During several of the past issues now, we have been pleasantly informed by Dr. Charles Lehrer about the preparation of recitals and their programming. While methodical outlines may serve their purpose well, I wish to point out that Dr. Lehrer seems obsessed with being well-supplied with reeds ahead of time for the one or two recitals given a year. He often refers to his saving reeds all year around to be used solely for these long and tiring (few) performances. The point I wish to make is not to tear down this attitude (which seems common to several other oboists), nor to infer that reeds need not be set aside for key performances--but that oboists should face the realities of the solo side and respond more to its challenges. We are seeing more and more recordings of oboe recital music on the market today, rather than only those of the traditional concerti. But are oboe soloists to be restricted to the recording industry?? If we insist on taking an entire year to prepare physically and mentally for a recital, we are indeed limited to that. Yet we often ask more than this of our own students. How does one prepare a real concert tour--3 recitals and 2 concerti in 9 days, for example. . . or concerto appearances on 3 consecutive nights. . . or 3 recitals in 5 days (with travel time)? Those examples are drawn directly out of my schedule for next year. One does not grow nor learn by preparing slowly, carefully and silently, away from the challenges, away from the real demands. . . yet too many oboists blame endurance and reeds and prefer to hide behind recorded perfection. I would wish to see more people step towards that challenge, at least mentally recognize its existence as a challenge and not as an excuse, and see fewer--far fewer--articles written about the trials and demands of ONE performance. It only serves to feed the weakness; it is a form of encouragement for the rest of us to nod in agreement and accept one of our profession's hurdles, especially when we do not surmount it. I trust that we are better musicians and/or teachers than to continue in this vein.
Franck Avril, instructor and oboe soloist University of Missouri-Kansas City