Author: JRC
Date: 2010-09-20 14:38
It is refreshing to read about concerns for musical expression. We, oboe players, are depending on our reeds and instrument (in lesser degree) to produce desired sound so we could make music, not just make beautiful tone. “Beautiful blending tone” often is an advantage in some music; solo passage in orchestral music for instance. It is so subjective when it comes to defining a “beautiful blending tone.” But not always... Yet most can tell if the tone is not blending. Still it is subjective but not as subjective as defining it, however.
We would all agree on the elements of what we desire from a musical tone, not necessarily confining to oboe: (1) good intonation in all notes, (2) wide dynamic range from very soft to very loud in all range from low to very high notes, (3) wide range of articulation from legato to barely noticeable separation between notes to varying degrees of staccatos in all range of notes, (4) wide range of tone colors from soft sweet tone to wild harsh scream, and perhaps (5) wide range of speaking voice from soft and gentle murmur to well articulated clarity. All better payers would like to produce the sound quality that he/she loves, some more desperately than others. It definitely affects the players ability to perform his/her best. I might have missed other desirable characters but these 5 would cover most of it. Oboe is lucky that one can actually control all five characters unlike keyboard and the percussive instruments.
Different styles of oboe reed not only produce different timbre and tone quality but also affect the way one could express music. Different reeds affect the ranges of these 5 elements. French horn and very dark and “horny” oboe sound shares natural disadvantage in producing clear articulation, tone colors, and speaking voices. It is not impossible to overcome some of the disadvantages, however. I heard the recent recording of Yeon-Hee Kwak in her CD entitles “Oboe Solo.” This is a must for all oboe players to listen to, in my opinion. It changed my mind on how well a very dark sounding oboe could express widely varying articulation and speaking voices. I must confess that this was the very first time I heard someone breaking the code on articulation and speaking voice with dark and “horny” oboe sound. Yet it still re-enforced my impression that a dark oboe tone have relatively monotonic tone color. It sacrifices the range of expression with tone colors. Most if not all (except Kwak today) legacy German and American tone (dark and “horny”) sacrifices the ranges of articulation and speaking voice because of the tone. I also admit, however, dark and “horny” tone is pleasing and easier to listen to and much easier to blend in with other sound in general. When I switch back and forth between Holliger in his CD “The Spectacular Heinz Holliger” and Kwak in her CD “Oboe Solo”, it epitomizes distinction between dark and bright oboe sounds. In these cases, they both perform wonderful and masterfully of oboe music, not just playing the oboe. I love both. I love the music, not just oboe. Then, put on one of the oldies, Gomberg’s CD “The Art of Harold Gomberg”. Now I can feel the expression "A bright star in the center, surrounded by a halo of junk" right in my soul in terms of music. I also love Albrecht Mayer, like many Americans and Europeans alike. I do not believe it is his tone color that distinguishes him from others. It is the music he makes with the tone, which happens to be without the reedy component and brighter than the legacy German sound.
I have never encountered an oboe sound that I did not like, but I do not enjoy all of their music. I do not believe it is the tone. It is what one does with the tone.
Post Edited (2010-09-20 19:56)
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