Since last communicating with you through these pages, many notes and countless pieces of cane have passed through my fingers, with the usual varied results. Our Richards Quintet has again visited both sides of the country and between concerts I was able to visit with many prominent figures in the oboe world, instrument and cane dealers, as well as performers. Both Pete Angelo and Bob Gilbert in California reaffirmed their great interest in the work of the IDRS; a long planned visit with Claude Reynolds in Dallas had to be postponed because of schedule problems.
I did spend a weekend in Philadelphia during which the inimitable Hans Moennig worked some of his magic on my instruments, and commented on the "oboe explosion" we are experiencing today! He told me how touched he had been to be named the first honorary member of the Society - and as I told him - who deserves the honor more? It was exciting to hear John de Lancie's aristocratic performance of the Martinu concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra; the whole event was made even more pleasant by a reunion with two former Interlochen students of mine now studying at Curtis. I was able to hear the Cleveland Orchestra the next day in Washington's Kennedy Center in a program of Mahler and Prokofiev. Pat Grignet, prominent free-lance oboist in Washington and Philadelphia had arranged a visit with John Mack, the first for the three of us together since our days at the Marlboro Festival.
Speaking of reunions, the fine National Arts Centre Orchestra (of Ottawa) visited our East Lansing campus in February. My counterpart, Gerald Corey (editor of TO THE WORLD'S BASSOONISTS) is principal bassoonist of the orchestra and was soloist that evening in Weinzweig's engaging Divertimento. I also enjoyed the opportunity to meet the orchestra's fine young first oboist, Rowland Floyd.
Many of you have asked about the literature our quintet does, and unfortunately the demands of our touring schedule make us a little less enterprising in searching out works than before. We do enjoy the three quintets of Peter Mueller (1791-1877), introduced to us in 1967 by William Waterhouse, the English bassoonist and antiquarian. We have since given them their New York premieres and find them filling a place in our repertoire formerly occupied by the Danzis and a few Reichas. The Muellers have since been published by Musica Rara and are concise works of considerable charm - the A Major is my own favorite. Frans Vester's beautiful realizations of Beethoven and Haydn pieces for musical clock help to flesh out the meager classic repertoire - Wolfgang Sebastian Meyer's transcriptions of Mozart's brilliant musical clock fantasies are also well worth investigating. English horn enthusiasts will be intrigued with Reicha's three movements "for the Cor Anglais." Their inclusion on programs may make lugging the English horn around the country for a few moments of Nielsen more worthwhile! Mason Jones' realization of Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is already widely known, and deservedly so. It is published by Durand - and is now ridiculously expensive! It has most all the scares for the oboist contained in the orchestral version, and not many rests. Yet the music is beautiful and audiences love it. Ligeti's "Ten Pieces" are a wonderful virtuoso vehicle, but touring with it is a logistics nightmare, what with alto flute, piccolo, oboe d'amore, and English horn added to the usual. We play the Richard Rodney Bennett Wind Quintet a good deal too it is an austere, rhythmically demanding work, but with lyric atmospheric moments, including an evocative oboe cadenza.
My travels were climaxed by a few day's vacation in Martinique, practicing my rusty French and enjoying the food and wine in the Caribbean sun, but wishing it were Paris! I was also able to see my composer friend from Eastman days Verne Reynolds, who was enjoying a working sabbatical in the Florida Keys. I recommend his Three Elegies for oboe and piano to you; they are somber, serial works with real emotional impact. (Published by MCA Music)
I look forward to news of your tours, performances, moves to new positions, etc. Until the next issue, good reeds and best wishes.
Daniel Stolper
Michigan State University,
Department of Music
East Lansing, Michigan 48824 USA