It is a pleasure to greet oboists across the world through this journal. I am happy to be associated once more with my good friend and colleague, Gerald Corey. With his "To The World's Bassoonists" as an example, and the support of the fast-growing IDRS, my task will not have to be the kind of pioneer work his was. I am immensely gratified by the great interest and enthusiasm for this newsletter. Oboists in Europe, Canada, and all across the United States, including such important names in the oboe world as Ray Still, Robert Sprenkle, John Mack, Gladys Elliot, Raymond Weaver, Evelyn Rothwell, Alain de Gourdon, Harold Gomberg, and many others have expressed interest and support for this venture. This first issue roughly follows the format of "To The World's Bassoonists". The lists of recordings, music and publications, of course reflect my own tastes. My correspondence indicates a tremendous interest in contemporary techniques. Janet Craxton's article, though primarily directed toward composers, struck me as an ideal introduction to the concept of these exotic sounds.
My favorite instrument of all is the oboe. I play the bassoon and publish "To The World's Bassoonists", so my love and allegiance to that instrument is also clear. I am therefore very happy to welcome the debut issue of Daniel Stolper's "To The World's Oboists", our two communications newsletters serving the International Double Reed Society, and that long-needed organization now actively at work bringing together our common interests and goals f or music and for the double reed instruments. I hope that oboists and English hornists everywhere will contribute ideas and materials to Mr. Stolper in the same enthusiastic w ay the "world's bassoonists" have helped my newsletter improve with each issue. My best wishes to the health, success and long life of this new publication; may it serve the widest possible audience - well.
Future articles will deal with these techniques from a performance-oriented standpoint. Richard Henderson's article is the first in a series devoted to every aspect of the oboist's greatest challenge: his reeds. Robert Sprenkle's article first appeared in Woodwind World in 1959; I feel his rational pedagogic approach will be equally helpful to today's generation of oboe students. I am eager for your comments and contributions. I would particularly like to feature biographies of distinguished players of the past and present. Keep me informed of your performances, as well as your discoveries of interesting oboe music and recordings, orchestral passages as well as solo and chamber music. This journal's purpose, after all, is a simple one communication. If it can help us in our work with the eloquent but sometimes elusive oboes, it will be w ell worth the effort! Future issues will include articles by Laila Storch, Melvin Berman, Josef Marx, Philip Bate, Evelyn Rothwell, Harold Gomberg, and David Ledet. Thomas Stacy will contribute an article on the English horn and Earnest Harrison will write on the cane-growing experiment at Louisiana State University. Until the next issue, good reeds and best wishes!
Daniel Stolper
Department of Music
Michigan State
University
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
This newsletter is sent to members of the International Double Reed
Society. Membership applications are welcome from all parties, whether
performers, students, teachers, manufacturers or other enthusiasts. Annual dues
for the IDRS are ten dollars ($10 U.S.) for regular members and five dollars ($5
U.S.) for student members (through university level) and may be sent to:
Dr. Blaine Edlefsen,
IDRS Treasurer,
School of Music,
University of Illinois,
Urbana, Illinois 61801.
Checks may be made payable to International Double Reed Society.
C) Daniel Stolper, East Lansing, Michigan, 1973