"sym . po . sium/[L. fr. Gk symposion. fr. sympinein
to drink together, fr. syn- + Pinein to drink -
more at POTABLE] 1 a: a convivial party (as after a banquet in
ancient Greece) with music and conversation b: a social gathering
at which there is a free interchange of ideas 2 a: a formal meeting
at which several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic
or on related topics - compare COLLOQUIUM b: a collection of opinions
on a subject,- M.: one published by a periodical c: DISCUSSION.
"
-WEBSTER'S NEW COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY, p. 1181, G. &
C. Merriam Company, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1973.
The 1992 John Miller Bassoon Symposium was held at Towson State
University in Towson, Maryland from June 30 through July 5. Hosted
by the gracious Dr. Gene Griswold and coordinated by the merry,
efficient, and supportive Norma Hooks, this event embodied nearly
all of Webster's definitions of a symposium. It is quite remarkable
that any event should meet the criteria of every dictionary definition;
here, then, are some illustrations of each definition from Webster
(refer to opening paragraph, please).
The entire week qualified as "I a": a convivial party
with music and conversation" due in large part to the gentle
and generous nature of the principal symposiast, John Miller.
Mr. Miller's reputation as a bassoonist draws firsttime participants,
but the atmosphere he helps to create is what keeps us coming
back. Many of the people I met in Towson have returned to the
symposium year after year. A disparate group from various walks
of life, these people share with John Miller not only a passion
for all things pertaining to the bassoon, but also a kind and
positive view of life in general. I thoroughly enjoyed every person
I met in Towson. It was both a privilege and a joy to join this
congenial group.
The week began with Mr. Miller's performance of Mozart's Concerto
for Bassoon, K. 191. It was a delight to hear Mr. Miller in
person; his relaxed and sparkling performance brought the young
Mozart's gift to bassoonists to life. Too many of us are guilty
of reducing this wonderful concerto to a display of pyrotechnics.
In this performance, as in the master class which followed it,
Mr. Miller never compromised the inherent charm of the music in
favor of excessively articulated displays of technical prowess.
Many more examples of definition "I a" could be cited.
The most outstanding food-and-drank-related version was a barbecue
hosted by Dr. Art Gudwin and his wife, Patty, at their home on
the Severn River. The highlights of this party included feasting,
relaxing, an infamous river cruise, and (what else?) bassoon quartets
as background music. Another personal favorite was a genuine Maryland
crab feast presided over by Barbara Duke, who cleans a mean crab
and dances a mean tango!
All of the master classes were excellent examples of definition
1 b. The Ozi 42 Caprices served as study material for "How
to Play a Cadenza." Written by the first bassoon professor
at the Paris Conservatoire around 1799, these charming etudes
were the perfect preparation for the "real thing." The
special treat of the cadenza exploration was Mark Clague's performance
of his cadenza for the third movement of the Mozart Concerto.
The topic of fingerings was discussed throughout the course of
the symposium. Rather than occupying one specific class, this
sometimes tedious and frustrating aspect of bassooning was an
integral part of the exploration of each work. Many helpful suggestions
were exchanged, the most notable of which was demonstrated by
Jim Ruddy. A new twist on the difficult high G-A Trill, this fingering
was unanimously adopted.
The class on
"Orchestral Excerpts" occupied two sessions. Much could
be written about each excerpt studied, but two particular works
deserve special mention. The first of these is the opening to
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6. This exposed, low, soft passage
can be terrifying to execute (and "executed" it often
is!) A very scholarly discussion of a cloth bassoon mute on a
string inserted in the bell and subsequently removed by the second
bassoonist had many of us doubled over with suppressed giggles.
The technique works well, and the "anatomical" humor
is a welcome release from the terror of the "Pathetique."
The other memorable excerpt studied was the opening of Stravinsky's
The Rite of Spring. As one would expect, many useful fingerings
surfaced in this session, especially for the final statement which
begins on Cb. The idea of starting the opening without the tongue
was new for many of us and has proved most effective. The crowning
achievement of the Sacre session was a group "play-in"
during which all the participants performed the entire ballet
with the Cleveland Orchestra, thanks to the wonders of modern
electronic equipment.
Another example of definition 1 b occurred in the form of "Semi-Private
Group Lessons." These lessons were the brainchild of Dr.
Griswold and were so successful that, hopefully, they will be
a regular feature of future symposia. The participants were organized
into groups of 3 or 4 and assigned rooms in which to await Mr.
