The opening concert was to begin with John Miller but due to a mechanically impaired aircraft, the principal bassoonist of the Minnesota Orchestra was forced to rehearse backstage during his portion of the program. Malcolm Messiter performed the first half of the recital with his finale-laden repertoire.
Raised eyebrows and general disbelief greeted Mr. Messiter's astounding technical facility as well as tumultuous applause. The audience spent more time wondering how he played than listening to what he played. One may recall the recitals of Eugene Fodor in the years following his successful Tchaikowsky Competition. Audiences were exposed to an evening of virtuosity. So it is with Mr. Messiter though the breed of oboe recitalist is rather new as the oboist has no pyrotechnical forerunners such as Ysaye, Paganini, or Kreisler to create music of such a genre. Mr. Messiter has taken this in stride by transcribing virtually every piece in the public domain which is either quick or catchy. The most impressive Messiter transcription is easily the flute's own Carmen Fantasie Brilliant which meant Mr. Messiter had to copy the entire piano part from e minor to c minor. Such dedication is rewarded by applause of amazement at virtually all of his recitals. His encore, equally rapido, was the final section of Pasculli's Concerto which caused one frequent recitalist to comment that Mr. Messiter's encore contained more notes than one entire "standard" program. The next day the Englishman spoke of his secrets. Relaxation, not just the hand, but the mind and body as well, is essential. Removal of the stigma over a wrong note; the easy reed, one that doesn't cause tension and finally, practice slow and move up the metronome one click at a time.
Mr. Miller, showing none of the exhaustion or anxiety from the day's turn of events played the famous F-major Concertos of Danzi and Hummel. Though slightly inhibited by pedestrian baton wielding, the playing was consistent, controlled articulate and notably effortless.
The musical highlight of the evening was a surprise appearance between the bassoon concertos, by Elaine Douvas of the Metropolitan Opera performing the G-minor Concerto of Handel. Without a conductor, the ensemble was much improved. The oboe timbre was more accessible to the generally American audience and was used so beautifully. Ms. Douvas is responsible for the ornamentation in the third movement which was wonderfully expressive.
So the opening recital set all the conventioneers in good spirits, reaching at various moments the pinnacles of music-making, control and technique. The bassoon ensemble of the University of Georgia opened the Monday afternoon concert with Robert Linn's Diversions For Six Bassoons. The colors were unique and refreshing, the linear writing was similar to Elliot Carter's style of the 1950's. The final movement contained what appeared to be a mandatory aleatoric section. Structural evolution has not advanced to the point where these sections necessarily provide coherency to the overall form and this section seemed an unnecessary appendage. Ironically the piece ended with a very palatable tenth, the first easily recognizable sonority of the afternoon. James Ostryniec, perhaps America's most noted contemporary oboe technician, presented Lawrence Singer's Sensazione For English Horn Solo and The Siren Stream to the Outcast of Gordon Cyr. The former organized the multiphonics in a logical manner and made effective use of the English horn's potential flute-like timbre. The coherency of the piece should come as no surprise since Mr. Singer literally wrote (along with Bruno Bartolozzi) the book on multiphonics The latter was a worthwhile piece also using the new techniques toward an esthetic end. It is a highly programmable piece for all recitalists, emphasizing the fortunate similarity between the vibrating mediums which endow both soprano and oboe. The last movement asks the pianist to put his left hand into the body of the piano and make sounds virtually identical to those the felt hammers transmit. The choreography seemed an unnecessary distraction.
The Ohio Wind Quintet was a pleasant surprise. A generally dark homophonic timbre rules the ensemble quite successfully, especially between the horn and bassoon. Milhaud's Cheminee was well done as was Jan Bach's humorous and virtuosic Skizzen. Samuel Barber's Summer Music seldom sees a flawless if inspirational performance with pitfalls every few bars. A few were encountered including an accidental misreading by the clarinetist which sent a tremor through the audience. William Baker's oboe made a tactful contribution to the performance. The afternoon concert by Paul McCandless and his colleagues was nothing less than amazing. His oboe playing is one moment Iyric, another virtuosic, and throughout, inherently creative, which was a great lesson for all of us. He is as excruciatingly proficient on all of the woodwinds, from contra- bass clarinet to soprano saxophone. The spontaneous standing ovation he received was an accurate indication of the concert's success.
