The annual Mark Popkin-Loren Glickman Bassoon Camp will be held this year from May 29 thru June 5, 1987, once more at Wildacres near Little Switzerland, North Carolina. Besides the regular staff, this year's guest artists will be Otto Eifert and K. David Van Hoesen. Interested participants can contact 740 Arbor Road, Winston Salem, NC 27104, or call (919) 725-5681 for further information.
One of the guest artists at the 1985 Popkin-Glickman Camp, Hungarian bassoonist Otto Oromszegi, writes that he was so inspired by the quality of performers at the camp (and at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he also lectured at the invitation of Arthur Grossman), that he has recently completed two new compositions for the bassoon - The Skillful Bassoonist: Fifty Mixed Characteristic Pieces, and Variations on Old Hungarian Folksong Themes for Solo Bassoon. In discussing them Mr. Oromszegi writes:
I have the feeling I gave them the most meticulous care of my compositions so far. The shorter the composition is, the more one has to be extra cautious and sparing with every note and interval. That was no easy thing, but I feel I had to create them because in the bassoon literature, there are not enough instruction works for the middle-to-advanced level.
These works will be published soon by Emerson Editions in England.
The New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, recently announced the appointment of Leonard Sharrow to the bassoon faculty. The other members of the NEC faculty are Matthew Ruggerio, Roland Small, and Sherman Wait, who is currently on leave of absence.
For those I.D.R.S. members who would like to expand their available literature on the oboe and bassoon, there is an excellent German language publication being printed by the Kreul/Moosman Company (GMBH, Postfach 1866, D-7400 Tubingen, West Germany). It is entitled: Oboe-Fagott, Das Magazin fur Doppelrohrblattblaser, comes out four times a year, and only costs 20 Deutsche marks per year. Issue number 9 is dated December, 1986. It is an excellent window to the world of the German double reed players.
There is also an excellent article on Viennese bassoon making: "Zum Fagottbau in Wien" by Michael Nagy available from Hans Schneider, Tutzing. Copies can be obtained from the author (Molker Bastei 8/11, A-1010 Wien, Austria) for USD $6.00.
My apologies to bassoonist Andrew Cordle of the Aurora Trio for misspelling his name in the last issue! Andrew has been very busy performing community concerts with the trio, which featured the world premiere performances of Justesse de l'Oreille for bassoon and harp by Dr. James Wintle (performed with harpist Judy Saiki), and of performances of Contemplation: Summer Solstice by Sherwood Shaffer. Andrew has also formed a new ensemble, the Alouette Trio, with oboist Richard Dallessio and violinist Nancy Miller. The group has a tour arranged through the collaborative efforts of the US Embassies in Luxembourg and Iceland from May 6-16, 1987. Performances will take place at the Free Church in Reykjavik, on the "Les Amis du Chateau de Vianden" series in Vianden, Luxembourg and for the "Syndicat d'Inititive" series in Luxembourg City. Concerts will feature an American premiere (commissioned) of Dr. James Wintle, American folk songs, as well as Baroque and Renaissance works.
From bassoonist Keith McClelland of the University of Tennessee, and director of the Tennessee Bassoon Quartet which performed so brilliantly at the last I.D.R.S. Congress, comes a clarification concerning the Andante and Gavotte for Bassoon Quartet by David Van Vactor. His inspiration for the piece came from the Prokofiev Humorous Scherzo which he heard either in his student days at Northwestern or his early performing days as a flutist in Chicago Symphony. Incidentally that piece is available from Roger Rhodes Music LTD., Box 1550, Radio City Station, New York, NY 10101.
Besides his appearance as guest artist at the Popkin/Glickman Bassoon Camp in June, bassoonist Otto Eifert of the Cincinnati Symphony is looking forward to a very busy summer. The first week in June he will perform at the New College Music Festival in Sarasota, Florida following his appearance at the Popkin-Glickman Camp. In late July and early August he will play two weeks at the Waterloo Festival in New Jersey with Gerard Schwartz. And finally in mid August he will leave for Seoul, Korea, for the Korean Bassoon Association Camp, where he will perform the Kozeluch Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic. In the fall, Otto will step down from his position as principal bassoon in the Cincinnati Symphony in order to assume a full-time position at the Cincinnati Conservatory as head of the Wind Department and Director of the woodwind ensemble. Otto will have completed 26 years as principal at Cincinnati when he retires. Our highest congratulations go with him.
