Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-10-27 14:39
Hello everyone --
Got home Monday midnight from a couple of weeks in Chicago and California, during which sojourn I heard two operas (Chicago) and got a trip to Forrests in Berkeley.
According to my opera-savvy mate, Denyce Graves as "Carmen" was the best he had ever seen, and I found that this production suggested levels of moral/dramatic complexity in the work that I had not grasped before. It actually held my attention -- which is (ahem) not true of every opera I have ever attended.
I didn't buy all that much at Forrests -- but thank you for the suggestions to look at their CDs. I did come home with FIVE (count'em!) new CDs: John DeLancie, Joseph Robinson, Nancy Ambrose King, Elaine Douvas, and Alex Klein. Plugs a lot of holes in my collection.
I also got to try -- for the first time -- a Loree (C+3) oboe, a Yamaha 841, and the high end Fox (don't know the model #).
I tried all three oboes in turn with two different reeds (one "heavy", one "sweet"), and played a quick, tongued piece and a sustained piece with each one.
Of the three, the Fox I tried was clearly not in the same league as the other two. My favorite for tone quality was the Loree -- very rich and deep. The keywork on the Yamaha was amazing -- especially the little "flick key" thingie on the half-hole, which enables instantly accurate finger placement on that sometimes-problematic key. The Yamaha tone color seemed significantly edgy, for me -- would project to the skies. And I don't need a more-projecting horn. I am already having a problem playing softly enough in one of my groups.
I was developing a bit of oboe envy about the Loree, however, and wondering how I could convice my family that I really NEEDED a new $$ oboe. Then I got the bright idea (duh!) to test-play the Loree against my own Covey Classic (acquired used last year), which I had with me.
Well, whaddya know! My sweet baby just plain knocked the Loree completely out of contention! I had imagined that the Covey would sound lighter against the Loree -- and it does, but not by much. And it is so sweet. Just the prettiest, most balanced sound of all of them! And NOT just because it's mine! It really is a fine instrument.
So, instead of coming away with oboe envy, I came home with a certain pride of ownership. And a mandrel, an india stone, and a reed knife. (Wish me luck, please, in learning to use this latter item.)
I bought another plaque, too ($1.50) -- but it may be already lost. Arrggh!
Overall, a satisfying trip.
Susan
|
|
The Oboe BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
