor's show up and the ensemble performance may not involve the greatest music.
There are a lot of young'ins, but there are a number of adults as well. The oboe and bassoon masterclasses are separate so you that you don't get to experience both... just all oboe or all bassooon.
I also enjoyed touring the forrest area and took pictures of the trees with friends. It was snowy and I got to experience falling through 4ft of snow and learned why some people use snow shoes <g>.
♫ Stephen K.
Post Edited (2009-01-21 07:11)
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CSU Fresno 2008 Double Reed Festival Experience new |
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sylvangale |
2009-01-21 07:05 |
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cjwright |
2009-01-21 07:39 |
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sylvangale |
2009-01-23 00:33 |
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