Pianist by Proxy. Accompanying Piano Parts from the Bassoon Repertoire, George Robert, Piano. Volume 1: Saint-Saens Sonata, Op. 168, Fasch Concerto in C Major, Hindemith Sonata (1938); Mozart Sonata in Bb Major, K 292; David Concertino, Op. 12; Milde Tarantella, Op. 20; Donizetti Romanza "Una Furtiva Lagrima "; Tchaikowsky Valse from Symphony #5; SenaiIIe Allegro Spiritoso. Total playing time 64:18. Artemus Products, 610 Sycamore Street N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. Tel. 505-842-6299. $20 plus $3.50 postage and shipping any quantity. ($16.00 per disc for orders of three or more)
If you, like me, were terribly disappointed when you looked through the stack of the old Music Minus One record series only to discover that the bassoon had only a few chamber music works for their rise in the entire series, well this Music Minus One series is I just for you.
Pianist by Proxy is the brainchild of bassoonist Artemus Edwards of the University of New Mexico. Artemus had requested tapes of the accompaniments to literature he and his students were preparing for performance from his colleague, pianist George Robert. From there the idea to provide these in a series for general bassoon public grew into fruition. The recording has an incredible potential for use. In Artemus' own words:
1. Providing practice time before your pianist is available.
2. Being able to find the "right" reed without boring your pianist with time consuming trial and error stops. (Compact discs guarantee accurate pitch reproduction.)
3. Supplying a study guide for the student accompanist.
4. Demonstrating the bassoon in schools where a piano is not available.
5. Making music at home, for fun alone or for family gatherings.
6. Busking! Who knows how many bassoonists will be found in town squares performing with George Robert!
In testing the recording, I played along with the CD and generally found it to be a wonderful experience-I could see how it would be a valuable way to get used to the accompaniment when learning a piece of music. Moreover, George Robert is a superb pianist and when he lays down a tempo it is solid and remains so throughout. So his playing reinforces clarity and accuracy in your own. The obvious shortcoming of the accompaniments is that you are "locked into" the collaborative interpretations and tempos of Artemus Edwards and George Robert, which, as good as they are, still may differ in some details from your own. Artemus speaks to this problem in the program notes:
It is evident that the personal interpretations expressed here, my own opinions combined with George Robert's artistry in performance, will not please everyone all the time. However, I hope the validity of attempting to create an aesthetic experience, while practicing with recordings, will go beyond individual tastes. Take consolation in the fact that if you feel a tempo, rubato or ritard isn't valid for you, I, too, may be locked into an interpretation which I can change only at "live pianist time!"
Although the rigidity of playing with a recording is always present, some wonderful things can happen when you allow a fine pianist to "take over" various passages.
For those movements that start with bassoon and piano or bassoon alone, Robert provides an extra measure or few beats prior to the start of the accompaniment to clearly establish the tempo, so the CD is very easy to rise. Each movement has a separate track and movements like the continuously long second movement of the Hindemith Sonata are sectionalized for easy use. Also there is a 440 cps "A" sounded on the very last track for tuning purposes.
In all, Artemus has a real winner of a product here and I recommend it most highly to you. At my university it is sometimes difficult to find a student accompanist for difficult accompaniments like the Hindemith Sonata, even though it is important for the young bassoonist to know this work. So I plan to let students use this CD for their lessons, even their Juries. (Who knows, with the price of hiring a good accompanist on the rise, they might, God forbid, even appear occasionally on student recitals!!)
George Robert has already recorded four hours of accompaniments from the bassoon literature. Pending the financial success of Volume 1, Volumes 11, 111, and IV will contain the following works (along with others as well):
Gordon Jacob Concerto
Weber Andante & Hungarian Rondo, Op. 35
Weber Concerto, Op. 75
Tansman Sonatine 1952
Telemann Sonata in F Minor
Burrill Phillips Concert Piece
Ibert Carignane
Elgar Romance, Op. 62
Vivaldi E Minor Concerto, F VIII, No. 6
Lars-Erik Larsson Concertino, Op. 45, No. 4
Starokadomsky Four Pieces, Op. 25
Mozart Concerto, K 191
This is a wonderful, new, and imaginative product. I urge you
to get it and help Artemus to continue his noble efforts.