Christopher Weait and Harry Sargous shared the Monday evening program in music using every possible combination of oboe, bassoon and piano. The two artists opened with a duet by the young Canadian composer/bassoonist, Peter Lutek. In both homophonic and linear senses the piece works well and provides a challenge to both players. Next Mr. Weait played the b minor Flute Fantasie of Telemann. Though virtually without ornament Mr. Weait's articulations added a great deal to the structural clarity. Incidentally, these Fantasies are equally useful for the oboist, both esthetically and didactically.
Oskar Morawetz composed a marathon blow in his Sonata for Oboe and Piano. Mr. Sargous played especially beautifully in the arched adagio. The pianist is faced with numerous challenges throughout; Susan Chenette handled them with apparent ease.
Mr. Weait and Ms. Chenette returned after intermission with Richard Johnston's Suite which was most effective in the expressive Nocturne Movement.
Before performing the Metamorphases after Ovid, Harry Sargous announced that he was playing the recital on a brand new oboe made by Baltimore's own Paul Covey, for which Mr. Covey received a well deserved round of acceptance. The performance was generally impressive though there was some searching for pitch centers in the upper register, a common problem with a new instrument. Phaeton and Bacchus were especially virtuosic, the latter being taken at an almost uniformly rapid tempo. In color and style Narcissus was indeed two characters becoming one. Mention should be made of Scott Bell, winner of this year's Gillet Competition, who performed this particular movement with very obvious and effective differentiations in dynamic and timbre.
The concert concluded with Ten by Three, a Collection of Folksongs from Quebec for oboe bassoon and piano by Mr. Weait. The piece is highlighted by the rousing opening, Scrambled Eggs, Buy My Fresh Eggs a poignant Return of the Soldier and a humorous parallel minor 9th attack with Little Duck.
Tuesday 2:30 p.m. Two standard recital pieces for bassoon opened, and stole the afternoon. Suite for Bassoon by Tansman and Sonate pour Bassoon by Saint Saens were performed by the young solo bassoonist of the Metropolitan Opera, Patricia Rogers and noted accompanist, Cameron Grant. The music was delivered with ease and grace and the tone of the performance carried through the silence between movements. The articulate and supportive nature of Mr. Grant's playing suited perfectly. The exchanges of melody between bassoon and piano were done with such expertise; timbre, dynamic and articulation all seemed to match between the two performers, creating some of the nicest musical effects of the conference.
The trio for mixed voices -- Sofrothe of William Winstead followed, featuring the composer along with mezzo-soprano Laura Hillman and harpsichordist Karyl Louwenaar. Syllables sounding generically like Latin and French were meant to imply meaning to individual listeners and to provide an equality between the three performers. The repeated notes in the harpsichord were so rapid and sustained at points that they became the most memorable part of the competition.
Yoshiyuki Nakanishi ended the program with three impressive modern works. The Japanese Lyric Suite by Yuzo Toyama saw a palatable premiere. Mr. Nakanishi, for his part, filled the room wit his sound.
Rudolph Vrbsky, for those who weren't already familiar with his work, distinguished himself as a truly first-class artist. With his brother-in-law, Peter Serkin, he performed the Stephan Wolpe Sonata to a mixed response. Certainly the performance was impressive. The aggressiveness of Mr. Serkin's playing was unmatched during the conference and Rudolph Vrbsky held up his end but the piece seemed too violent, too non-melodic for many of the listeners. Though not comparable as works of art, the Tchaikowsky Violin Concerto was criticized on much the same grounds. Unfortunately, few of us have pianist friends or colleagues who have the time or desire to champion a piece of such difficulty which offers few rewards to the concert recital audience.
The Arthur Bliss Quintet followed. Mr. Vrbsky stole the show with his flawless artistry. The final moments of the vivace demonstrated what a breathtaking virtuoso this young man is.
