I have subscribed to the Double Reed Journal for several years now and have found it a most valuable resource; scholarly yet approachable, entertaining yet informative.
The bassoon "scene" in N.Z. is scattered and Small, with only two fully professional Symphony Orchestras - the N.Z. Symphony Orchestra based in Wellington (Capital - pop 250,000), and Auckland Philharmonia based in N.Z.'s largest centre (pop 1,000,000).
My home city of Christchurch (pop 300,000) like the other large centre in the South Island, Dunedin, has only a semi- professional Symphony Orchestra, rehearsing each evening for 2.5 to 3 hours in the week preceding each Concert. (1992 has 29 concerts on the C.S.O. calendar).
With 2 Opera seasons, 4 Subscription Concerts and a variety of Popular Classics, outdoor and Choral Concerts, we lead very busy lives.
Many players have full-time professional daytime occupations covering teaching, medicine, sciences, law, social work, home management etc., while several senior level University students contribute valuable service.
Our conductors are also from a variety of backgrounds; local, N.Z., Australian, European, North American.
Because of travel costs, N.Z. bassoonists see very little of each other, each centre being fairly isolated.
In Christchurch, all players are of local origin, many starting at school under a system of Itinerant Music Teachers, or at the central Saturday morning School of Instrumental Music, (7 student Orchestras, 1200 students, 2 Symphonic Bands, a Stage Jazz Band, 2 Choirs, Recorder Ensembles, Woodwind "Choirs" etc.).
Currently there are 5 Bassoonists on the C.S.O. list, a further 21 students aged between Il and 21, plus two brave adult "late starters." (22 of these are currently my students).
Being an exporting nation, we seem to also export our finest young players. Currently two young Christchurch Bassoonists are in London, one being the first to receive a Royal Schools' Scholarship to study Bassoon at the Royal Academy. Selena Barkle is the first Bassoon student to complete a Masters Degree in Performance at Canterbury (NZ) University.
We are lucky to have in Christchurch, the largest specialist Double-Reed supplier in Australia and N.Z., Rosslyn Woodwind Supplies, established by the late Rosslyn McKeich (oboist and bassoonist), and carried on after his death by his very able wife, Aroya McKeich. (Incidentally, Hamish, son of Ross and Aroya was the only Bassoonist in 25 years to win the Christchurch Civic Music Council's National Concerto Competition - he is also currently in London).
Highlights of my own career to date, would have to include playing for Kiri Te Kanawa at an outdoor concert attended by 70,000 enthusiastic opera lovers; and having a whole week of seminars and recitals led by William Waterhouse (surely the most significant bassoon event in N.Z.'s history).
Last year, by a set of coincidences, we were delighted to meet a charming, talented young French Bassoonist, on holiday in N.Z. with her parents and 3 musical sisters. Elizabeth Blayac, a part-time student of Lille Conservatoire, met 12 local Bassoonists for an evening of Ensemble playing, entertaining us with the sweet, delicate sound of a real French Bassoon. Despite being outnumbered by German Bassoons 12 to 1, Elizabeth joined us in a pleasant evening's music making. Long may French Bassoons continue to occupy their uniquely special niche - as a country involved in the saving of many endangered species of the natural world, New Zealand supports the cause of French Bassoonists.
With very infrequent visits by solo Bassoonists (George Zukerman has toured N.Z. several times, William Waterhouse regrettably only once), the publications of the I.D.R.S. are essential to updating professional knowledge and keeping in touch with the wider world of Double Reeds.
Perhaps one day we shall host a Conference, (to date I have not been able to attend one), and the hills of New Zealand may yet resound to the prehistoric call of the Bassoon.
Principal Bassoon, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; Bassoon Performance Tutor, Canterbury University (N.Z.); Itinerant Woodwind Tutor, Christchurch Secondary Schools; Tutor & Conductor, Christchurch School of Instrumental Music.
My wife Fran has been "selling" the idea that all of us should have at least one adventure every day. For me this can translate to peering at a busy ant hill or a dramatic cloud formation, performing a challenging musical work to intervening in a child abuse situation. All are "fair game" for this point of view and leads to a satisfying sense of zestful, aware living.
Well, apropos: I am writing this note on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany. The pilot has just informed us we are over Amsterdam, headed toward Scotland, Labrador, and finally Washington, D.C. as I sit here with a glass of fine Alsace wine reflecting on the adventures of the last eight days.
I was invited by the Radio Orchestra of Saarbrucken to perform, and later record the Concerto For Bassoon and Orchestra by Gunther Schuller, a work I had commissioned him to write six years ago. The U.S. premier took place in the spring of 1986 with Slava Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra, and at each of the four performances it was received with wonderfully noisey enthusiasm. It is a fascinating work for our instrument, and further I think it is the most significant bassoon concerto of the twentieth century. The work is harmonically, melodically, and rhythmically accessible, provides wonderful contrasts from movement to movement, has a magnificent accompaniment, is challenging for the soloist and completely worthy of his/her work investment to learn it. And of equal importance it extends the tonal coloration, technical and expressive capabilities of the bassoon.
