bassoon blog

Prokofiev Symphony No. 4

2012-01-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

Although Prokofiev himself favored his Symphony No. 4, apparently not everyone does - it is rarely performed. Prokofiev said that he liked this symphony for its "subdued tone and wealth of material". (Believe me, its tone is not completely subdued!) Sergei Prokofiev, one of the 20th century's great composers (the greatest in some musicians' opinion), often infused his music with a dynamic, life-affirming character, and Symphony No. 4 is no exception, ending in a blaze of C major glory. This very lyrical symphony, based upon Prokofiev's ballet The Prodigal Son, was substantially revised by Prokofiev in 1947, and it was this revision which the Columbus Symphony recently performed under the direction of guest conductor Rossen Milanov.

This symphony's 1st bassoon part is quite colorful and exposed. The 4-note figures beginning at 12 in the 1st movement dovetail with the same notes in the second bassoon part. This passage must be played with extreme smoothness and tranquility. Then at 13, the 1st bassoon plays an unaccompanied solo, continuing the smooth, tranquil quality established earlier.

Prokofiev's bassoon parts are often unusual clef-wise, with treble clef making frequent appearances. But check out the 3rd note in the measure 3 bars after 49:

Yes, that's a high E flat written in bass clef - we bassoonists rarely encounter high E flats, and we never encounter high E flats (also known as E flat 5) in bass clef (until now)! This passage is with the horns and 2nd bassoon (an octave lower).

Another of the many exposed 1st bassoon passages begins the 3rd movement, in octaves with the 1st oboe:

Attention to detail is very important in this piece. Maestro Milanov asked the oboe and bassoon to play this opening in a style which might be described as smooth and graceful, yet scherzando-like and full of character.

Later in the movement there is another unaccompanied bassoon solo, beginning on high C (C5) written in bass clef:

I used the Bflat key fingering for F# (RH: 2 + E flat key; RH: 1 + 2 + Bflat key) because sometimes when playing with a full sound, it's too easy for the F# with my usual fingering (RH: 2 + Eflat key; RH: 1 + 2 + 4) to go sharp in pitch. I also use the alternate F# key for the lower F# on the 2nd beat at 63. I often use that fingering for its slightly darker tone and very slightly lower pitch. Using the alternate F# key is a bit more challenging technically, but I use it so often that I'm used to it.

The 32nd note scale in the 3rd measure below really threw me off when I first looked at it, and I had a hard time trying to play it! Then I realized that it was the enharmonic equivalent of an E flat major scale. Oftentimes I jot down the key in the part to help with the execution of a tricky passage, but in this case the enharmonic equivalent was more useful than the original key, for sure.

The passage at 8 measures after 70 is another unaccompanied bassoon solo:

This solo is best played very legato, with a full sound, watching the conductor for the huge slowdown (with diminuendo) into 71.

There were mistakes in my part in the following exposed passages, so if you play this piece, check your part for note mistakes. The 1st section, before 90, is with the 1st flute and the next section is with the 1st oboe. These passages are finger twisters:

It takes a certain kind of reed to pull of the following sarcastic bassoon solo in the 4th movement (it's in 2 beats per measure, or one beat per measure for 2/4 or 3/4):

It really has to be played forte and should sound like a taunting, bratty child! I chose a reed that had a really strong and reliable high C. It has to cut through the orchestra. The mocking bassoon outburst continues a few bars later, in B flat major and c minor.

I would say that Prokofiev had a vividly imaginative approach to his bassoon writing, especially in this symphony, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to perform it.

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Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quartet Op.25 arranged for Orchestra

2012-01-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

The Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quartet, Op.25 arranged for Orchestra was performed last week by the Columbus Symphony with guest conductor Matthias Bamert. As soon as our recording is available, I'll post in here for the benefit of anyone unfamiliar with this magnificent work (which has been referred to as Brahms' 5th symphony!).

To answer the question of why he orchestrated the Brahms Piano Quartet, Op. 25 for large orchestra, Schoenberg wrote:

"My reasons: I like the piece.
It is seldom played.
It is always very badly played, because, the better the pianist, the louder he plays and you hear nothing from the strings. I wanted once to hear everything, and this I achieved.
My intentions: to remain strictly in the style of Brahms and not to go farther than he himself would have gone if he lived today.
To watch carefully all the laws to which Brahms obeyed and not to violate them, which are only known to musicians educated in his environment."

(Letter to Alfred Frankenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, March 1939)

Maestro Bamert explained to the orchestra that Schoenberg orchestrated the piece the way he believed Brahms would have at the time (1937), given the more advanced methods and trends of orchestration. According to reports from the audience, the piece was every bit as captivating from out in the hall as it was onstage.

The 1st bassoon part features some of the most difficult passages I've ever encountered. This one beginning in measure 454 of the second movement is an example:

The movement is in a moderately fast 3 beats per measure. The.high B grace note is problematic - in fact, without the high B grace notes, the passage would be easily playable. Bassoons vary somewhat in the placement of the left thumb keys. On my bassoon, the high B (C) key is a bit farther away from the whisper key than I'd like. That's typical of newer Heckels. It may seem that an obvious solution is to leave the thumb off the whisper key for the G which precedes the high B. (The high G still plays without the whisper key.) However, that doesn't help as much as one would expect. It only confuses the left thumb because of its prior programming! For me, the odds of nailing the high B grace note did not seem to be increased by eliminating the whisper key on G.

The first flute also plays the passage, an octave higher, and for reasons unclear to me, it always seems difficult to tune passages written this way (with the bassoon in the high range and the flute an octave higher). The high A was particularly difficult to tune with the flute in my case. In the orchestra, it is much easier to hear instruments (or voices) behind you than those in front of you. Also, in general, the higher instruments in the wind section tune to the lower instruments. For those reasons, the majority of the burden for tuning this passages falls on the flute player's shoulders. It often helps to have a chat about that so that the flute player knows that you are counting on him/her to tune to you. I always like to reassure the player that I will do everything I can to play each note in tune so as to ease the tuning burden.

Suffice it to say that this passage was nerve-racking despite lots of slow practicing. I strongly recommend cleaning out the bocal before playing this piece. (That helps with reliability of the high notes.)

Another great challenge begins in bar 618, in movement III:

It's in 3, and although the tempo is not terribly fast, it's fast enough to cause great concern for the first and second bassoonists. The other woodwinds are involved, but only the bassoons play in this octave. Although these 32nd notes are mostly lost in the orchestral texture, it is our goal to fulfill the composer's wishes, even when doing so is nearly impossible.

The 4th movement is perhaps most frustrating of all, bassoon-wise. Check out the 3 measure beginning at 856:

The tempo is fast (presto!). It may be possible to single tongue (for bassoonists with really fast single tongues) but I recommend preparing to double tongue. That way you'll be ready for any tempo and won't have to worry about switching back and forth between single and double. Ideally, a good double tongue cannot be distinguished from a single tongue anyway, so there's no reason not to double tongue. But first, this passage is best practiced all slurred, slowly at first, gradually increasing the tempo, to make sure that the fingers are totally and reliably even.

It is not reasonable for the left thumb to depress the whisper key for the high Gs or G#s in this passage. The left thumb, which has been programmed to depress the whisper key for high G and G#, just has to be re-programmed for this passage, through much repetition. I also use the short F# fingering (LH: half hole, 2,3 + Eflat key; RH: 1). This passage is exposed!

So is this one:

Comparatively, this one is a lot easier, that is, until measure 873 arrives with its entanglement of fingerings for G, F and Eflat. This longer passage really benefits from double tonging. Even if one is able to single tongue at the conductor's chosen tempo for this movement, I believe it is necessary to double tongue for the sake of velocity. Single-tonguing is too likely to become bogged down.

The following passage beginning at 1078 is doubled in the second bassoon part. The high Bflats in this passage make things interesting. Maybe Schoenberg added the second bassoon to this to increase the odds successful execution (I'm not sure):

This masterpiece (Brahms Symphony No. 5!) is wonderful to listen to, and performing it is quite an adventure. I think that most bassoonists would agree that the massive challenges are worth dealing with in exchange for the opportunity to play the Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quartet, Op. 25 arranged for Orchestra.

Nutcracker 2011

2011-12-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

Ever since the mid 1900s The Nutcracker ballet has been a beloved holiday tradition in many U.S. cities. Here in Columbus we are fortunate that BalletMet uses the Columbus Symphony to provide live music for its Nutcrackers.

The Nutcracker score features some of Tchaikovsky's best known melodies. Perhaps because the music is so recognizable, once in a while someone asks how we manage to play the same music over and over. Isn't boredom a problem?

Well, from a bassoonist's perspective, The Nutcracker is anything but boring. There is a challenge at every turn, it seems. The most difficult passage in the 1st bassoon part is this one (the tempo is around 120 per dotted quarter):

The second most difficult passage, in my opinion, is this perennial nail-biter:

I'm not sure how many times I've played The Nutcracker (check out Columbus Symphony horn player Julia Rose's blog post in which she writes about playing her 200th Nutcracker!) but no matter how many times I play it, these passages will require extra attention.

To improve the accuracy of the first passage above, all we can do is apply the usual set of practice techniques. Slow it down and take out the articulation (play it all slurred, which is really awkward). Then apply different rhythms (also very awkward). I also like to practice the triplets in a duple rhythm. By the time you have perfected all of that, the original passage seems easy! But don't be lured into complacency. It has to be practiced constantly.

The second passage features the high A to B trill. The bassoonist's first job is to figure out which trill fingering brings the best results. For me, it's this fingering, with the low E flat key depressed:

I have tried various fingerings for this A to B trill, and this one has brought the best results by far. For The Nutcracker I use a reed which favors the high register because of this solo. (Obviously the reed still has to have a halfway decent low range also, due to numerous exposed low passages.)

