Author: Stotijn
Date: 2006-01-24 13:36
Hello Mike,
You hit a sensitive spot with this remark:
>BUT...it also may be that, as listeners get older, they are less likely
>to hear all the partials as their hearing becomes less acute,
>especially at the highest frequencies. If this is the case, it will
>always be true that "oboists sound more alike now than when I was a young student..."
After 25 years in a orchestra [pit], my hearing of the higher frequencies has certainly diminished. Consequently, the reeds I made tended to equalise this loss.
In the later stage of you career you don't play less hours, while at the same time one's strength/embouchure/endurance weakens. You can compensate with lighter and "easier" reeds, with the obvious influence on one's sound.
For an honest and objective evaluation of this gradual change, just [let somebody else] listen to your own old and recent tapes/recordings.
On the topic of universal oboe-sound: there is a trap comparing old analogue recordings [LP] with CD [DDD and ADD]: the master tapes did allow for high-frequency losses in the process of reproduction. Digitally remastering enhances the high frequencies too much. Early ADD CD's suffer more from this effect than recent digital recordings, though.
The distance of the microphones to the instrument play an important role as well. Every oboist [?] knows that the sound on close range is not the same as the audience hears it.
Distance works in our favour. Rigging us up with mikes and balancing the sound in the control-room is not the way to a natural registration.
Like a "nose" in the perfume industry is capable of analysing a fragrance in its different components, the human ear can analyse the combination of overtones. Think of the imitations of church-bells on a piano. This is an amazing talent, present in some individuals, certainly not in all musicians. With the sound bombardment on the ears of the present young generation, I'm afraid its destroyed before it is noticed. (but this is completely off topic...) Some sounds go "straight to your heart" , perhaps you're right on having a sensitive period for sound determination in your earliest youth, like bonding with the voice of your mother.
The development of real-time visualisation of overtones is very interesting. The first time I saw a similar software program, was on a performing arts medicine congress in Freiburg, Germany, in 2003.
There was demonstration, comparing recordings of Maria Callas and Cecilia Bartoli, showing an amazing difference in overtones in the different voice registers. A real-time life comparison between teacher and pupil clarinet player, showed its potential in the educational field. If there is a freeware version available, I'll try and experiment with it.
Perhaps it's possible to make the sound of the Dutch oboe-school visible.
Marc
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