Author: HautboisJJ
Date: 2010-09-24 03:11
Justme,
Well....to me such a thing as school of playing is really fortunately/unfortunately a thing of the past. Distinct oboe sections like the Concertgebouw's and Berlin Philharmonic's, are long things of the past. Orchestras, ensembles, and even music schools are now looking for different qualities in musicians that make a tradition in sound much less important than everything else that might be deemed much more necessary (e.g. perfection in technique, ability to work with others, flexibility, knowing repertoire, sight reading etc.). Of course then there are the soloists of today, but compare this 2 videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbQx4D1Fzzk 1991
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfSwrQEQcOI 2010
Francoix Leleux must be today, the most famous oboist in Europe and certainly highly regarded everywhere else on earth. The way he makes music has not changed much, but the sound certainly has. Some more examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMq8i1RrHuA 1993
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv8qCaDg39A 1997
In this first video is of course the much revered Dutch oboist Han de Vries, who was an equal champion in both modern and baroque oboe, playing the cor. In the 2nd is his arguably most famous student Bart Schneemann, also a champion of both modern and baroque oboe, playing the cor (or is it an oboe? or an oboe d amore?)
So, the point is, i guess there is no such thing as a 'European' sound, because everyone sounds much different, although everyone comes from Europe, even when they study under the same influences, and with the case of Leleux, the sound keeps on evolving (maybe because of different instruments and playing on whatever reed that works?). But it seems to me that this is certainly not the direction that the American school is taking, having preserved a certain quality in the sound of most of its current most famous players.
Howard
Post Edited (2010-09-24 03:15)
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