Getting back to the question of boredom, there is another answer to that question which has nothing to do with the bassoon part, and everything to do with the mission of the musician. It is our responsibility to serve the composer, the music, the dancers or soloists as applicable, and the audience to the best of our abilities in each and every performance. That's very daunting, and not at all boring!

The musicians of the Columbus Symphony are grateful to be performing with BalletMet, especially now, considering that arts organizations across the country are struggling to make ends meet. One of the BalletMet dancers told one of the musicians that the dancers are thrilled to perform with the Columbus Symphony. She explained how the energy from the live music inspires the dancers. I know how that works, because every once in a while we have dancers performing at the front of the stage where we can see them, such as during our Holiday Pops concerts, and we derive inspiration from the dancers. The beauty of each of the two art forms is enhanced by the collaboration.

If you live in Columbus and haven't yet attended this year's Nutcracker, there are several performances taking place this week:

Tues, 12/20, 7:30pm
Weds, 12/21, 7:30pm
Thurs, 12/22, 7:30pm
Fri, 12/23, 2pm
Fri. 12/23, 7:30pm
Sat, 12/24, 1pm

You can buy tickets here. Hope to see you there!

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Columbus Symphony Champion: Anne Melvin

2011-12-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Noel & Anne Melvin

One of the first and most memorable people I met after moving to Columbus was Anne Melvin. She immediately stood out, due to her incredible passion for the Columbus Symphony and its musicians. I recall playing chamber music for a symphony fundraiser as one of my first assignments here, and Anne was there, just bursting at the seams with enthusiasm for the orchestra.

Anne's support for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra spans over four decades, and remains as strong as ever. She has served twice on the Columbus Symphony Board of Directors, and now serves as an Honorary Trustee of the orchestra. Anne was a key member of the Columbus Symphony search committee which selected our highly acclaimed Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni.

Anne is well known for her advocacy of music education and outreach to children. Her belief in the symphony's mission to teach, educate and inspire has been demonstrated by her unwavering commitment to keep the music playing. The Columbus Dispatch reported that a "record donation" from Anne Melvin and her husband Noel Melvin radically reduced the symphony's deficit during one of its most difficult economic periods (in 2008). In 2009, Anne won the Greater Columbus Arts Council''s Arts Partner Award for her lifelong support of the arts, especially the Columbus Symphony.

A graduate of Smith College, Anne studied music history and theory at Capital University in Columbus while raising her 3 children. She worked at WOSU radio as librarian and classical music programmer. For many years, Anne volunteered as assistant in the Columbus Symphony music library. She prepared musicians' parts and often came onstage after rehearsals or concerts to collect the musicians' folders. Anne clearly enjoyed sharing her library skills as well as maintaining contact with the musicians of the orchestra. Her support for the orchestra knew no boundaries. I'll never forget the time Anne walked to the drugstore to buy cough syrup for me when I was sick during a rehearsal.

On November 22 Anne Melvin was honored at the 2011 National Philanthropy Day Celebration presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Anne was aptly named "Outstanding Philanthropist" of central Ohio. During her acceptance speech, Anne explained how natural it was for her to help others because of the way she was raised. Her mother, for example, had found homes for World War II refugees. Anne spoke of her joy in associating with people, especially in the arts, who love what they do.


2011 National Philanthropy Day honorees, featuring Anne Melvin, second from left, as Outstanding Philanthropist

"Art can embolden our creativity, vigorously stir our intellects and infuse us with wonder and delight." -Anne Melvin

Thank you, Anne Melvin, for all you have done to infuse the people of central Ohio with wonder and delight. The music plays on because of you.

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Preparing to perform as soloist

2011-11-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Nothing compares to the thrill of performing as soloist in front of the orchestra. Bassoonists do not often experience this phenomenon, so we might feel a bit like a fish out of water when we do. How does a bassoonist go about preparing for such a momentous occasion?

During a summer festival after my freshman year at Eastman I spoke with a brilliant young horn player from Juilliard who was preparing to perform a Mozart concerto with the orchestra. He explained that he lived the Mozart Concerto for months leading up to the performance. "The concerto has to be your life," he explained. "You have to eat, sleep, breathe the concerto."

Legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz said in the video about his life that it's necessary to be 150% prepared for each performance. Although he did not elaborate on how to accomplish that, it is obvious to anyone listening to his recordings that he knew what he was talking about.

As soon as I found out last season that Columbus Symphony principal clarinetist David Thomas and I would be performing the Strauss Duet Concertino this season, I began listening to recordings. (I do not like to listen to recordings close to the performances because I don't want to inadvertently mimic other bassoonists' interpretations.) It's advisable to have a score on hand for studying the accompaniment.

The wood-shedding ideally begins many months before the performances. Even though an orchestral player will undoubtedly have other music to prepare during the months prior to a solo performance, it's beneficial to begin working out the finger technique of the solo piece well in advance.

For double reed players, there's the additional issue of reeds. I stopped making blanks during the 3 weeks prior to the Strauss week because I wanted to focus on practicing. That was OK because I had made plenty of reed blanks already, in advance. But I did find it difficult to force myself to finish blanks right before Strauss week. I wanted to practice, not work on reeds, and I resented the time I had to spend finishing blanks! But it had to be done, since I always play on brand new reeds.

One of the most enjoyable things I did to prepare the Strauss was to play along with the Chicago Symphony recording with David McGill as bassoon soloist. Of course, this Grammy-winning recording is outstanding, and David McGill sounds first-rate as always. I had to restrain myself from playing along too often, because I didn't want to become set in my ways, addicted to that particular performance.

The Columbus Symphony's music director Jean-Marie Zeitouni did an amazing job of handling the orchestral accompaniment in the Strauss. David Thomas and I never had to worry about the accompaniment - we knew that we would be perfectly followed no matter what we did. (That's rare. I am accustomed to having to accommodate the accompaniment during solo and recital performances.)

Jean-Marie Zeitouni asked David and me if we'd be willing to take a fast tempo in the third movement. We said yes, because the brisk tempo really worked. The tempo taken in the Chicago recording third movement was considerably slower, so it's a good thing I hadn't completely bonded with that recording.

In the past I have chosen to sit rather than stand for solo performances. Orchestral bassoonists sit all the time, and usually there is little reason to go to the trouble of learning to play standing. It's quite daunting to find the best possible combination of balance hangers, harnesses, neck straps, shoulder straps and right hand crutches!

For the Strauss I decided to put forth my best effort to stand. I used a shoulder strap called the Wittman Spinstrap Model 700 (with no balance hanger or right hand crutch). To me, this strap provides the best possible balance. As all bassoonists know, after playing standing for a while, the left hand goes numb. Fortunately, I was able to last quite a long time before numbness set in. During the Strauss performances, each time I had even a brief rest in the music, I shifted the bassoon's weight to my right hand temporarily to give the left hand a break

It's wise to begin practicing standing well in advance of the performances. In fact, even though the Strauss performances are over, I am continuing to stand while practicing and I'm planning to stand for my bassoon recital in May 2012.

One of the best ways to optimize your performance is to record yourself. I had been using my iPhone to record myself, but wore out my phone in the process. So I researched the best affordable recorders on the market and chose the Zoom H2.

The quality is outstanding. Some musicians buy an external microphone to plug into this machine, but I found that unnecessary. I recorded passages from the Strauss to figure out the best fingerings, places to take breaths, and reeds. It is so much easier to assess one's own playing when hearing it recorded.

I also used the Zoom H2 to improve my ability to play while standing. At first there was a wide gap between my execution of the Strauss bassoon part played while standing vs.sitting. (It sounded a lot better when I sat!) So my goal was to eliminate the gap. It was especially helpful to realize from listening to the recordings that sitting did not necessarily eliminate any and all technical challenges! (The piece remains difficult regardless of the player's choice to sit or stand.)

David Thomas and I began rehearsing our parts together about a month before the performances. We had to be sure that our parts were properly coordinated, and for the rhythmically complicated Strauss, that's a major undertaking. We also rehearsed with the Columbus Symphony's keyboard player playing the piano reduction before the first rehearsal with orchestra.

Traditionally, soloists do not perform from memory in works with multiple soloists, so for the Strauss, David and I used the music. For solo concertos, though, wind soloists often do perform from memory. The best advice I ever heard for memorizing (because wind players are not accustomed to memorizing our music) is to make sure that you can: A) write out the entire solo part, B) silently finger the entire part and C) hear in your head the entire part (all without looking at the music, of course).

The more you know about the piece you are performing, the better. I researched Strauss's life and music, his late period of composition (he wrote the Duet Concertino when he was 83), and his programmatic intention for the piece.

For sure, it's best to leave no stone unturned when preparing for a solo performance. Your chances of a successful performance will be enhanced by the assurance that you have done everything you possibly could to achieve that end.

In summary, these are the key elements for preparing to perform as soloist:

1. Familiarize yourself with the composer and the history of the piece.
2. Listen to recordings with the score.
3. Begin wood-shedding many months before the performances.
4. If playing from memory, test your visual, aural and tactile memory as described above.
5. Build up a hefty supply of reed blanks.
6. If you are going to stand to perform, practice the piece standing most of the time.
7. Record yourself.
8. Rehearse with the other soloist(s), if applicable, a few weeks in advance.
9. Rehearse with a pianist playing the piano reduction of the score.

Gustavo Nunez and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra demonstrate in the following security cam video what the end result of thorough preparation can sound like:

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Here is another European bassoonist, Eberhard Marschall, also performing the Mozart first movement. This soloist even makes use of circular breathing. I especially like his embellishments:

Although preparing for solo performances is a lot of work, it's very enjoyable work indeed. The value of the opportunity to perform as soloist with live orchestral accompaniment is immeasurable.

