The Double Reed, Vol. 14, No. 3

Winter 1991

Original issue edited by Daniel Stolper and Ron Klimko
IDRS WWW issue edited by Terry B. Ewell and Jeffrey P. Vach

I. D. R. S. Officers
Honorary Members
Report of the Executive Secretary/Treasurer: Lowry Riggins
An Oboist's Review of Some of the Conference Concerts at Towson Last August: William Fetcher
A Conversation with Leo van der Lek: Michael Finkelman
Bassoon Auditions in Argentina and Brazil: A Personal Experience: Alejandro Aizenberg
Bassoon CD, Tape, and Record Reviews: Ronald Klimko
1. Fagottissimo: Virtuose Raritäten für Fagotte; Gurzenich Fagottquintett
2. Original Works for Three Bassoons and Contrabassoon: Berliner Fagottquartett
3. Antonio Vivaldi: Concerti for Bassoon and Orchestra, Daniel Smith, Bassoon
4. The Muse: Janet Grice, bassoon
5. Francis Poulenc. Claude Villevieille, oboe; Alexandre Ouzounoff, bassoon
6. Age of Elegance in the American West: David Dutton, oboe
7. Bach Organ Favorites, arranged for woodwind quintet by Mordechai Rechtman
8. American Wind Music: The Pennsylvania Quintet: Barry Kroeker, oboe; Daryl Durran, bassoon
9. Robert Baksa: The Virtuosi Quintet, David Kossoff, oboe; James Jeter, bassoon
Last Night at the Concert
Sol Schoenbach Honored
Oboe Record Reviews: Jeanne Belfy
1. The Virtuoso Romantic Oboe, Paul Dombrecht, Oboe
2. Strauss - Bach - Marcello Oboe Concertos, Ray Still
3. John Mack Oboe, John Mack, Oboe
4. Mozart Concertos K314, K313, K297b, Thomas Indermuhle, Oboe
5. Five Italian Oboe Concertos, Nicholas Daniel, Oboe
6. 0 Baroque - Music for Three Oboes and Strings, Humbert Lucarelli, Joe Robinson, Alex Klein, Oboes
7. Box - Bliss - Britten: Music for Oboe and Strings, Pamela Woods, Oboe
8. Oboe Quintets, Sarah Francis, Oboe
9. The French Oboe, Gregor Zubicky, Oboe
10. Diversions for English Horn, Patrick McFarland, English Horn
11. Jan Dismas Zelenka: 6 Trio Sonatas, Heinz Holliger and Maurice Bourgue, Oboes
Oboist Finally Records the Concerto He Inspired: James Roos
Victor Bruns: Helge Bartholomaus
Stolen Oboes and Bassoons
Effective Guide for Selecting An Oboe (New or Used): Stuart Dunkel
Coping with Stress in Performance: Sally Bohls
Product Review: Pianist by Proxy: Ronald Klimko
Bassoon Music Reviews: Ronald Klimko
1. I. Unaccompanied Bassoon
2. II. Bassoon and Piano
3. III. Bassoon and Other Instruments
  1. George Bizet works: transcribed for Flute, Bassoon (or Cello), and Piano by Peter Simpson
  2. Anthony Ferrara: Divertimento Number One for Flute (Oboe) and Bassoon (Cello)
4. IV. Two or More Bassoons
More Bassoon Music Reviews: Barrick R. Stees
1. 3 Elegies pour Basson et Piano (1988) by Emile Naoumoff
2. 5 Miniaturen für Fagott und Klavier (1985) by Otto Schneider (b. 1912)
3. Scherzo Capriccioso (1986) für Fagott und Klavier by Alfred Uhl
4. Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, Op. 75 by Carl Maria Von Weber
Real Music, Real Ale: Stephen Pettit
In Memory of Eugéne Bozza
Beethoven and the Bassoonist August Mittag, The First Bassoon Teacher at the Vienna Conservatory: Karl Öhlberger
The Lawrence Intravaia Library: Laura Francis and James Prodan
In Memory of Paul Henry Lang
Précis: Bach's Continuo Group: Daryl Durran
Marigaux Revisited: Champagne for a Thousand Oboes!: Nora Post
A Song For Jennifer: Ronald Klimko
Lost Sheep

On the cover: Thanks to Maurice Allard we have the wonderful picture on the front cover of the woodwind section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra taken in November, 1925. Thanks to additional assistance by Richard Plaster, current contrabassoonist with the BSO, these players are identified as:

L. to R.-Front Row: A Battles, piccolo; Pat Amerena, G. Bladet, George Laurent, flutes; Fernand Gillet, jean DeVergie, H. Stanislaus, oboes; Lotus Speyer, English horn.

Back Row: Boaz Piller, contrabassoon; Fred Bettoney, Raymond Allard, Abdon Laus, bassoons, E. Allegra, clarinet, Paul Mimart, bass clarinet; A. Vannini, Eb clarinet; E. Arcieri, clarinet.

Maurice Allard also sent the following picture of the entire BSO of the 1928-29 season showing:

1) Principal clarinet in 1925 E. Allegra had moved to Eb clarinet, replacing A. Vannini and G. Hammelin had become principal.

2) Raymond Allard was not yet principal bassoon. [Raymond was Maurice Allard's uncle.]

Concerning this, Maurice Allard wrote: "My uncle told me the day of his public concour for Ist prize at the conservatoire in Paris, the manager of the Boston Symphony, present in the hall, proposed engagement with the BSO and signed him tip right there. Do you know also that in 1952 Charles Munch had proposed my succeeding My Uncle, (who had told me of this in a conversation we had while he was touring with the orchestra in Europe and playing "Sacre" at the Champs Elysees. My uncle had decided to retire in 1953, and the proposition for me was for $500 per week.) Since 1949 1 was at the Opera [orchestra]. I declined."

[We bassoonists can only imagine what might have become of American bassooning had Maurice Allard accepted Munch's offer!!]

Richard Plaster has also provided interesting insights into the career of Abdon Laus (see Double Reed, Vol. 14, No. 2, Fall, 1991, p. 61, who might have been the first bassoonist to play "Le Sacre." In later correspondence he adds further information about other people in the picture:

"Three were still in the orchestra in my time, and four others were still in town. Five more were remembered for their individual contributions and/or eccentricities. For the remaining four I had the benefit of a printed list of all the BSO players and their dates tip to about 1930 which I compared with the Picture and Allard's list.

There are stories to go with the names, of course. Once in my time Devergie stopped a recording session to ask about a note in his part to a Beethoven symphony. The laughing almost de-railed the rest of the session.

As a bassoonist you might be interested in Fred Bettoney. He had the (Cundy) Bettoney company, which made French bassoons down in a suburb, maybe Roslindale-Hans Moennig was one of his workers. By World War 11 they were making only flutes and metal clarinets. His Weissenborn book was the best buy, and his other bassoon publications were correspondingly desirable.

Raymond [Allard] retired around age 55 [Ca. 1954] with all of its trying to persuade him to stay. He had character and a son] "tried by fire."

Perhaps some readers might have other stories to tell about this picture. To be sure Fernand Gillet, Georges Laurent, etc., were definitely legends in their time. Let us hear from You.

The Editors

The Double Reed, Vol. 14, No. 3

Winter 1991

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