Gayle Petrick presented a graduate recital at the University of Akron (Ohio) on November 21, 1981. Assisted by Bette Condon, oboist; David Baughman, bassoonist; and Farley K. Hutchins, keyboard, she performed the Quantz Sonata in G Major; Gary Grills' Contemplation #1; Jan Koetsier's Partita for English Horn and Organ; the Poulenc Sonata; and Willard Elliot's Suite of 15th Century French Songs.
James Lakin, a member of the University of Iowa (at Iowa City) faculty performed a recital on December 10 assisted by Richard Bloesch, pianist, and other faculty artists. The program included Schumann's Abendlied and the Adagio and Allegro; John Addison's Inventions; Divertimento in C, Op. 9 by Bernhard Henrick Crusell. On the English horn Mr. Lakin performed the Mozart Adagio, K. 580a and the Hindemith Sonata.
Ruth Brook performed the Quartet for English Horn and Strings by Jean Françaix on February 13, 1982, assisted by her Grand Rapids Symphony colleagues. Gerald Elliott writing in the Grand Rapids Press commented:
"The first movement is in a ragtime idiom, though with Parisian overtones. Here as in the four other movements, the English horn holds center stage. Its most remarkable feature is a strummed viola and plucked-string cello background provided for the English horn, although there also is some marvelous interplay among the instruments.
The second movement has a distinctly pastoral flavor of possible folksong derivation in which the strings provide a full chordal accompaniment for the English horn. The third movement, again in jazz idiom, is in the nature of a scherzo, the fourth is a kind of ballad and the finale a quick, jazzy piece.
The quartet is a far more successful attempt than any of those by such respected French composers as Milhaud and Honegger to adapt American jazz music to their uses. The movements complement each other admirably, there is always something new and exciting happening and the whole work really swings.
The four performers who played it can take much of the credit for that. Ruth Brook's playing of the treacherous English horn part was impeccable, nicely phrased and tonally persuasive."
The Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen, Michigan, again played host to distinguished oboist-teachers in recent months. Both John Mack, principal oboist of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Thomas Stacy of the New York Philharmonic gave series of master classes in December and January. Mr. Stacy also visited Michigan State University in East Lansing. Daniel Stolper teaches the oboe at both schools.
Laila Storch and her pupils at the University of Washington, Seattle, presented a program of double reed ensembles on March 7, 1982. All the works performed were by Graham Powning, Australian composer and oboist. (Regular readers of this journal will recall an article devoted to his works.) Powning, born in Sydney in 1949, graduated from the New South Wales State Conservatorium in 1970. He has been principal oboist of the Sydney Opera Orchestra and the Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra; he is a professor of oboe at the N.S.W. Conservatorium.
Works on the Seattle program included Three American Songs for "Doubled" Reed Trio; MacDowell Suite (for 2 oboes, English horn and bassoon); Variations and Fugue on "Dies Irae" (for 2 oboes and English horn); Serenata (for oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn, and baritone oboe); Quartet for 4 English Horns; Bionic Music (for 3 oboes, 2 bassoons and contrabassoon); and Variations on "Waltzing Matilda" (for 2 oboes and English horn).
Assisting Miss Storch were Ove Hanson, Yi Jin Hsu, Tad Margelli, Catherine Ledbetter, Susan Swanson, and Laurel Uhlig, who performed variously on oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn, and baritone oboe. Bassoonists assisting were Francine Floyd, Eleanore Froelich, and Paul Rafanelli.
An earlier program of double reed ensembles featuring many of the above performers, was presented at the University of Washington on November 12, 1981. Composers represented included Haydn, Telemann, Desportes, Handel and others. I was intrigued by Holst's O Strong Heart, a canon for three choirs of three voices, performed on nine(!) English horns. Congratulations to Laila for enterprise and organization!