INTERESTING PERFORMANCES

Otto Eifert - solo bassoonist, Cincinnati Symphony.
9/73. Vivaldi Concerto in A Minor No. 7, and K. Stamitz Concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon in B-flat Major (with clarinetist Gervase de Peyer), at Courtenay Youth Music Camp, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada; faculty chamber orchestra, conducted by Simon Streatfield. Recorded and broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. On the same program, Steven Staryk (violin) and Ray Still (oboe) performed J. S. Bach's Concerto for Violin, Oboe, and Strings. Otto Eifert was filling in for Roland Small, Courtenay's regular bassoon teacher, who was asked to coach the bassoonists of Canada's National Youth Orchestra during the same summer period. Astonishing activity at this wonderful Canadian summer music school which is just a few years old. (more news about Courtenay will appear in a following issue of TTWB).
John Steinmetz - Master's recital at California Institute of the Arts and School of Music.
11/73. "Since the bassoon newsletter and you take such an interest in performances, and especially because you know Bill Douglas, I thought you might be interested in a project I just completed under his tutelage and with his help and inspiration. The idea is that all music is music and any wonderful music can be enjoyed as exuberantly and lovingly as any other. So here was the program:
George Zukerman - Vancouver bassoon soloist.
8/73. Orford Music Festivals 1973, Quebec, Canada. Recital with John Newmark, piano: Galliard Suite in F Major, Spohr "Adagio," Z. Kodaly "Four Epigrammes," T. Goldberg "Three Pieces for Bassoon and Buchla" (Buchla: a portable synthesizer named after its originator - "all the deep sounds heard on the tape are tones of the bassoon which have been electronically modified"), N. Dvarionas Variations for Bassoon and Piano (U.S.S.R. 1968), and F. Schubert, Octet, after the intermission.
Max Neil - solo bassoon, Elizabethan Trust's Melbourne Orchestra (Australia).
11/73. The first bassoon recital ever in this city, according to Dr. Bruce G. Livett, who sent me programme, comments and a most favorable review. Mr. Neil is a native Australian; his teachers have been John Good and Thomas Wightman at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide, and Professor Albert Hennige at the Detmold Musik Akademie in Germany. Reviewer John Sinclair of the Melbourne Herald, noted the recital as first of its kind and very graciously explained the influence of Thomas Wightman. an English bassoonist playing in Australia since 1952, and setting a beautiful performance example for many younger players, among them Max Neil. Of Neil's reasons for presenting a difficult solo bassoon recital Mr. Sinclair said, "..The answer was clearly evident in his playing. He did so because he is an absolutely dedicated musician for whom the bassoon is simply a very beautiful instrument." The program included, Galliard 's Sonata No. 5, A. Tansman's Sonatine, C. Saint-Saens Sonate, Op. 168, Weber's Andante and Rondo Ungarese, Poulenc's Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon (Phillip Miechel, clarinet), and M. Glinka's Trio for piano, clarinet, and bassoon (Brian Chapman, piano).
Stephen Franse - new principal bassoon, Calgary (Canada) Symphony.
10/73. In a recital with the Da Camera Players, Vivaldi Sonata No. 1 in B-Flat. Review mentions - "superb rendition." Mr. Franse also mentions that he helped restore a baroque bassoon at Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian Institute and gave 3 concerts there with the historic bassoon.

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