In the year since IDRS Journal No. 2 appeared (1974), the bassoon world has been unusually active. The following is a report in capsule of the information which has reached me either by letter, phone or from "tour talk."
Changes in orchestral positions:
--Eric Arbiter, recent Oberlin graduate and briefly first bassoon in Fort Wayne (Indiana), has joined the bassoon section of the Houston Symphony.
--Paul Csonka, former student of Bernard Garfield, from first bassoon Canadian National Ballet Orchestra to first bassoon in the Hamburg Symphoniker.
--Vincent Ellin is the new first bassoon in the Winnipeg (Canada) Symphony.
--Chris Millard, recent graduate of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute - a student of Sol Schoenbach, has won the first bassoon post in the Vancouver Symphony.
--Thomas Schibler, of Zurich, is the new co-principal bassoon (with Michel Denize of Paris) of the Geneva l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
--Roland Small goes from first bassoon in Vancouver (Canada) to second bassoon of the Boston Symphony upon the retirement of Ernest Panenka.
--Robert Williams, is the new first bassoon of the Detroit Symphony after the retirement of Charles Sirard.
The Paris scene. At last word the situation in the Orchestre de Paris is as follows: André Sennedat, the first professional Parisian bassoonist to switch over completely to the German system bassoon, is now the only player of four in the section to continue this practice. At the time of the original change-over (when Herbert von Karajan led the orchestra), Mr. Sennedat asked the entire section to try playing German bassoon as he was doing. The three agreed and played only Schreiber bassoons for one full year. The co-principal bassoonist, Amaury Wallez, achieved such skill in this year that he was able to (very successfully) record with a German system bassoon the difficult Trio for flute, bassoon, and piano of L. van Beethoven (with flutist Michel Debost). But at the end of this trial season the three others decided that they preferred the French bassoon and determined to switch back.
At this Mr. Sennedat balked. He demanded that the new conductor, Georg Solti, insist that the three bassoonists return to the German bassoon. Mr. Solti asked for a special audition with the 3 players being tested on both German and French bassoons; after the audition the conductor stated his preference for the German instrument and gave the unhappy Parisian bassoonists 6 months notice that they would have to play the German system bassoon (the Orchestre de Paris was formed by Charles Munch a few years ago almost primarily to tour abroad and display the best possible example of the "true French Orchestra sound"). This raised the defensive ire of not only the personally affected bassoonists, but of course all those other bassoonists in Europe who prefer the French instrument. As a result, the harassed bassoonists were allowed to play the instrument of their preference. Now it is one German instrument and three French bassoons. I recall an interesting parallel to this situation which occurred in Detroit when the Frenchman, Paul Paray, was conducting the Detroit Symphony. It was said that Paray asked all the bassoons to switch to the French instrument and all the horns to adopt a lighter sound with the use of vibrato. The musicians in these two sections and the Detroit musicians' union quickly explained to maestro Paray that the players would stay with the instruments and playing style of their training and preference.
Summing up, I feel that the current situation is fair, in that no musician should be told that he must or must not play a certain instrument. I agree that it has been very courageous of André Sennedat to break away from a tradition in France as old as the French orchestra. But I hope he will not try to force his preferred instrument upon colleagues or students. It is always best, I believe, to allow each artist and musician a free choice.
Another Bassoon Newsletter. Partially as a strengthening of the spirit of the French conservatory school of bassoon teaching and playing, and also in the same world-wide spirit of communicating ideas between friends and colleagues of similar interests which has allowed the newsletter "To The World's Bassoonists" to grow successfully, a new society has been formed in Paris. Its name and its newsletter "Bulletin" is "Les Amis du Basson Français."
The first issue of this newsletter has just reached me and is filled with interesting news and information about French bassoon happenings and a complete résumé of the 1974 International Bassoon Competition at Geneva, Switzerland. (There were no first prizes awarded - 2 second prizes went to Gilbert Audin of France - playing Mozart's Concerto K. 191 (his prize was the result of a unanimous opinion of all judges); and to Andrew Cordle of the United States playing Villa-Lobos' Ciranda das Sete Notas (second prize without unanimity). A "Médaille d'Argent" (unanimous) was given to Régis Poulain of France and the same medal (without unanimity) to Pierre Laborier of France. The medal of bronze was won by Jean-Philippe Vignolle of France. The panel of judges for the Geneva competition was formed of:
The next bassoon competition is scheduled for Munich in September of this year (1975). At this summer's Fourth IDRS Annual Meeting, we will discuss ways to help prepare and assist candidates (oboe and bassoon) to these important competitions.