The movements are Ballade, Berceuse, Burlesca, Blues and Badinerie Oust right for the Bassoon). The Blues movement includes in its orchestration jazz bass and drums. The solo bassoon at the beginning of the movement is in tight bluesy harmony with the three orchestra bassoons, and it is like ... tres cool. Altogether a fabulous work, and I can say happily Gunther conducted very effectively and efficiently zapping balance and rhythmic and stylistic problems as they came up. I felt wonderfully supported by him and by the orchestra. The orchestra is first rate with many fine solo players, some of whom shown beautifully in the Haydn Symphony #31 which closed the radio broadcast concert. The first work on the program was a horn concerto which Gunther wrote at the age of eighteen. It was played beautifully by Richard Todd of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Hollywood studios, who is also a walking encyclopedia of information on fine vintage wines.
The recording of the bassoon concerto, a twenty minute work, was done in approximately three hours; we finished with eight minutes to spare. 1, the conductor and orchestra were all pleased with the result. The CD should be available by late fall in company with the horn concerto and one other Schuller work. As though this strenuous musical activity were not adventure enough, I had the pleasure of exploring the town of Saabrucken, its antique shops, a modern art gallery worthy of any great urban center, the wonderful, open strolling plazas, and eating great meals of the dizzying variety, including German, French, Chinese and Turkish cuisine.
Hanging out with Gunther and Richard, practicing in a tolerant hotel at all hours, using my limited German all over the place with all kinds of people was very satisfying.
I get back to Washington having missed the first rehearsal of the Rite of Spring with guest conductor Christoph Eschenbach; but playing the Stravinsky solos will seem like nothing after these German adventures.
Before I wind this up it should be said that the bassoon section was so helpful and friendly to me. This was a relief to me; after all, in a sense I was an "invader" on their turf. They are all Heckel players and very fine and generous spirited.
I will write you as soon as I know when the CD is to be released, with pertinent details. I can't wait to hear it, immodest as that may appear.
[The following letter was sent by Richard Porter to Steven Craig. It is reprinted here in an effort to spark continued interest in donating instruments to the Jennifer Craig Memorial Fund for the Arts. Steven Craig writes that the response so far has been excellent. We editors are proud of our readership and hope that this letter will inspire even more response. - Ed.]
I was deeply touched by Ron Klimko's article, "Song for Jennifer," in the Winter 1991 issue of The Double Reed. Your support of musical education, and especially of young oboists, will truly be a living memorial to your daughter. As
Sometime in the early 1940's, when I was a fledgling oboist, my cousin, Dr. Louis Porter, a young physician in New York City, obtained this instrument for me from the oboist in the Philip Morris Orchestra. In those days, before we understood smoking's adverse health effects, Philip Morris sponsored this outstanding radio orchestra's popular weekly national broadcast of light classical music. Its theme song was "On the Trail" from Ferde Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite," and against its background Johnny the bellboy would announce, "Call for Philip Morris."
My cousin liked to describe arranging a meeting with the oboist, a perfect stranger, outside a New York subway station, where he received this Loree oboe to be shipped to Boston for my trial: on trust alone, no payment until my teacher approved it!
I played it in my high school band and orchestra and summers at the New England Music Camp until 1943, when I joined the Navy. It had very little use during my college, medical school and hospital training years, but I started to play again when I began private practice in the San Francisco area in 1957, and it served me well when I was introduced to the wonderful world of chamber music. I bought a new Loree after returning to the Boston area in 1972, but kept this, my first instrument, for sentimental reasons.
Oboes, unlike violins, don't ordinarily age well, but I think this one was spared by the long years when it was not played at all. After my profession and my family, music has been my other life, and it is even more important now in semi- retirement. Loree TT35 helped get me started, as I hope it will the young musicians who will now be able to use it under the sponsorship of the Jennifer Craig Memorial.
I am writing to inform all of my friends in the IDRS about some new music for oboe, soprano, and piano entitled "Clothed in Majesty" written by Dr. James Lucas and published by Thomas House in March 1990.
In 1987 my wife Melanie and I asked our good friend Jim Lucas if he wouldn't consider writing a couple of pieces a year for us with the goal of eventually publishing them in a collection. The result is "Clothed in Majesty", a collection of 8 sacred art songs for oboe, soprano, and piano that are equally at home as part of a worship service or on the concert stage. All three parts are of equal importance with some wonderful ensemble writing that any good collegiate level musician would find challenging.
I am hopeful that response to this first collection will be strong enough to encourage Thomas House to publish additional volumes in the future.
I just finished reading the "L'Atelier du Hautbois" interview of Gerard Fossati, and I think it needs a response from me, as I consider my company and I to be discredited by some of Gerard's comments, most importantly that I may not have even seen the oboes which we make. I can assure you that I see each oboe in our production and that I personally do all the wood work on our instruments myself (bore and tone holes). Thank you for giving me the chance to comfort everyone who plays Rigoutat; our oboes are made just as the tradition claims, and this is the best way I know to keep our high quality.
I was also delighted to read that two of my customers, Mr. Holliger and Mr. Bourgue never need a screwdriver with my oboes. If I said that myself, no one would believe me! So, thank you to Mr. Fossati. He also mentioned the name Rigoutat eight times in his interview. In all these years, none of my competitors has done even half that much for me - thank you! He also provided me with a wonderful dream, by saying that the offices of the other oboe makers in Paris are beautiful places where nothing goes on!
I can imagine myself, quietly reading the newspaper spread out on a huge desk with my two very pretty secretaries, while my workers hardly work downstairs, and my driver is outside washing and polishing my Rolls Royce. My customers, of course, always have compliments for me, and they call me Monsieur President instead of Philippe. For all these wonderful dreams I thank Mr. Fossati though, alas, they are only dreams. Unfortunately, making oboes is not the same as pumping petrol!