John Corina presented his Partita for Electronic Oboe after intermission. He was assisted in the venture by William Davis who operated the synthesizer and kept his right hand tantalizingly close to the volume control. The threshold of pain was reached more often than at a rock concert. Within the first ten seconds a half-dozen wise souls noticed that the "Fasten Seat Belt" sign wasn't lit and left the auditorium. Most people used the two-hand method and a few turned their heads and plugged the ear nearest the stage, alternating when necessary and there were some brave ones who only grimaced. Most of the piece had passed before someone walked on stage to lower the volume. That gentleman was warmly applauded. What followed was downright tolerable and interesting, the articulations being the most interesting variant after synthesis. It showed real potential but unfortunately the effect of the piece was boot camp for the ears.
Linda Harwell, bassoonist with the National Symphony, returned us to tradition in fine style with an elegant (memorized) Vivaldi Concerto in E-minor. Weber's Hungarian Fantasy was the predictable crowd pleaser and was approached with solid and aggressive technique. Le Phenix by Michael Corette featured Ms. Harwell and three of her very accomplished students -- Renee Barcafer-Martin, Donald Shore, and Julie Burke.
The afternoon concert on Wednesday opened with a real treat. Sol Schoenbach, Otto Eifert, and William Winstead performed the op. 4 Trio of Weissenborn. Consisting of a polonaise, a polka, and a turkish march, the opus is good humored from first page to last and these three men milked everything possible out of it.
Jerzy Lemiszka followed with a sonata for bassoon by Karol Oginski and a sonatina by Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz. Although his concept of sound was drastically different than the Americans we had just heard, he used the timbre quite skillfully toward an expressive end.
Laila Storch and Arthur Grossman were next with Duo Concertante by Joseph Fiala, a contemporary of Beethoven. Both technique and intonation are constantly exposed in this piece. Two Canons by Theodore Dubois added Joseph Levine as pianist. The `adagio molto espressivo' was so reminiscent of the lovely chorale which concludes Dubois' The Seven Last Words of Christ. These Canons are highly recommended.
Finally the commissioned piece of the 1982 convention was performed by the above trio. Symmetrics by William Bergsma is not a one hearing work; it is however very programmable and is a welcome addition to the limited selection currently available for oboe, bassoon and piano.
The 4:00 p.m. recital was a bassoon extravaganza featuring the Baltimore Symphony Bassoon Quartet and the North American French Bassoon Quartet. The French timbre had a light, lyric piquancy which was quite enjoyable once one became accustomed to the new waters. In Memoriam de Vincenzo Pezzi was a wonderful work specifically written for the French bassoon by Pezzi's son-in-law Thomas Beveridge and sensitively performed by a former student of Pezzi's, Gerald Corey. The Mozart Sonata in Bb for two bassoons K.292 was presented with admirable control and phrasing by Kim Laskowski and Charles Holdeman. The funniest piece of the afternoon and perhaps of the conference was a bassoon a quatre version of Milde's first scale etude. Just as Ysaye's second unaccompanied violin sonata is a tribute to and a departure from the piece which plagues all violinists -- Bach's E-major Partita, Mr. Holdeman's loose transcription struck a chord (usually extended tertial) with the bassoonists who had all paid their dues without ever as much as a grin over the etude. It was a big success and hopefully some oboist will attempt to presume upon Mr. Barret's good nature with a similar effort for next year's conference. Wednesday night featured the home team -- Joe Turner, Phillip Kolker and their colleagues from the Baltimore Symphony. Ligeti's Six Bagatelles for quintet was nothing short of overwhelming The blending of timbres, the exactness of intonation and ensemble, and the constant flow of energy toward the audience was magnificent. Incidentally oboists, all the low C#'s came out easily and in tune. One of the last pieces Alec Wilder composed was the lovely Phyllis McGinley Song Cycle For Voice, Harp and Bassoon, (Elizabeth Irvin-Kolker, Deborah Fleisher and Phillip Kolker). The piece was decidedly from the esoteric side of Mr. Wilder's creativity. This performance coincided with several tributes to the composer on radio and television which featured his popular style. Rayburn Wright conducted a PBS tribute, Karl Haas had one of his adventures with his music and Don Chichester with his NPR program The Spirit of '78 focused on Alec Wilder the Friday following the conference. One recording from that show included Mitch Miller performing the Air for English Horn and Strings. Both composition and performance were absolutely euphoric. And the conductor, perhaps you've heard of him, was Frank Sinatra.