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Strauss Duet Concertino

2011-11-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

Thank heavens that Richard Strauss had a lifelong friend in Hugo Burghauser! Burghauser was the principal bassoonist of the Vienna Philharmonic, and he was the reason Strauss wrote his Duet Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon with String Orchestra and Harp. The post-Baroque repertoire for solo bassoon with orchestra is....well...scant, so the Duet Concertino stands out as a late Romantic gem for bassoonists. Written when Strauss was 83, the Duet Concertino fully embraces his late style of composition with its reduced orchestration and highly refined writing which pays homage to his beloved Mozart.

This past week, principal clarinetist David Thomas and I had the good fortune to perform the Strauss with the Columbus Symphony conducted by our music director Jean-Marie Zeitouni. We performed the Strauss three times on the Columbus Symphony's new series in the Southern Theatre, a 925 seat hall with pleasing acoustics.

The first time I heard the Strauss (in a radio broadcast by a major orchestra), I was extremely disconcerted by the rhythms in the first movement. I couldn't make rhythmic sense out of it! Maybe that particular performance lacked accuracy, but even under the best conditions, the first movement of the Strauss sounds conflicting. And it should! As Strauss stated to Berghauser, the bassoon represents a bear who encounters a princess (represented by the clarinet) The 1st movement meeting of the pair is awkward indeed, and seemingly ill-fated.

The piece opens with a clarinet solo (which David played with mesmerizing beauty). Then the bassoon/bear enters in a lumbering fashion, in an ascending scale with grace notes:

During the Saturday night performance, I saw peripherally that a man sitting near the stage nearly jumped out of his seat.when the bassoon entered. I thought to myself, "Good! The bear has done his job!" Right after that, of course, David evoked a shrieking princess, mirroring the man's reaction.

Next the bassoon/bear asserts himself soloistically for a while, and then the bear and princess engage in a rhythmically conflicting duet, part of which is shown below:

The clarinet and the orchestra parts are in 4/4 while the bassoon part is in 6/4. The best way to deal with that is to think of the bassoon part in 12/8 in order to line up with the 4 beats per measure of all of the other parts. When I began learning this piece, I thought at first that I could just think of those measures in 2, but accuracy is compromised with that approach. It really is preferable to divide each measure of the bassoon part into 4 beats.

The slow movement is a tranquil romantic aria in which the bear woos the princess. Although Strauss called for an Andante tempo, common practice is for it to be more like an Adagio. This movement is a prime example of one which would benefit from circular breathing. Clarinetist David Thomas used circular breathing, and I would have if I could have controlled the intonation. As I have stated in prior posts, I am learning to circular breathe, but I have not yet progressed to the point where I can control the pitch.

The third movement is a dance between the now-enamored (assuming, of course, that the second movement was successful!) bear and princess. It begins tentatively and ends full of joy. Our conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni always manages to find the right spirit of whatever we're performing. For this movement he asked for a snappy tempo which, although a bit challenging to execute, was just right and led to a highly energetic performance. (Most recordings sound way too conservative in this movement, I think.)

The entire piece is replete with technical challenges for the bassoon, many of which appear in the third movement. This passage is one of the trickiest, especially at a brisk tempo:

I spent a lot of time slow practicing the last measure with various rhythms. I found it to be beneficial to begin the passage with a calm and confident mindset, not surprisingly.

In the past, I have chosen to sit instead of stand when featured as soloist in front of the orchestra. This time, I decided to stand. Although it is harder to maintain the desired embouchure and finger control while the bassoon is suspended from a neck strap, shoulder strap, or harness, there are advantages as well. The bassoonist looks and feels more like a soloist when standing. Projection is enhanced by the increased distance from the floor. Overall, I was convinced that standing would lead to a more effective performance.

When I was a student at Eastman, the bassoonists were being trained to be orchestral players rather than soloists. We never stood. However, I attended a recent recital by my teacher, K. David Van Hoesen. Much to my surprise, he performed while standing (and circular breathing!).

My teacher, K. David Van Hoesen preparing for a recent recital

In order to successfully perform the Strauss while standing, I tried many different types of harnesses, neck straps, and shoulder straps. (Having tried balance hangers in the past, I didn't use one this time, which turned out to be a wise decision. The balance hanger brings the bassoon too close to the player, in my opinion) I ended up choosing the Wittman Spinstrap (shoulder strap):

Wittman Spinstrap for Saxophone or Bassoon

Even with my chosen shoulder strap it was still a bit challenging to hang onto the bassoon during certain passages, like the ones below:

The bassoon moves around more when it is not anchored to a seat strap, so the player has to sort of hang onto it while playing. That can lead to a sense of panic in passages like this. It took me a while to figure out the obvious - that taking a calm approach worked much better.

Near the very end of the Duet Concertino, the clarinet, in the middle measure below, ascends in a rapturous scale:

It seems that the princess has adopted the bear's original stumbling ascending scale! Now it's smooth and triumphant, and everyone lives happily ever after.

It's daunting for an orchestral bassoonist to suddenly step out in front of the orchestra as soloist, no question about it. But it's also thrilling beyond words. I can't wait for the next time.

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Brief encounters

2011-11-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

Last night the Columbus Symphony performed a pops concert entitled Chairman of the Board: A Salute to Frank Sinatra. As I approached the Ohio Theatre before the concert, I struck up a conversation with a couple of audience members who happened to be entering the theatre at the same time.

The woman asked when Albert-George Schram would be back. Maestro Schram, a member of the Columbus Symphony conducting staff, is a frequent and popular conductor of our pops concerts. I said that we were all looking forward to George's next concert, and that I wasn't sure exactly when that would be.

Then I decided to segue into a delicate topic. I offered the notion that Maestro Schram would undoubtedly be conducting some of our Picnic with the Pops concerts next summer, in our brand new venue in the new Columbus Commons Park. I asked if the couple would be attending Picnic with the Pops in our new downtown venue. (The reason this is "delicate" is because some of our Picnic with the Pops fans are understandably wondering what the series will be like in its new urban environment.)

Columbus Bicentennial Pavilion in Columbus Commons Park, future home of Columbus Symphony Picnic with the Pops

The woman replied that they didn't think they'd be coming downtown because they preferred the old location. I decided to try to talk them into it, since clearly they were already comfortable with attending concerts downtown. I assured them that the symphony was going to do everything possible to make the new venue at least as appealing as the old one. I guaranteed that if they tried it, they'd not be disappointed. They ended up saying that they'd give it a try.

As we parted ways, the man said, "Thank you for talking to us." I was embarrassed that apparently, in that couple's experience, it's unusual for a musician to interact with a concert goer. The symphony would not exist without the audience, and in fact I had said that when they initially seemed surprised that I spoke to them.

Besides, I was presented with an opportunity to win over a couple of audience members for the new downtown summer pops series. I know that our management is working very hard to convince the public that the move will be a positive one. But management didn't happen to be there last night outside of the Ohio Theatre. I did happen to be there, and I think it's wise for musicians to take advantage of any chance encounters which might present themselves, for the sake of preserving our own livelihood. We are the orchestra's ambassadors.

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A metronomic discovery

2011-10-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

As a constant metronome user, I am inseparable from my little Korg credit card sized metronome (which was a very thoughtful gift from a student). That will never change. However, I discovered a great online metronome which is perfect for practicing with other musicians. David Thomas, principal clarinetist of the Columbus Symphony and I are preparing to perform the Strauss Duet Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon with String Orchestra and Harp. We've been using this online metronome to ensure that we can both hear it clearly. (We grew weary of passing the little metronome back and forth, taking turns being the one who could hear it.) Even through modest computer speakers, this metronome can be very loud and impossible to ignore. When practicing by myself I sometimes prefer to use the online metronome just because it is so imposing. I'll definitely use it during chamber music rehearsals from now on - it will be great for keeping quartets and even quintets in line!

Carmina Burana

2011-10-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Carl Orff's best-known work Carmina Burana is one of the most enduring masterpieces of the 20th century. Its driving rhythms and simple (for 20th century) harmonies appeal to just about everyone - even those who think they don't like classical music! A couple of weeks ago, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed Carmina Burana under the direction of our Music Director Jean-Marie Zeitouni.

For bassoonists, Carmina Burana provides great challenge in #12 Cignus Ustus Cantat (The Roast Swan). The following video of the Berlin Philharmonic with tenor Lawrence Brownlee conducted by Simon Rattle starts with the famous swan song bassoon solo:

12. Cignus ustus cantat (The Roast Swan)

Olim lacus colueram,	Once I lived on lakes,
olim pulcher extiteram,	once I looked beautiful
dum cignus ego fueram.	when I was a swan.
(Male chorus)
Miser, miser!	Misery me!
modo niger	Now black
et ustus fortiter!	and roasting fiercely!
(Tenor)
Girat, regirat garcifer;	The servant is turning me on the spit;
me rogus urit fortiter;	I am burning fiercely on the pyre:
propinat me nunc dapifer,	the steward now serves me up.
(Male Chorus)
Miser, miser!	Misery me!
modo niger	Now black
et ustus fortiter!	and roasting fiercely!
(Tenor)
Nunc in scutella iaceo,	Now I lie on a plate,
et volitare nequeo	and cannot fly anymore,
dentes frendentes video:	I see bared teeth:
(Male Chorus)
Miser, miser!	Misery me!
modo niger	Now black
et ustus fortiter!	and roasting fiercely!

The bassoon solo begins on high D and ends on a loud low C. As bassoonists know, it is easier to slur than to articulate in the extreme high range, and this solo requires articulation of high D, high C# and high C. That, along with the low C, is challenging. This is the only solo in the orchestral literature for which I would consider using a high bocal. (For every other solo, I just use my everyday Heckel CC1 bocal.) The reason I'd consider using a special bocal for Carmina Burana is because high note bocals assist with articulation in the high range. The problem is, high bocals do not assist with the low C!!

