Salzburg is a beautiful city. Located in the Austrian Alps, the snowcapped mountains offer a spectacular setting for a city unparalleled in all of Europe for its grace and beauty. Famous as the birthplace of Mozart and renowned for excellence in music for centuries, Salzburg is also the home of one of the most prestigious music conservatories in Europe -- the Mozarteum. The professor of oboe at this institution is the American Arthur Jensen, whose decades of teaching have contributed to a tradition of fine oboe playing in Europe.
On first inquiry, Arthur Jensen is reticent about having his conversations recorded. He says: "My ideas about music and oboe playing are strong and I usually end up sounding like a prickly cactus ready to be sat upon." However, after some arm twisting and with assurances that he will not, even in the slightest, resemble the smallest thorned verdure, he agrees to an interview.
The living room of Arthur Jensen's comfortable apartment, which is located on the outskirts of Salzburg, has a gorgeous view of the Alps rising dramatically from vibrant green meadows. Over tea with his charming wife Hanne, who is on the faculty of the piano department of the Mozarteum, Jensen relaxes upon a studio couch in a casual sweater and slippers. He has a full beard, graying hair and a physical presence that is slightly ascetic. His face is philosophical, conveying an aura of patience and understanding. An articulate person with a precise vocabulary, Jensen rarely raises his voice above a thoughtful, controlled expression. "It seems to me," he says, "the concept here is a plurality of styles and tone. I consider each oboe player as an individual whose musical personality should be reflected in a personal touch. I never say what type of tone to make; but I do say what type of tone disturbs me. Also I have very definite opinions about phrasing and good taste." Jensen continues: "I do not like an edgy tone, nor in most cases a metallic tone. Edginess does not seem to bother the French but it is much less agreeable to Germans or Americans. My students develop a tone which they like; but I do insist that they avoid the well-known needle-like sharpness which we hear so often. I also insist that they avoid the thin, hollow tone which is becoming ever more popular. My own objective is a full, solid, soft-textured sound. The color of the sound, from light to dark, is not so important and can vary from reed to reed in keeping with the musical context." As an example of an exceptionally fine tone quality, he suggests that students listen to the John Mack recording of the Loeffler Rhapsodies and the Lothar Koch recording of the Alessandro Besozzi Sonata in D major. Jensen says: "Lothar Koch is one of the greatest musical personalities of our time. He is probably one of the greatest instrumentalists of the last 150 years. Koch's recording of the Besozzi is a nonpareil demonstration of technical virtuosity and florid ornamentation as well as superb tone and phrasing. But as I said," Jensen reminded, "thank god there is a plurality of styles. How fortunate we are that there is more than one way of playing the oboe."
"My concern for oboe playing is also somewhat pragmatic," Jensen continues. "The students must be desirable in the marketplace." Certainly on this subject Arthur Jensen can speak with authority. A list of orchestras where his former students hold, or have held, principal jobs is impressive. They include: the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, the Hanover Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Klagenfurt State Theatre, the South-West German Radio Orchestra (Kaiserslautern), the State Orchestra of Chile, and the Riverside, California Orchestra.
In addition to being a recognized pedagogue, Arthur Jensen is an international jurist and has officiated at the Munich Competition in 1972 and 1976. At the Munich competition he listens to over 50 performers. What does he listen for? "The first thing is tone substance and the method of handling the tone," Jensen answers. "I listen for the vibrato being in service of the expression. Can the musician change the effect of a single note? Are the many affects such as sadness, joy, exuberance, etc., and the emotional gamut from agony to ecstasy being conveyed by the player to the listener? Does the musical line have direction? Are the principal and subservient goals of the phrase evident?" Jensen is quick to point out, however, that wrong notes do not eliminate a contestant from the Munich competition. "What does disqualify more contestants is the subtle difference between noble sentiment and effusion. It is a fundamental of good taste which disqualifies many contestants." Jensen says: "Specifically in the 1976 competition, the Pasculli Concerto eliminated many contestants who emphasized non-essential notes at the expense of actual goals in the phrases." He quips: "One demands considerably more taste from an oboist than from an Italian tenor! "
Jensen states that another difficult hurdle which trips up many otherwise good competitors is breathing technique. He believes circular breathing is a technique which every oboist should master and suggests that the prospective Munich contestants be able to play all three Schumann Romances without giving the slightest indication of being tired. Admittedly this is a feat; but, based on years of experience, it is one of the specific trouble spots which the judges continue to consider very important.
Concerning various makes of oboes, Arthur Jensen presently plays on an oboe made by Hans Kreul, of Tubingen, pitched at 442 1/2. Recently Kreul has also been producing an oboe made from rosewood. Jensen is of the opinion that the Kreul rosewood oboe has a slightly warmer sound and is more suited to the performance of early music. Jensen says: "If there is an improvement needed by Kreul for his oboes, it is the refinement of the key mechanism, which by all standards appears crude and heavy." About trying out a new instrument, an oboe -- "when you find a good one, it belongs to someone else!" He also thinks it is unfair to try a new oboe unless you have made reeds on that specific instrument: "Then you know what the instrument can do for you."
At the Mozarteum, Arthur Jensen is regarded as an expert in the field of ornamentation. He has done comparative studies on the subject and is in the process of codifying his thoughts about ornamentation into a book. Does he teach ornamentation? "No, I only suggest," answers Jensen. "Ornamentation should be natural and the effect should be cumulative. Ornamentation should be used economically and have a point of direction compatible with the phrase. The performing artist must be truly creative; but he should never forget who actually wrote the piece." Jensen says: "In early music, all repeats should be ornamented, if only a little I go so far as to suggest that the solo wind parts in the trios of Haydn and Mozart symphonies be ornamented on the repeats." He concedes that this interpretation is not without contrary opinion. Jensen plays a tape of his performance of the Haydn Concerto in C major. The first and third movements are elaborately ornamented and the performance is spacious, with very moderate tempos. Jensen cautions: "Concerning ornamentation, I do not want to prescribe what to do. It should come from within and be a natural part of the music."
Jensen has definite opinions about the so-called Interpretation Specialists, performing with or without "period" instruments. He says: "This is a development which is quite obviously more commercial than musical. One is asked to accept questionable ideas simply because it is played on old instruments or imitations. There are notable exceptions: such as Jurg Schaeftlein's Baroque oboe, and Milan Turkovic's Baroque bassoon. However, the Interpretation groups I have heard -- excluding the fine Vienna Recorder Ensemble --appear to have reduced interpretation to pure gimmickry at which I can only laugh or tear my hair." Jensen continues: "When I think of what great musicians like Koch, Holliger, Thunemann, Schwarz, Roseman, etc., can do with the same music, the pluralistic foundations of my democratic philosophy begin to tremble."
Needless to say, it is interesting to talk with Arthur Jensen. With his gracious hospitality, one could remain for days and continue to enjoy the spectacular view of the Austrian countryside. But in taking leave of his apartment, and after shaking hands and saying good-bye, Arthur Jensen's one final remark appears to summarize the essence of the afternoon's conversations: "I believe one should do what he believes is best and in good taste." An appropriate conclusion to a memorable visit to Salzburg.