Miller's tutelage. Bassoons in hand, each group found unique ways
to pass the time. There were 4 people in my group, so we chose
to prepare quartets. Our performance improved dramatically when
Mr. Miller arrived and "conducted" the ensemble, thus
illustrating that while performing may feel better without a conductor,
it is often safer with one!
The fourth day
of the symposium was devoted to the "Minnesota Bar Reed Research
Reed Making Seminar." This exhaustive and informative seminar
fulfills definition "2 a" by Webster, except that one
specialist delivered a long address on the topic of reed
making. The specialist in this case was Keith Bowen, who has studied
at length the reed making process developed by Hans Bär,
formerly of the Bamberg Symphony. Through much scientific research
and the process of trial and error, Mr. Bowen has succeeded, with
the help and guidance of Mr. Miller, in duplicating the Bär
reed. These reeds are much thicker than those used by most American
bassoonists. They produce a distinctively dark and lyrical, or
"chewy" sound (it's a technical term), and are remarkably
easy to play because they are balanced in such a way as to put
the dreaded Bernouli effect to work for, rather than against,
the player.
The reed seminar went on for six hours one day and occupied
some time the following day. Every aspect of reed making from
cane selection to gouging, shaping, profiling, forming and finishing
was demonstrated. During such an extensive discussion there were
occasional lapses of concentration on the parts of the participants,
but as a whole, Mr. Bowen had 20 people transfixed most of the
time. Although he modestly claims not to be a teacher, Keith Bowen
imparted a tremendous amount of knowledge during this wellprepared
and interesting seminar. For more information on the Bär
reed and specially crafted reed making equipment, write Keith
Bowen at 1201 East Madison, South Bend, IN 46617.
Another interesting feature of the symposium was a small but varied
exhibit area. Organized and administered by Norma Hooks, these
exhibits contained most everything a bassoonist-consumer's heart
could desire from T-shirts and tools to recordings and music.
The notable exhibitor (and the only one physically present) was
Barry Trent of the American Bassoon Company. Mr. Trent is an authorized
Fox dealer and had many instruments for us to try. It was a wonderful
opportunity to see first-hand the results of the Fox Corporation's
years of dedicated research and development. For more information
on the new model 601 and other models, write Barry Trent at the
American Bassoon Company, 4320 Rowalt Dr. #302, College Park,
MD 20740.
On the final day of the symposium the master class on the Lars-Erik
Larsson Concertino for Bassoon and Strings began with a
performance of the work by Mr. Miller. One of 12 works for various
instruments, the Concertino is a delightful piece which fully
exploits the range and character of the bassoon. The outstanding
feature of the Larsson session, after Mr. Miller's clean and expressive
performance, was Lindsey Bartlett's "blistering" rendition
of the technically taxing cadenza.
The final master class examined the Gebauer Trio for bassoon,
violin and cello and the Dietter Sonata VI for Bassoon and
Cello. It was during this session that the experience of the
entire week "gelled" for me as Mr. Miller explained
the placement of the tongue on the bottom of the mouth ("as
if weighted with a smooth onyx ball") for the most pleasing
tone on a Bb. Since both works spend a great deal of time exploring
the harmonies of Bb major, I had ample opportunity to experiment
with this concept (much to the amusement of all present!).
The symposium culminated in a performance by John Miller and the
participants. Mr. Miller and Mr. Bowen played the Dietter Sonata
VI,- unfortunately I missed what I'm told was another beautiful
performance. There was a collective sigh of relief that no one
had prepared bassoon quartets, but the four performing participants
(Lindsey Bartlett, Mark Clague, Renee Dee and Jim Ruddy) played
three trios written by Michael Norris, former principal bassoon
of the BBC Scottish Orchestra. These pieces are wonderfully varied
dances which are challenging, imaginative and fun to play. For
more information on the availability of these trios, write Lindsey
Bartlett at 1215 E. Vista Del Cerro #11325, Tempe, AZ 85281.
Having illustrated the definitions of "symposium," this
article stands as the illustration of definition "2 b: a
collection of opinions on a subject; esp: one published by a periodical.
My thanks are due to Webster for providing me with this organizing
device, to Norma Hooks for the attending photographs, and to John
Miller for providing his expertise, encouragement and a great
way to meet a wonderful group of people.
[Renee Anthony Dee is professor of Bassoon and Woodwinds at the
College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio.] [Photos are by Norma Hooks.]