As usual, I began preparing the solo several weeks in advance. I always approach as a beginner would, as if I had never played the piece before. That's the only way to ensure the best possible performance, since many factors undoubtedly will have changed since the last performance. The other musicians, the hall, the conductor, the interpretation, the soloists - so many things will be or could be different. In my case, even the bassoon is different since I am now playing on a new 15,000 series Heckel.

The first factor I tested was the bocal. In the past I used my high bocal, but I did not want to assume that it would be the best option this time. The decision was not obvious, since my regular Heckel CC1 played the solo fairly reliably. The one thing that bothered me was that the articulation was not as clear in the extreme high range, so I ended up choosing my Allgood brand high bocal.

The next factor to consider was fingerings. I often consult with my Cooper/Toplansky The Essentials of Bassoon Technique when preparing orchestral parts. I think it's beneficial to keep an open mind about fingerings. High note fingerings especially have to be flexible, in my opinion. I had to decide which left thumb keys to use for high C and C# in the solo for the best possible sound and pitch. There were also several high D fingerings to test. I go through such fingering analysis every time I prepare a solo. That's one reason why I start early - it takes time to incorporate the chosen fingerings.

The reed is also critical. The bocal and fingerings are useless without the right reed. For this particular piece, precious few reeds can do the job. I went through a significant number of reeds in the search for the ideal Carmina Burana reed. How many? Well, I thought a photo of the rejected reeds might be effective:

No, I am not exaggerating. This is the number of reeds I "auditioned" for the swan solo of Carmina Burana. There were 7 finalists and thankfully, one winner. The finalists were the ones which had the best sound and intonation in the extreme high range AND which could also belt out a low C. My search for this reed began 3 weeks before the first rehearsal, after I had already been practicing the solo for a while on practice reeds. I wanted to groom several reeds for the swan roast. The reed which originally came out on top ended up being demoted and replaced by another winner, but all 7 of the original finalists remained the 7 best reeds throughout the 3 week period. Since they had been stable for 3 weeks, I didn't have to worry about them suddenly becoming capricious.

Some of those reeds were brand new and some had been made previously (over the past year or so) and had been set aside as potential high note reeds. As I've stated before on this blog, I am not one of those reed makers who claims to be able to construct reeds for specific purposes (low, high, easy to control, etc.). I have always found that it's better to assess each reed for its inherent characteristics, and possibly seek to enhance those characteristics through reed-finishing techniques. Why? Well, the bottom line is that a reed is a vegetable, and its true character is determined by nature, not by my reed knife.

The only problem with my approach is that it requires A LOT of reeds so that there is always a large supply of reeds with various characteristics to choose from. Since brand new reeds play better and sound better than old ones anyway, obsessive reed-making does pay off.

During the performance, I switched to my high bocal and high reed two movements before the solo in order to be sure that the reed was totally functional. In that regard, the rehearsals were more difficult because the order of movements was unknown and there was no chance to play on the high reed and bocal prior to the solo. That's OK - I didn't mind dealing with a handicap during rehearsals. It made the performance seem easy. Sort of.

my Carmina Burana high reed

From the perspective of the audience

2011-10-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

This past week the Columbus Symphony woodwind and brass players had a few days off while our Music Director Jean-Marie Zeitouni gave the strings, percussion and keyboards quite a workout in the following program:

Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta

Barber: Adagio for Strings
Bernstein: Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium)

Of course it seemed strange to attend a concert presented by my orchestra in which I was not performing, but I relished the opportunity to experience one of our concerts from the perspective of the audience.

This was no ordinary concert - it was the premier of the Columbus Symphony's new series in the Southern Theatre. For the first time ever, the CSO is presenting four of its twelve Masterworks programs in the Southern Theatre in an effort to create a more personal and informal experience for concertgoers. The attire of the performers for the Southern Theatre concerts is more casual, and beverages are allowed in the hall. The series also features more interaction from the stage.

There was an undeniable buzz in the air as the sizable audience prepared to experience the new CSO format. The Southern Theatre is quite a bit smaller than our usual venue, the Ohio Theatre. The smaller size provides a better connection between audience and musicians. I tested several seats, from the top of the third balcony to the front of the floor, and each location provided great views (and as I would later find out, fabulous acoustics). A hush fell over the audience as the performers walked out onstage en masse, European style.

Before the concert began, Jean-Marie Zeitouni spoke about the Bartok, explaining in understandable terms how the piece is based upon the math concepts of the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci sequence. There was a slide show accompanying his speech as shown on the photo below:

I was completely blown away by the performance of the Columbus Symphony strings, percussion and keyboard players. The superior acoustics of the Southern Theatre contributed to the success of the concert for sure, but the excellence of the concert is mainly attributable to Jean-Marie Zeitouni and the orchestra. I have heard the strings play in the past when they performed works with no bassoons, but this performance was by far the most impressive.

Violin virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine joined the orchestra for the Bernstein Serenade. Before beginning the piece, Jean-Marie Zeitouni explained that it was based upon Plato's Symposium on the true nature of love. After delivering a splendidly lyrical and colorful rendition of the Bernstein, Ms. Pine further delighted the audience with a blues encore written by Corky Siegel. Embracing the CSO's new format, Ms. Pine regaled the audience with a fascinating story about one of Corky Seigel's most ardent fans, conductor Seiji Ozawa.

And that wasn't the end of it! The audience was encouraged to step into the adjacent Thurber Bar after the concert to mingle with the musicians, including Jean-Marie Zeitouni and Rachel Barton Pine. The bar was packed - the buzz turned into a ROAR. Even though I hadn't been performing that night, I had the pleasure of meeting some enthusiastic audience members, several of whom showed off their freshly-honed comprehension of Fibonacci and Golden Ratio concepts.....

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Could this be the symphony orchestra model of the future?

2011-10-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

Paul Judy

Tony's Blog , published by Tony Woodcock, president of the New England Conservatory, features an intriguing post by Paul Judy, founder of Polyphonic.org.and former president of the Chicago Symphony. In this post Mr. Judy lays out a truly innovative and informed plan for a functional orchestra model.

One of the first points established by Mr. Judy is that over the past 15 years, there has been little change or innovation in the way orchestral organizations operate. I certainly agree. The Columbus Symphony has tweaked itself more than most orchestras have, and it's thanks to those changes that the orchestra is still in business. The Columbus Symphony is now managed by CAPA and the number of weeks in the season has been reduced. Yet the basic model remains in place, and the following quote from Mr. Judy describes my primary concern:

"While the need for greater community engagement and social value has mounted, it is discouraging to see how little has changed. Orchestra organizations have done little to redefine the community services they should be providing and, thus, there has been little modification of the job descriptions of all employees, but especially those of musicians."

As I've stated in previous posts, I consider the orchestra's relevance to the community to be of tremendous importance.

Mr. Judy goes on to explain one of the major problems with the existing model:

"The ensemble of musicians— which is the very reason for the organization’s existence — is separated from and pitted economically and psychologically against governance — the management and board — and through them, against the organization’s audiences and contributors –and the local community at large"

In Columbus we have done our utmost to overcome that phenomenon. The musicians and the union have gone to great lengths to work with (rather than against) our governance over the past two years, although admittedly, that is new behavior for us. I believe that our effort to cooperate is a huge part of the reason why the Columbus Symphony is still in business despite extreme financial distress.

What exactly does Mr. Judy propose as a solution to the problems evident within the current symphony model? (Warning: this is radical!) Here's step one:

"Firstly, the notion of a “symphony orchestra organization” needs to be tossed out and replaced by the concept of a “musical arts and services organization.” Such an entity would have a larger musician membership than a symphony orchestra, and its musicians would perform a wide range of classical and high-standard popular music. Among the activities would be symphony concerts performed in a central venue or venues. But more broadly and extensively, the organization would present a wide range of music in many smaller venues and settings throughout the community. It would serve broad and diverse audiences, and such performances would be coupled and integrated with music education."

I can imagine that the "musical arts and services organization" concept might not appeal to musicians who already have "secure" full time orchestral jobs. But let's face it, the number of people in that category is diminishing, as orchestras fold and cut back! I wonder how many musicians in the U.S. actually feel confident that their jobs are secure.

Aspiring orchestral players in college are being educated in entrepreneurship and the importance of thinking outside the box in order to create a career in music. My guess is that those younger musicians would have no problem accepting the idea of the musical arts and services organization, with its extreme flexibility..

Perhaps this aspect of Mr. Judy's plan will appeal to all orchestral musicians, including those who are traditionally-oriented:

"Secondly, in another major departure from past practice, these new organizations must be musician-governed and musician-driven. By this, I mean the legal beneficial control of the organization through its organizing documents needs to rest with the musician membership. What’s more, the central board/executive committee functions, and particularly the artistic decision making (personnel and programming), need particularly to be led by musicians."

It's been my experience that musicians often think that they are better-equipped to run an orchestra than those who are doing it, so here's our chance, if we choose to embrace Paul Judy's truly innovative model in which the musicians control the governance. In summary:

"We need to develop a new model for larger scale, musician-governed, diverse, and flexible musical arts and services societies. These entities would galvanize and liberate the creative potential of musician members, management and staff, and community participants. They would better serve audiences, donors, and the community at large. And they would provide economic sustenance for the musicians, who would have the primary and controlling stake in the success of the organization."

What do you think? Can you imagine this model succeeding?
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Pep rally for the arts

2011-09-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

Despite the economy, the arts remain strong in Columbus, as demonstrated by this week's well-attended pep rally for the arts held at Mershon Auditorium on The Ohio State University campus.

The event was called "A WAY FORWARD: Arts and Economic Development" featuring Rocco Landesman (Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts), The Honorable Michael B. Coleman (Mayor of Columbus), Leslie H. Wexner (Chairman and CEO, Limited Brands) and Douglas F. Kridler (President and CEO, the Columbus Foundation).