Bassoonist Robert Barris of Northwestern University and the Interlochen Arts Academy is also continuing his varied performance activities. On November 28th he performed the Mozart Concerto at the Village Bach Festival in Cass City, Michigan, November 28th and the Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks Concerto on the 30th, both concerts conducted by Don Th. Jaeger. On January 12 at Northwestern he performed the Piston Trio with Russel Dagon, clarinet and Janet Millard, flute, and the Poulenc Trio with Carl Sonik, oboe, and James Howsman, piano. He also performed the Telemann d minor Quartet at Northwestern on February 16 with Janet Millard and Gerardo Ribeiro, and will perform it again at the Interlochen Arts Academy on May 10 with Dan Stolper and Jackie Hofto.
From bassoonist Marvin Feinsmith
of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, comes a couple of corrections
to his article on "Cane Shrinkage" (I.D.R.S. journal
No. 14, 1986, pp 66-69). The first section should read: 1.
Cane Shrinkage After Shaping... from Wet to Dry (not from
Wet and Dry). Also the first two illustrations should appear
on p. 67, next to: III Examples of Shrinkage During the Various
Stages.
Bassoonist Daniel Smith continues his active solo and recording career. He has recently completed four new recordings (which will be reviewed in upcoming issues of The Double Reed), including the first volume of a 6 volume set of 37 Vivaldi concerti! He also performed on September 17, 1986 on the BBC Concert Hall series in London with the Coull String Quartet, playing the Danzi Quartet in B-flat and the Gordon Jacob Suite for Bassoon and String Quartet. Later, with the South Dakota Symphony, playing the Vanhal Double Concerto with the orchestra's principal bassoonist, Susan Wood. And finally in a series of eleven recitals he performed with pianist Kevin Fitz-geral on two cruises of the ocean liner, The Royal Viking Sky to Mexico, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean.
Bassoonist James Jeter performed the world premiere of Benton Hess's Straw into Gold on February 5th at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City. Based on poems by Bruce Bennett, the work is for countertenor (Keith Romano), solo bassoon and strings. In addition to solo work, Mr. Jeter continues to perform with the Virtuosi Quintet, which gave All- American concerts at the New York Historical Society this season on October 19th, February 22nd and May 10th, featuring the premiere of Milton Phibb's Woodwind Quintet and works by Barber, Fine, Piston, Carter and Persichetti. The quintet was named "Young Artists of 1986" by High Fidelity/Musical America magazine. John Rockwell, in the New York Times, wrote "The Virtuosi Quintet lived up to its name... absolutely first-rate. " On November 18, 1987, Mr. Jeter and members of the quintet (David Kossoff, oboe; Larry Tietze, clarinet; Milton Phibbs, horn) will be featured soloists for the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the Atlantic Sinfonietta at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, New York City.
Jones Double
Reed Products recently announced
the installation of a robotic machine system for profiling cane.
The system has been under development for the past six months.
Completely computer driven, the new system will speed up production
time and also increase the accuracy and consistency of the profiles
to within .001". According to JDRP president Wendal Jones,
the machine is "one of a kind" in the reed manufacturing
industry. The system can be used to profile cane for all instruments;
however, JDRP plans to employ it principally for bassoon and oboe
reeds. "The use of robotics makes it possible to custom design
the contour of the reeds. When coupled with our unique diamond
cutting tools it represents a state of the art approach to reed
manufacturing, " said Jones.
Jones Double Reed Products recently relocated their headquarters to 327 East Pacific, Spokane, WA 99202.
Finally, from bassoonist Frank Wangler (Potsdam, New York) comes news of the 60th anniversary of the Interlochen Arts Academy this summer. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is scheduled, along with other important orchestral works. The following is a photo of the bassoonists at the National Music Camp, Summer-86, with faculty instructors Frank Wangler and Daryl Durran.