Bassoon news (French instrument) in the newsletter included the appointment of Jean-Pierre Berlioz (who was bassoon professor at Caen, France) to the co-principal bassoon position of the Rio de Janiero (Brazil) Orchestra. This orchestra has an all Buffet/Crampon section. The bassoon soloist of the same orchestra for a number of years, Noël Devos, performed two "très difficile" concertos in one week - the André Jolivet Concerto and a Concerto of Pierre Max Dubois. Paul Hongne presented a solo tour in Japan, playing the sonatas of Telemann and Tansman. Jacques Hennequin played seven different sonatas on one recital program, then played the Mozart Concerto a few days later. And Jean-Pierre Laroque (of the Paris Octet) performed the quartet in C by F. Devienne and Jean Françaix's Divertimento for bassoon and string quintet.
For those wishing to subscribe to "Les Amis du Basson Français" (in French only), write to: Mr. Ange Maugendre, Treasurer: 154, rue de Lourmel, 75015, Paris, France (I believe a year's membership is about $10 U.S., payable in francs.)
Speaking of the Françaix Divertimento, I have asked bassoonists to write to Schott in Mainz about the problem we, in N. America, have in purchasing the chamber work outright. It may be that French performers have a manuscript copy by the composer, but to my knowledge the only legal publisher of this work is Schott - and they have mistakenly printed it as a bassoon solo with string orchestra (complete with a piano reduction of the original string quintet parts)! I know that the work is being played in the U.S., but unless the string parts are rented from Schott, I feel that Schott's (and the composer's) copyright is being infringed. This chamber work is so rewarding and equally pleasing to all the string players as well as to the bassoonist (something we cannot say too often about earlier bassoon string chamber works); - that we should continue to urge Schott to re-publish Francaix's gift to bassoonists in its original chamber music form!
Music for bassoon, in general: I'm continually pleased to hear of creative programming by bassoonists, both for recitals and for solo performances. Examples are frequent use of voice with bassoon and piano, more occurrences of the Grand Concerto of J. Hummel and the Ciranda of Villa-Lobos. John Miller of Minnesota (always an innovator) has presented the U.S. premiere of Michal Spisak's Concerto (Spisak is an excellent composer, and his Duo-Concertino for viola and bassoon should become better known.)
However, as always, we are searching for and in need of new music. I think we especially deserve a long and strong chamber showpiece for bassoon and string trio or quartet--perhaps not matching, but aspiring at least to the greatness of Mozart's clarinet quintet, Brahms' clarinet quintet, or Mozart's oboe quartet.
It would be a superb contribution to the bassoon's still slender repertoire of works by great composers if somehow Dmitri Shostakovich could be encouraged to write for us a solo concerto, concert piece or sonata. (An IDRS member, Scott Vigder, of Los Angeles, has written to Russia inquiring about this on behalf of a Shostakovich Society he has formed in California. If the IDRS can assist in any way, we will be happy to do so.)
IDRS LIBRARY--As a means of helping us tabulate all the good literature we now have (although sometimes unpublished or out of print), we urge all bassoonists and oboists to send to Dr. Bruce Degen, the IDRS Librarian: 1) a file card listing of all the important works in your personal libraries - or works you can help us locate: concerti, sonatas, soli, chamber music especially works which feature double reeds prominently, studies and methods, etc.; 2) actual donations of music or reproductions of music you have - also tape recordings and other double reed items of interest such as books, articles from magazines, reed making methods, etc.; and 3) send in your questions about music for double reeds. The IDRS library should eventually become the storehouse of reference material on all the double reed music there is; but we need many ideas and requests in order to broaden the usefulness of this important adjunct to the society:
Dr. Bruce Degen
1006 North Howard
Indianola, Iowa 50125
Reeds, Fingerings, New Techniques. As music progresses and bassoonists continue to seek higher standards of performance, reedmaking, and all the new skills being asked of us, I hope many of you will share with us your discoveries, the ideas that work, new sounds and techniques and, as always the record of your most interesting performances and news of recordings by bassoonists and with bassoon and contra.
The bassoon newsletters, which have been unfortunately delayed for some time, are now back in full production. I will be pleased to continue featuring your submissions and ideas in the months to come. Let's make 1975 the most successful and participatory year in the history of the International Double Reed Society. I'll look forward to meeting many old friends and many new IDRS members at this summer's 4th Annual Meeting at Northwestern University, Evanston.