The four panelists and their moderator, Executive Director of the Ohio Arts Council Julie Henahan, made it clear to the audience that the arts do indeed stimulate economic development in ways both measurable and immeasurable. What makes people love where they live? The arts are a major factor, for sure, but it often seems difficult to gauge their actual value. Well, here are some amazing statistics: 11,000 jobs in Columbus are “directly tied to the arts,” generating $330 million annually in economic activity and producing $36 million in tax revenue for Columbus and the state.

During the rally several local organizations were mentioned with great pride, including OSU and its Wexner Center for the Arts, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Columbus College of Art and Design and COSI. The Short North Arts District, an area just north of downtown which was radically transformed into a thriving neighborhood and tourist destination by its many art galleries, shops and unique examples of street art, was cited numerous times as the envy of other U.S. cities.

It's exciting to live in a city like Columbus which has such a thriving arts scene. I do wish, however, that the Columbus Symphony could be a little better integrated into the community. Ideally, the Columbus Symphony would be present at major community events such as the Columbus Arts Festival, First Night Columbus and Red White and Boom. I'd love to see the orchestra presenting free concerts in various locations throughout the community, even on college campuses like OSU. Wouldn't it be fantastic if the Columbus Symphony performed at a Short North Gallery Hop one of these months?

One important step has already been taken, as the symphony prepares to move its popular summer series, Picnic with the Pops, to the new downtown park, Columbus Commons. The symphony's role in the development of a vibrant downtown aptly demonstrates the tremendous importance of the arts.

As stated by Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, "Columbus provides a model for other communities seeking to marshal the arts for economic development." May the arts in Columbus and in other communities throughout the country continue to thrive.

Conversation with Columbus Symphony President

2011-09-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Tony Woodcock, President of the New England Conservatory, recently posted an interview with Columbus Symphony President Roland Valliere on his blog. As a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Committee I have had the pleasure of working closely with Roland and I'm glad to see him being recognized in this manner. Considering the dire financial condition of the Columbus Symphony over the past few years, it's amazing that we still have an orchestra, and Roland deserves a lot of credit for that. Here is Tony Woodcock's conversation with Roland Valliere:

A conversation with Roland Valliere of the Columbus Symphony

Posted on September 1, 2011 by necmusic

Outsourcing Orchestra Administration: The Columbus Symphony Turns Crisis into Opportunity

Roland Valliere

When Roland Valliere took over the Columbus Symphony in August 2009, the orchestra was on the brink of collapse. There had been a bitter work stoppage the previous year. The budget was unsustainable even after shortening the season and reducing the administrative staff. There was no capitalization. The endowment had been spent to cover operating deficits. There was no line of credit, no cash reserves, no unrestricted endowment. And both the Music Director and Executive Director had left. Roland, who is all about reinvention and had masterminded a promising new high tech device that he believed would revolutionize the concert experience, felt there was an opportunity to turn things around by creating a new business model. I talked to him—he is now the President and Chief Creative Officer– about the solutions he has put in place and how the orchestra is faring almost two years later.

Tony: Just before you went to Columbus, you had switched gears, left your previous job as Executive Director of the Kansas City Symphony to become an entrepreneur. The project you were working on is a fascinating example of your creativity. Tell me about that.

Roland: I had created a prototype of what I called the Concert Companion—CoCo for short.

It’s a handheld device that offers explanatory text, program notes and video images in real time with the music. It’s analogous to the audio guides you can rent in a museum. The audio guides offer an aural enhancement of a visual experience. CoCo offered a textual enhancement of an aural experience. With funding from the Mellon, Knight, and Hewlett and Packard Foundations, we were able to do three rounds of testing over about five years. Then, we began a startup with the Juilliard School to produce some educational products under the Juilliard name called “Juilliard Discoveries.” That was my path in the Fall of 2008 when the economy tanked. We were about to launch the second round of funding for the Juilliard startup and, unfortunately, our lead funder was invested with Bernie Madoff! The project went sideways because of that. It was just at this moment that the Columbus Symphony called.

Columbus Symphony

Tony: The situation there was pretty dire, wasn’t it?

Roland: Well, the orchestra had a checkered history financially but a stellar artistic reputation. In 2007-08, there had been a lot of public hand-to-hand combat with a messy work stoppage. Before the work stoppage, the orchestra had been on a trajectory of moving toward a 52-week contract and a budget of $12.5 million. But that budget couldn’t be funded. When I came in, the budget had been reduced to $9 million, which was viewed as sustainable. To get to that figure, they had reduced the season from 46 weeks to 38 weeks and the staff from 28 fulltime and 10 part-time to 18 fulltime and 4 part-time. At that time, there were 53 fulltime contracted musicians.

Tony: But, in fact, even those austerity measures weren’t enough, were they?

Roland: No. But, as you know, the Chinese character for “crisis” is made up of two characters that mean danger and opportunity. I felt there was opportunity in the situation so long as the organization was not hemorrhaging so badly that it couldn’t be revived. I felt it could be revived and saw a chance to do something new.

Tony: Before you committed, you did something that was essential to your strategy.

Roland: Yes, this was a critical thing. I met with the head of the union and the orchestra committee and talked about some of the ideas I had. I told them I would need to work with them in close collaboration as partners—even though that had not always been the case there. And I wanted some assurance from them that this was their goal as well. If the communications were transparent, open and honest—and I assured them they would be from my perspective, then we would have a chance to move in a new direction. They were very supportive of that. The position would not have been attractive to me otherwise.

Tony: So, even the $9 million budget couldn’t be balanced?

Roland: That’s correct. This was true for a variety of reasons. We needed time to ramp up, we had lost momentum with subscription renewals, we had lost credibility with the public, and this had impacted the Annual Fund. When I put together a budget and added up the annualized revenue from ticket sales, fees and contributions, I realized that the budget, really to be sustainable, was only $7.5 million—about $1.5 million from where we were. So I put together a White Paper, The 21st Century Columbus Symphony, with the view forward, a new vision, and a different future, plus the corresponding need to fund that vision to the tune of $1.5 million which we called a Transition Fund. We had success in raising that. But at the same time the Annual Fund, mainly due to the economy, was proving even more challenging then we thought. It went off the rails in January 2010. We didn’t meet our December goals and since we didn’t have a safety net, we found ourselves in a potentially devastating situation. This was no surprise to the board and musicians because I had projected that we would run out of funds in March if we didn’t raise the funding in advance of that. When fundraising ran short in December, it became evident we would have a severe problem and not be able to make payroll in February.

Tony: At which point, you turned to the board and musicians with four options?

Roland: Yes. The options went from bad to worse, including reducing the number of full time players (from 53 to 21), moving to a freelance orchestra (with no benefits or guaranteed services) or folding the tent completely. Ultimately we agreed to further reduce the season (from 36 to 25 weeks) and consolidate the administration with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA). This was very difficult, especially for the musicians, and remarkably was achieved in a spirit of collaboration.

Tony: So talk about the administrative reorganization.

Roland: By reducing the season, we were able to realize $1 million in savings but we needed to get to $1.5 million. So, the next step was to talk to the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA)and its President and CEO William B. Conner Jr.

William B. Connor

We discussed an administrative consolidation or merger, a process that took a month to figure out.

Tony: Explain what CAPA is, would you?

Roland: CAPA began in 1969 by saving from the wrecking ball the historic Ohio Theatre in Columbus, renovating that venue, and then operating it along with several other theatres it acquired/or managed in Columbus, New Haven, CT and other places. It provides shared services to a number of arts organizations including ticketing, marketing, public relations, finance, human resources, IT, and development/fundraising. What it offers each group is custom tailored to the group’s individual needs.

Tony: Describe the Columbus Symphony’s organizational arrangement with CAPA.

Roland: It functions much like a holding company. The Columbus Symphony’s board continues as before, with its own committees, fundraising work, Executive Committee, but the CAPA board has ultimate fiduciary responsibility. There is a kind of cross-fertilization on the two boards, with two of our board members, including our chairman Martin Inglis, sitting on the CAPA board. Bill Conner wears two hats as President and CEO of CAPA and as Managing Director and CEO of the Columbus Symphony. He has management responsibility on a daily basis for the symphony.

Tony: Your position evolved into something that’s probably unique in symphony management, isn’t it?

Roland: Yes. A ship can have only one captain and we agreed that that should be Bill. The board and musician leadership asked me to stick around to see the transition through and help set a future course. The CAPA arrangement went into effect in April 2010 and at that point I acquired a new title, that of President and Chief Creative Officer. I don’t think there’s another position like it in the industry.

My portfolio originally consisted of four key areas:
1. to abet the integration with CAPA
2. to facilitate the conclusion of our search for a new music director—which we did and hired Jean-Marie Zeitouni, who is a terrific catch.

Jean-Marie Zeitouni

3. to lead the collective bargaining talks with the musicians’ union and negotiate a new contract before the expiration of the current agreement in August 2011. We did this last March and produced a new four year agreement. I thought it would be a six month process, but we concluded it in a week—a reflection of our resolve to work together, even in tough times, for the greater good of the organization.
4. to create the “21st Century Columbus Symphony,” that is, to figure out the business model for going forward and guide this with CAPA and the Board. This is what I’m most focused on today.

Tony: How does your position dovetail with Bill Conner’s?

Roland: We’re joined at the hip, with Bill focused largely on the day-to-day running of the organization and me focused on strategy and innovation. Both Bill and I, along the our Music Director Jean-Marie Zeitouni, report directly to the board through the chairman of the board.

Tony: You are now about 1 1/2 years into the arrangement with CAPA. How is it working out?

Roland: In the first full year of implementation, operating on a $7 million budget, we were able to eke out a small surplus. I had expected we would realize a savings of about $500,000 from the integration with CAPA, but in fact we were able to do better than that. There was an upside in revenue, which we hadn’t anticipated. Both the City and the County stepped up to a major degree in way they never had before, each making multi-year $250,000 commitments. A number of corporations stood up too.

