Although I never had the honor of meeting this extraordinary bassoonist in person, we shared several interesting letters over the years. And from my conversations with literally hundreds of fellow bassoonists in my own travels, the name of Enzo Muccetti has been regularly featured as a subject for great interest and admiration.
Foremost in my memory include:
W. Hans Moennig of Philadelphia, who showed me in my university years some reeds made by Muccetti; I was very impressed with some which had metal staples rather than cane tubes.
Enzo Prestini of Trento, director of the House of Prestini, who told me that Muccetti had asked the Prestini firm to try so many different and experimental shapes for bassoon reeds over such a long time period that Prestini finally brought them all to Muccetti's door saying that there 'were no more possibilities!'
Dierdre Dundas-Grant of London, who mailed me a sample of a gouged and shaped piece of cane which had been carefully beveled in the tube section by Enzo Muccetti for a perfect seal at closure, a pattern which I have used for many 'concerto' reeds since;
Cecil James of London, during our conversation in Paris (summer 1972), said he always loved visiting Muccetti because they could discuss everything possible about the bassoon and music - in French (haltingly) as neither could speak the other's language !
And, from the most recent letter I received from Maestro Muccetti himself:
. . . I am reading your letter again with great interest, and I admire your deep and sincere enthusiasm for the bassoon. Also, my colleague Leonard Sharrow whom I met recently has been discussing your work with me. He visited my family in Parma (he came with his wife and son), and together we enjoyed three beautiful days. We had lengthy discussions and exchanges of musical points of view.
Since that time I have learned of your researches and studies for the French and German bassoons. This will amount to a lot of work, and you will have my blessing for this undertaking. I am sure that your trip to France to join Mr. Maurice Allard will prove to be very successful; you could not have made a better choice.
I would like to make one point clear regarding your questions of preferences that I would have for the French or the German bassoon. It is an impossible task to answer all of them by letter. . . I would like to meet you and discuss them verbally with you. I was not the first Italian musician to play on the German bassoon. This was done before the Second World War. I do not know precisely who was the first. It could have been Ciro Stadio or Aldo Montanari, both dead today, or perhaps someone else less known.
As far as I am concerned, it was in 1951 (I was 37 years old) that I began to play the German bassoon. At that time I was principal with La Scala Orchestra. I pioneered the idea of using the German bassoon for the whole bassoon section. There was some resistance among my Italian colleagues as well as foreigners. But after a little while listening to our playing of the German bassoon there was an immediate response. In fact, the school founded in Parma (I was teaching there) and Orefici in Turin brought a great success, to the point that all the rest of the country adopted the German system.
However, it is my practice to start young players with the French bassoon, and after an initial training I will get them to change to the German bassoon and, surprisingly, I will obtain very good results in a short time.
So my dear friend, if you have decided to play alternating both instruments, I will be the first one to congratulate your exceptional undertaking. In the near future I will write an article for your newsletter. My best wishes to you and your family.