Author: Nissen
Date: 2004-07-05 09:59
I think one of the big differences between American and European (German-style) reeds is the amount of muscle control required to play. I have tried american type reeds and found that they play easily without me having to do anything. You have to keep your embouchure relaxed and in place, to alter tonal quality you can adjust the position of the reed or the inner 'cavities' of your head and throat. If you begin to bite or squeeze the reed, you will have trouble - the tone and intonation will suffer immediately.
'German' reeds need more support, making it much harder for beginners to play (and the parents will have a hard time listening to it). It is less 'relaxing' to play a German reed, and the ability of the oboist to control the reed influence the tone immensely. I agree that many german-style oboists aren't really playing dark, just reedy. To be dark on a German reed is not that easy, the reed is not enough. So much hang on the physics of the oboist. You can bite and squeeze or drop the jaw while playing - if you are good - and alter the tone dramatically on the way.
I would say there are five categories of tone:
1) bright and nasal (over-reedy, plastic reeds)
2) bright and narrow ('midi'-sound)
3) dark and narrow ('midi'-sound)
4) dark and reedy (over-edgy)
5) dark and broad (d'amore like)
Midi is an ugly word in this context, no oboist plays like that, apart maybe from the first year. Every professional play within one of these 5 categories, but with their own special flavour of course, rubato and vibrato.
Some blend the categories, like fx Douglas Boyd on http://www.oboistgallery.8m.net. To me it sounds like a fantastic combination of 1 and 5, quite reedy and nasal but also very broad. Not my personal taste in tone, but I haven't heard anything like it ever. Lothar Koch I would call a categori 4, Holliger a moderate 1, BC Nielsen a 4-5, Mayer a 2-3.
Could be interesting to hear your judgement, am I biased or do we actually mean the same, when we say dark or bright?
Alex Klein and R. Woodhams will be added to the list soon, perhaps making it easier to talk tonal taste across the Atlantic. Tabuteau does not cover American playing well enough these days.
The 'European'
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