We have a five-year agreement with CAPA and our goals are threefold:

1. stabilize the finances by balancing the budget, which we did last year and are on track to do this year

2. establish a cash reserve so we could have an operating fund. Part of deal with CAPA was that they provide us with a line of credit. That was a blood infusion that we desperately needed.

3. build up the endowment to $20 million or more to generate revenue for the operating budget.

Tony: So, let’s talk about your vision for the 21st Century Columbus Symphony.

Roland: Well, there are several themes. Education is key. We’re coming to see that music and the arts can be windows for developing creative and innovative thinking, the ability to problem solve. How can the Columbus Symphony make a contribution to that? How can we make ourselves more accessible—perhaps in part by making our content available in a time- and space-shifted manner. We need to stop focusing on the traditional model and figure out how we can serve our community in our unique way. We need to find a way for the orchestra to do R&D, something that takes money and the freedom to fail.

Over the next one to three years, we’re looking at several things:

1. Maintaining a budget that matches supply with demand

2. Diversifying our concert locations so that next year instead of doing all 12 subscription concerts in the Ohio Theatre, which is too large, we will do eight there and four at the smaller Southern Theatre, fitting our repertoire to the theatre.

3. Experimenting with new concert formats such as one-hour Rush Hour concerts and one-hour Noon Concerts.

4. Utilizing the Internet and social media as marketing and education tools and offering more streaming or video opportunities. We’ve discussed creating total access subscriptions, whereby premium subscribers would have access to the concerts both physically and virtually in a time- and space-shifted fashion.

At the end of the day, the Columbus Symphony exists to serve our community through the wonder of great music. It’s about connecting the music to people.

In a world of lightning fast change, we need to embrace the opportunity that such change provides and muster the courage and resources required to take smart and calculated risks.

More survival techniques for orchestras

2011-08-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

News of worldwide economic distress continues to pepper the media, with fears about the U.S. possibly heading into another recession making it ever more imperative that orchestra boards and managements carefully consider whether or not they are doing everything possible to place their orchestra in a position of relevance in the community.

I have already written posts on this topic, such as "Some orchestras' secrets of success , "April is the cruelest month" , "Connecting with the audience" , "Connecting, part II" and "Orchestral relevance". I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but the problems plaguing U.S.orchestras have not gone away. There is hope; I keep hearing of solutions which some orchestras have implemented.

The very latest news from U.S. orchestras, though, has been grim. A stream of musician departures from the troubled Philadelphia Orchestra potentially threatens the orchestra's famous sound. The San Antonio Symphony is looking at a "significant" financial loss for the 2010-11 season - a loss which comes despite a 6% musician pay cut in 2011 and a 14% pay cut in 2009. Donations (especially corporate gifts) in San Antonio are down, while costs are higher. Unfortunately, many orchestras are all too familiar with that trend.

As I've said previously, the orchestras which survive the next few years will be the ones which figure out how to become not just relevant, but indispensable to the communities they serve. The same old approach to predictable programs in familiar venues and time slots is simply not working anymore, as the older patrons who do cling to tradition are gradually becoming less mobile. Younger potential audience members are being wooed by countless providers of culture and entertainment, both virtual and live.

Donations (a major source of orchestra revenue) are harder to come by in times of economic distress, as corporate and individual giving tends to be focused on social charities such as homeless shelters, food banks and hospitals rather than on perpetually struggling orchestras. (Orchestra managements sometimes refer to this phenomenon as "donor fatigue".) Orchestras' endowments are shriveling, and orchestras lacking collateral are at risk of collapse. With resources so limited, orchestra managements must choose their outreach and innovative projects very carefully - yet outreach and innovation are essential.

The orchestras experiencing positive changes are the ones which have changed venues, formats, lengths and starting times of concerts. They have made tickets easy to obtain and available singly (as opposed to subscription only). They have lowered ticket prices. They have introduced food and beverages to the concert experience. They have figured out what appeals to today's audience.

Furthermore, they have built connections between the musicians (including the music director) and the audience by having the conductor and musicians speak from the stage, by creating video and audio content to share online, and by hosting post-concert receptions or mixers.

Equally important is the connection between the orchestra and the community at large. As far as I know, the only way to establish this critical connection is to constantly present the orchestra at important community events such as city-wide festivals (particularly arts festivals), New Years' Eve celebrations, downtown July 4th fireworks, sporting events, etc. Any event, festival or sports team which is important to the city is the perfect (and necessary!) venue for the orchestra.

There are many examples of orchestras which are implementing these changes. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians have the option of participating in community outreach (through teaching, coaching and chamber music) throughout the year for additional compensation. The DSO recently presented a number of free, standing-room only community engagement concerts, along with open-air residencies at Greenfield Village and at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe. The DSO is taking the orchestra to the people, in churches, synagogues, community halls and suburbs.

One of the most striking examples of integrating the orchestra into the community is found on the website of the Seattle Mariners:

Seattle Symphony Night
Blue Jays vs. Mariners
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - 7:10 p.m.

Round up your friends and family members and join the Seattle Symphony at Safeco Field on Tuesday, August 16! Special group seating has been reserved and is available for you to purchase online. A portion of the tickets sold through this offer will benefit the Seattle Symphony.

Be sure to arrive early- new Music Director Ludovic Morlot will be throwing out the evening's first pitch and a group of Seattle Symphony musicians will be performing the National Anthem!

DEADLINE TO PURCHASE: Monday, August 15 at NOON
Game Date: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - 7:10 p.m.
Pricing:
- $15 View Reserved (normally $20)
- $32 Field Level (normally $40)
- $37 Terrace Club Outfield (normally $47)
- $7 from each ticket sold will benefit the Seattle Symphony!

Bravo to the Seattle Symphony for figuring out how to connect to the community by collaborating this way with the city's beloved baseball team!

Another orchestra which seems to have figured out multiple ways to connect to the community is the Buffalo Philharmonic. Free concerts, from birthday bashes to outdoor rock concerts (with orchestra) have been presented recently. Like the Detroit Symphony, the BPO does not sit still - it performs in various neighborhoods and venues, bringing the music to the people, often free of charge. The upcoming Season Sampler sounds enticing:

The free concert offers samples and highlights of the BPO 2011-2012 season at Kleinhans Music Hall, featuring a pre-concert happy hour with drinks and appetizers from the BPO's restaurant partners.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra reports that 35% of its audience is younger than 35. How did that happen? The formula is simple:

shorter concerts
cheaper tickets
more partying

The TSO has gone out of its way to adjust the orchestra's schedule to its audience's schedule and desires, rather than vice versa. Three innovative series: Afterworks, Casual and tsoundcheck have resulted from that effort, and this is how they are described on the TSO's website::

Skip rush hour and recharge at the end of your work day with light hors d’oevres and magnificent orchestral music! Host Tom Allen of the CBC will introduce the pieces that will linger in your mind as you arrive home for an early night.

Casual Concerts are performed without an intermission and are followed by a party for the whole audience in Roy Thomson Hall’s North Lobby. After the concert, mingle with TSO musicians and guest artists in a relaxed setting and enjoy live music by local bands.

tsoundcheck is an easy way to buy inexpensive concert tickets to the TSO. It lets young people take in some live classical music without spending a bundle.

You don't even have to be a student - if you're between the ages of 15 to 35, you're eligible for tsoundcheck.

And tsoundcheck tickets for TSO concerts are only $14!

For more information about tsoundcheck,
visit www.tsoundcheck.com.

The tsoundcheck series has been so successful that it has its own website. Ticket sales have quadrupled since the series was implemented 9 years ago, proving that the TSO's determination to build a young audience paid off. The TSO could have easily given up after the first year and cancelled their new series, since they couldn't have predicted that sales would quadruple in 9 years. It takes time, patience and determination to build an audience and to firmly integrate an orchestra into the community. But it could save the orchestra.

K. David Van Hoesen's lengthy tenure with Lake Placid Sinfonietta

2011-08-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

K. David Van Hoesen

Cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht reported on his blog that legendary bassoonist K.David Van Hoesen just retired from playing in the Lake Placid Sinfonietta. Mr. Van Hoesen (fondly called "KD" by his students) is professor emeritus of bassoon at the Eastman School of Music and former principal bassoon of the Rochester Philharmonic. His lifelong affiliation with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta began in 1947.

Mr. Van Hoesen's students populate the bassoon sections of orchestras nationwide, including but not limited to the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the National Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Honolulu Symphony, the Orlando Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, the Chautauqua Symphony. His students pass along his wisdom to their private students and to their bassoon students at Juilliard, Oberlin, the Cleveland Institute, the New England Conservatory, the San Fransisco Conservatory.

As a bit of a tribute to KD, I've pasted below a performance of KD's former student Stephen Paulson (principal bassoon of the San Fransisco Symphony) performing Mozart Adagio K. 261 transcribed for bassoon and piano by K. David Van Hoesen:

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Undoubtedly, Mr.Van Hoesen will find plenty of ways to keep busy during this new phase of his retirement. We wish him the very best.

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Verdi Bassoon Concerto (really??)

2011-08-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few years ago, an unpublished piece for bassoon and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi surfaced.near Verdi's hometown of Busseto (near Parma) Although historians had long believed that Verdi had written concertos for solo instruments early in his career, this was the first actual discovery of one of those pieces. Musicologist Fausto Pedretti found the Cappriccio for Bassoon and Orchestra, as it is called, in the archive of a small church in Busseto. It's easy to hear in Cappriccio for Bassoon and Orchestra the influence of Rossini, who also wrote a bassoon concerto. Isn't it interesting that such masters of Italian opera considered the bassoon to be an instrument worthy of solo concerto composition?