Paul Hindemith's oboe Sonata followed with a strong emphasis on Teutonic control: the feeling of restraint permeated the performance. The long arched opening of the second movement was phrased and controlled exquisitely, making it the high point of the sonata.
The Quintette en Forme de Choros correctly used the English rather than French horn, adding a refreshing clarity to a part which is virtually unplayable for the brass member. The clarity in the original instrumentation normally compromises the dynamic range of the ensemble, but not with the Baltimore Symphony. Jane Marvine played the English horn with accuracy and aggression as did the whole group -- the electricity was apparent to all. The final chord was surprisingly loud and full and it continued to crescendo. Spontaneous `Bravos!' deservedly met the work's completion.
The Ten Blake Songs were as pastoral as the Villa-Lobos Quintet was violent. As an accompanist Joe Turner was superb; for those of us who have considered the Blake Songs an endurance test for the oboe, Mr. Turner made it appear effortless. Frederick Urrey, tenor, sang with the beauty, simplicity and conviction that these pieces demand. It was a pleasure to hear the music done so well.
Paul Chihara's The Beauty of the Rose Is in It's Passing successfully created a transient aura. The new techniques used were not far removed from some compositions heard earlier in the week but the glissandos, etc. were neither composed nor performed apologetically, a refreshing change and a resultant success.
The Poulenc Trio closed the eventful evening. It had spark, flourish, sentimentality, and resolve. The unison forte section of the slow movement raised the hair on one's back, just as it should and the finale took off with accuracy and flair. Not only Mr. Kolker and Mr. Turner, but all of the members of the Baltimore Symphony and the singers performed admirably. Bravo Baltimore!
The finale evening was sure to be a success with Richard Woodhams and Thomas Stacy, but no one could have predicted the long lasting impact the principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra and his accompanist, Kiyoko Takeuti, would have on the audience. The program: the Donizetti Sonata, the Schumann Romances, the Poulenc Sonata, the Fantasie Pastorale of Bozza, and for an encore the Habanera vocalise by Maurice Ravel. Better performances of these pieces may never be heard. Mr. Woodhams was not only the most amazing performer of the conference, but he personally escorted the audience into a realm of music that few of us had ever experienced. It was not only a pleasure but an honor to be in attendance.
Tom Stacy treads a lonely path as a recitalist. He's the first specialist. Oboe recitalists are a fairly new breed but they have a comparative wealth of literature from which to build programs. The path he clears will provide ground for others who have an affinity for the d'amore and English horn. Without ever considering his remarkable abilities on these instruments, he is to be recommended for the energy he directs toward his solo playing. His program opened with the Telemann Concerto for oboe d'amore, a wonderful piece from the intimate days of the Baroque. Mr. Stacy's sound was impressively large and could have easily soared over a full string section though his forces consisted of only a string quartet and a harpsichord. His tone had depth, vitality and grandeur. Those qualities in addition to his tasteful ornamentation created a handsome, if slightly over-powerful, reading.
Trinity by Sidney Hodkinson, a commission of Mr. Stacy (another duty of a recitalist who has so little to choose from), employed plenty of new effects with wonderful results. The work implies of course, three voices and unity. Mr. Stacy stood alone center stage behind a healthy row of music stands but also hung from the left and right side of the auditorium. The multiphonics were used wisely and sparingly. The common English horn orchestral excerpts echoed humorously, sometimes obvious and sometimes veiled in the cacophony. The desired confusion resulted -- Was it live or was it Memorex? -- but the Mr. Stacy at center stage obviously worked the hardest. Hy Vong 267 (Esperence) for English horn and harpsichord proved an equal, if less humorous, challenge to the ear. A strong performance but Thomas Stacy is an indefatigable showman and much more at home with his final selection, the Concertino by Donizetti. His embellishments to the text were enjoyable and effective in the most virtuosic sense. Although worn by the length of the program, Mr. Stacy easily carried the flippancy of the work out to the audience. Afterwards he was friendly and personable as he was at the morning master class, but now he was drenched and winded, not unlike Mick Jagger.