A cautionary tale (tail)

2011-08-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, each of your bassoon swabs looks like this, with a tail on the end in case, heaven forbid, the swab gets stuck. A few years ago I experienced the unspeakable horror of getting a swab stuck....REALLY stuck, inside the wing joint of my bassoon. It took Chris Weait's swab extractor, the physical strength of 2 adults, and long distance coaching by repairman Carl Sawicki via speaker phone to extract that swab. It was not done without superficial damage to the interior wall of my wing joint, unfortunately. The bassoon still played after that, but I strongly advise all bassoonists to avoid the trauma of emergency swab extraction at all costs. I learned my lesson. I will never again insert a tail-less swab into my bassoon, nor will I insert a swab which is not 100% free of knots.

It's fortunate that I learned my lesson, because yesterday I experienced another swab incident. This time it was a bocal swab, which I have found to be the safest and most effective tool for weekly bocal cleaning. The swab simply broke, as you can see in the photo below, as I was pulling it through the bocal!

Thank heavens it had a tail, and I just pulled the swab back out by pulling the tail. If there had been no tail on that swab (many swabs lack tails!) I suspect that my bocal would have been ruined.

This reminds me of quip from the late legendary bassoonist Norman Herzberg. Whenever a panicked student with a swab situation contacted him for advice, he replied that the best response to a stuck swab was "dinner and a movie" followed, of course, by renewed effort with a fresh perspective! (Back in those days, I don't think swabs had tails....)

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In case you missed Archie Carey's Evening of Bassoonery

2011-08-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

Many of us bassoonists were disappointed that the live stream of Archie Carey's "An Evening of Bassoonery" apparently malfunctioned last night! That's OK - it happens. Meanwhile, here's a sampling of Archie Carey's work:

The Organism from Archie C on Vimeo.

An Evening of Bassoonery live streaming here Saturday night!

2011-08-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night Los Angeles-based Machine Project is presenting An Evening of Bassoonery featuring Archie Carey in a performance of brand new music for bassoon. The audience will be treated to microtonal bassoon, electric bassoon, prepared bassoon and more. And guess what - you're invited! The performance will be live streaming via Yowie.com, and the live feed is embedded right here on bassoon blog, in the right-hand margin. Just visit this blog tomorrow (Saturday) at 8pm PDT (11pm EDT) and enjoy the concert! Thank you, Machine Project, for offering the live feed to bassoon blog.

What exactly is Machine Project, anyway? According to its website, Machine Project is:

1) a storefront space in the echo park neighborhood of Los Angeles that hosts events about all kinds of things we find interesting – scientific talks, poetry readings, musical performances, competitions, group naps, cheese tastings and so forth. We usually do about two events a week, open to the general public and free of charge. Usually at 8pm. Information on upcoming events can be found on our future page.

2) an informal educational institution located in the the same storefront space as mentioned above. We teach all kinds of things we find interesting – electronics, sewing, pickling, computer programming, car theft and so forth. We usually have one or two class going a week, open to the public for a fee by pre-registration. Information on upcoming classes can be found on our classes page.

3) a loose group of artist/performer collaborators, who do projects together when invited by other people and institutions, usually museums. We’re currently working on something with the Walker Museum in Minneapolis for July of 2011. Information on special projects can be found on our projects page.

Intriguing, no? Here are the specifics of tomorrow's concert:

An Evening of Bassoonery

Saturday, August 6th, 2011
8pm PST (Find out what time in your zone = 8pm PST using this link )
FREE

Performer/Composer Archie Carey presents an evening of brand new music for the bassoon. There will be works by LA composer/vocalist Odeya Nini, NY composer/bassoonist Katherine Young, and Archie Carey himself. Look forward to hearing microtonal bassoon, electric bassoon, prepared bassoon and more. Prepare yourself, or come unprepared for double reed debauchery!

Archie Carey is a musician based in the Los Angeles area who enjoys performing music from baroque to free jazz to folk to metal and everything in between. As a bassoonist/sound artist he has had the opportunity to play in many great places and spaces throughout the world including Symphony Space, Pieter PASD, Carnegie Hall, REDCAT, Zipper Hall and beyond. As a composer Archie aims to magnify sound, pitch, timbre, and environment to make the subtlest details a point of focus, achieved by using long durations, minimal pitch content, and contrasts between extremely high volumes and silence. In solo work and in collaboration with dance and film he has been experimenting with field recording, analog electronics, aspects of performance art and often times combinations of all three. (usually with a bassoon in at least one hand).

Bassoon blog supports innovation, and here you have it, in spades! Enjoy the stream!

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L'Histoire du Soldat

2011-07-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

In 1918 Igor Stravinsky, who was living in Switzerland at the time, collaborated with Swiss writer C.F. Gamuz to create L'Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier's Tale) which was meant "to be read, played and danced." The story is about a soldier (whose soul is represented by the violin) making a deal with the devil (the percussion). Stravinsky and Gamuz wanted to put together a "portable" production which would be easy to tour with, so the instrumentation was limited to a septet (violin, clarinet, trumpet, string bass, bassoon, trombone and percussion). They also planned to augment the production with a handful of characters who would narrate, act or dance.

Stravinsky had not yet heard jazz, but Gamuz had. In fact, Gamuz had brought back some jazz scores from a visit to the U.S., and Stravinsky used jazz influences for the first time, along with frequent meter changes, in L'Histoire. Apparently the bassoon is substituting for the more jazz-oriented saxophone in L'Histoire. (Rumor has it that Stravinsky did not care for the saxophone, luckily for those of us who play the bassoon!)

Along with several other Columbus Symphony musicians, I had the good fortune to participate in two presentations of L'Histoire recently. Columbus Symphony violinist Olev Viro organized and conducted the performances. One of the performances took place in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with an acting troupe from that area who used the Kurt Vonegut libretto. The other, using the standard libretto, was presented in Columbus using dancers from The Ohio State University and local narrators.

The following video, based upon our Columbus performance with OSU dancers, was produced by WOSU Public Media Art Zine:

For any bassoonist encountering L'Histoire for the first time, I have three words of advice: Music Minus One.

I owned this Music Minus One when I was in high school, and back then I spent quite a bit of time playing along with the recording just for fun. Music Minus One can also be really helpful in actually preparing for a performance. Stravinsky's bassoon parts are always challenging, and this practice aid is most welcome. L'Histoire's specific challenges include tricky meter changes, technical passages, and intonation with the clarinet in the Pastorale movement (which can be heard toward the end of the above video). Although L'Histoire is a septet, it has shown up on orchestral bassoon audition lists.

This is the bassoon part for Music for Scene 2, "Pastorale":

It's important to have the right reed for this. The reed has be reliable on high C# and on delicate attacks of each note. When I played this movement all of my focus was on the clarinet part - specifically, the intonation of the clarinet. It helps to be sure of one's own intonation in this movement before the first rehearsal, and then, during rehearsals and concerts, to be flexible in tuning to the clarient. Watch out for the extensive passages involving only two notes, high F# and high G#, in the bassoon part, such as from number 6 to the end. It's not simply a matter of changing from one note to the next at the right time; each note has to lock in, intonation-wise, to the clarinet line, and that requires ultra-careful listening and flexing.

The Marche Royale movement has a couple of tricky passages:

Placing each eighth note on the correct beat or half beat is the first goal. Secondly, the exposed passage beginning 3 measures before number 4 can be a finger-twister unless the tempo is unusually slow. (Stravinsky was thoughtful enough to write in the tempo markings, though...) As with any finger-twister, it must be practiced in a slow and relaxed fashion until the fingerings are automatic (and accurate!).

This is also from the Marche Royale movement:

A quick glance at the above excerpt show how important it is to have a rock-solid steadiness of eighth notes throughout. Otherwise, the chances of derailing are high. The bassoon solo at number 9 is an example of a passage where the bassoonist must be rhythmically reliable and unwavering. Four measures after 11, the bassoon is in unison with the trumpet. My policy regarding intonation in unison passages is that the louder (or loudest) instrument rules. Since pretty much every instrument is louder than the bassoon, I am usually forced to follow rather than lead in such passages. But learning to accurately match another player is a skill worth developing. All it requires is the willingness to listen, and then flex accordingly.

To me, the Ragtime is the most difficult movement for bassoon:

With Stravinsky's tempo of 192 to the eighth and constant meter changes, this movement can easily end up being a "ragged" ragtime! The measure at 27 is, in my opinion, the most technically difficult measure of the entire bassoon part:

It is not practical to attempt to use standard fingerings to execute the first three notes of the quintuplet in the 4th beat of the measure. This is the fingering which worked best for me for high A and B:

The Danse du Diable (Devil's Dance) movement moves along at a fast clip (138 to the quarter):

The 16ths can be single- or double-tongued, but I found that double-tonguing seemed to fit better. (The last thing the bassoonist should do here is become bogged down with a single tongue which can't quite keep up.) Marked ff, the 16th note passages must be played aggressively. But be ready to play sweet-sounding eighth notes in the high range at number 2 and beginning 3 before number 3. No question, Stravinsky knew how to put the bassoon to good use!

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How to circular breathe

2011-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Here's all you need to begin learning to circular breathe:

Puff out your cheeks, filling them with air. Then blow into the straw, making bubbles in the water:

When you need a breath, just expel that air from your cheeks into the straw while you simultaneously inhale through your nose. The goal is to sustain the bubbles continuously. If it works, then congratulations - you're circular breathing! (It might help to practice forcing that cheek air out into the straw a few times, creating bubbles in the water by just expelling cheek air, NOT by actually breathing, to get used to the technique.)

That's how I learned to circular breathe. I recall that it was fairly easy to progress to the point where I could sustain constant bubbling. Eventually, when you do this on the bassoon, the goal will be to sustain the flow of air into the bassoon while transitioning from circular to regular breathing. Just keep remembering those bubbles. It's easier to transition with the bubbles in the water than it will be with the air in the bassoon.

The level of difficulty in circular breathing varies from instrument to instrument. I am guessing that it is relatively easy on the clarinet judging by the preponderance of YouTube videos featuring clarinetists circular breathing. Here's an outstanding video of Michael Norsworthy explaining how to circular breathe:

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Any bassoonist trying circular breathing on the bassoon for the first time will undoubtedly wonder how the technique could possibly be useful. Intonation goes completely out the window! In fact, because of that, I was very discouraged about my own ability to circular breathe usefully. Now, thanks to the many clarinetists, oboists and didgeridoo players offering instructive videos, I have learned that it often takes years to learn to circular breathe well, so I'm practicing circular breathing again, with renewed enthusiasm. (Summer pops concerts are good for that!)

Is circular breathing necessary? Well, many bassoonists believe that circular breathing is necessary for playing Bach, for example, and circular breathing is actually called for in some contemporary pieces. Decades ago, techniques like flutter tonguing, double tonguing and circular breathing used to be rare parlor tricks. Now they're all necessary aspects of our technique!

My teacher, K. David Van Hoesen presented a recital a few years ago at the IDRS Conference at Ithaca College. I was struck by the incredible ease of his breathing, and how his breathing never once interfered with his graceful phrasing. I mentioned that to him after the recital. Much to my shock, he said that he had circular breathed throughout the performance due to an injury to his ribs from chopping wood. In other words, he played an entire recital by expelling air out with his cheeks while sniffing air through his nose! Any bassoonist who is unsure of the merits of circular breathing should have heard that performance. It was stunning!

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A great reason to learn to circular breathe

2011-07-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Berlin Philharmonic auditions

2011-06-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, the orchestra musician forum polyphonic.org featured a virtual discussion panel entitled "Auditioning the Audion Process." Many readers were fascinated to find out how musicians audition for the Berlin Philharmonic, as explained by Berlin Philharmonic hornist Fergus McWilliam:

"Since its founding in 1882 the Berlin Philharmonic has enjoyed three critical and inextricably related advantages, when it comes to auditioning new musicians. None of these is, or should be, unique in the orchestral world, however the combination is uniquely powerful and effective for us.

1. The vacancy belongs to the orchestra. In no way is it the property of the public domain. The orchestra is not obligated to fill a position once it has been advertised and we reserve the right not to select anyone at an audition. In my time we have more than once taken over eight years to find the right person.

2. We, the members, know pretty well what we are looking/listening for: we know our collective sound, our musical language, our collective artistic personality. The audition is not therefore primarily a contest between competitors for a gold medal. Much more importantly, we search for the "right" musician, not necessarily only the "best" player.

3. The orchestra decides who is chosen - all musician-members vote on the basis of one musician - one vote. Neither a select audition committee, nor principal players, nor the concerned section and certainly not the conductor controls the audition decision. Tenure is also granted by the orchestra membership alone, based on a secret vote.

Audition Repertoire:

We emphasise solo repertoire, not orchestral excerpts at the audition. If a Mozart concerto exists for the instrument being auditioned then that is mandatory. Otherwise another classical period concerto is expected. Invariably we ask at least for the 1st movement with a cadenza; in a second round a contrasting work of the candidate's choosing. Orchestra excerpts are never requested at violin, viola and cello auditions. For double bass, the winds and brass yes.

We look for strong personalities, powerful musical statements, individual interpretations, in addition to beauty of tone, stylistic knowledge, technical skill, etc. The concerto is the centre of the audition, not just a warm-up piece.

Audition procedure:

The section with the vacancy reviews all applications and democratically selects between 10 and 16 candidates who will be invited to an audition in front of the orchestra. If a high number of qualified candidates makes it necessary, a pre-audition may be held the day before. This is open to the whole orchestra but is not mandatory; usually only the concerned section is out in force.

No screens are used. We want to learn as much as we possibly can about the candidate in the short time they are on stage. One can "see" a lot by observing body language and stage presence.

We have frequently used a kind of "shoot-out" procedure at winds and brass auditions. Typically two to four "finalists" are on stage together and we have them perform excerpts in each other's presence. Although this is a brutally effective way of testing the candidates' nerves, more importantly it is also an extremely effective way for us to compare and contrast, with profound immediacy, the sounds and approaches of similarly qualified candidates.

The music director is free to attend if he wishes, and is granted a single vote like every one else.

Probation:

Can last one to two years, after which the concerned section makes a recommendation to the whole orchestra. The final decision is however made in a secret ballot of the orchestra membership. This is the most testing time for a new player and in the recent past fully one third of the probationary musicians were not accepted into the orchestra. This the time when, if necessary, we must fix any hiring mistakes WE may have made!"

Several aspects of the Berlin audition procedure caught my attention. First of all, the typical audition in Berlin, instead of resembling a cattle call, features 10-16 audition candidates who are evaluated by the entire orchestra! (This is the complete opposite of the typical U.S.audition which features many, many candidates who are judged by a tiny committee.) The Berlin Philharmonic emphasizes solo repertoire, not orchestral excerpts in its auditions. (It's about how the musician plays rather than how much time the musician has spent obsessing over a few isolated orchestral passages taken out of context!) But to me, most intriguing of all is the Berlin Philharmonic "shoot out":

"We have frequently used a kind of "shoot-out" procedure at winds and brass auditions. Typically two to four "finalists" are on stage together and we have them perform excerpts in each other's presence. Although this is a brutally effective way of testing the candidates' nerves, more importantly it is also an extremely effective way for us to compare and contrast, with profound immediacy, the sounds and approaches of similarly qualified candidates."

Yes, at first glance, this may seem brutal. But it's not that different from performing orchestral solos within the orchestra, surrounded by one's colleagues, including those who play the same instrument.....and it's a situation commonly faced by college students whose professors insist on regular performance in front of peers. Summer music camps like Interlochen feature weekly challenges in front of peers.

I think the "shoot-out" makes great sense. When I was a student at the School of Orchestral Studies during high school, the Philadelphia Orchestra's then principal bassoonist Bernard Garfield arranged for the 5 bassoon students to audition "shoot-out" style to determine which one of us would play 1st bassoon on Mahler Symphony No.1. Mr.Garfield was unable to attend the shoot-out, but there was a panel of judges in place as we each played the 3rd movement solo in front of one another. (Guess who won?)

The audition committee surely benefits from the shoot-out, since it makes back-to-back comparisons possible. It's in everyone's best interests for the audition committee to have maximum information to increase the likelihood that a sound and lasting decision can be made.

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Orchestral auditions

2011-06-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

In order to obtain a position in a professional orchestra, a musician must win an audition. For the benefit of any reader who doesn't know what goes on during an orchestral audition, here's a summary of a typical audition from start to finish:

First, the orchestra publishes an advertisement for its open position in the musicians' union monthly, The International Musician, which is mailed to each member of the American Federation of Musicians throughout the U.S. and Canada. Orchestral job openings are also posted online on websites such as myauditions.com.

The frequency of job openings varies from instrument to instrument. Since every orchestra hires more full time violinists than any other instrument, obviously violin openings are the most common. It's not hard to imagine that each month, there are at least a couple of violin openings advertised. For non-string instruments, openings are less frequent. Harp and tuba openings are rare, and I'm sure that some years there are no openings at all for those instruments. Orchestras hire 2, 3 or 4 full time bassoonists. Some months, there are no bassoon openings. Also, many wind players are interested in specific positions. For example, if a bassoon player really wants to play principal, he or she may have to wait for months before there's a principal opening anywhere.

As soon as the job is advertised, applicants immediately mail or email resumes to the orchestra's personnel manager. Most orchestras also require a deposit check of $50 or $100 to be returned when the candidate shows up at the audition, which is usually held 2 or 3 months after the advertisement is published.

After submitting a resume to the personnel manager of the orchestra, each applicant is presented with a list of pieces to prepare for the audition. Audition lists often feature a couple of different solo pieces or concertos plus a list of 15 or so orchestral works (sometimes more, sometimes fewer). At the end of the list there is usually a statement that sight-reading may be required (which means that the candidate may be asked to play unexpected works sight-unseen).

Musicians preparing for an audition have to practice a lot, since the goal is to perfect the entire list. Any musician who already has a job or other responsibilities is especially challenged by the task at hand.

Audition candidates travel at their own expense to the site of the audition (usually the hall where the orchestra performs). Upon arrival at the audition site each applicant is given a number (as a result of drawing numbers out of a hat or a similar method). Based upon that number, each candidate is offered an approximate time for his or her preliminary audition. That time might be several hours later, and the candidates often wait in a large public room (where they may warm up if they choose, but not without the secret scrutiny of their competitors!) until anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes before their audition, when each candidate is assigned a private warm-up room.

The preliminaries are nearly always held behind a screen, and each candidate plays for less than 10 minutes. Usually 4 to 6 short excerpts are heard in the preliminaries. The orchestra's personnel manager may or may not tell the candidates when they check in what those excerpts will be, depending upon that orchestra's policy as outlined in its Collective Bargaining Agreement..

For the preliminary audition, each candidate in turn walks down a walkway, usually carpeted to mask sounds, to the chair and stand set up for the audition. A large screen looms ominously in front of the musician, and a mysterious voice from behind the screen instructs the candidate to begin.

Undoubtedly, many candidates engage in a mental exploration of the unseen committee: How bored are they? Do they want me to hurry up and get through the excerpts, or does that expose my lack of experience? Should I play a few notes to test the acoustics, or will that put off the committee?

Some musicians find performing in an orchestral audition to be unnatural, and unrelated to the actual task of playing in an orchestra. In the orchestra, the music prevails, and any solo which a musician plays from within the orchestra is simply a part of a much larger context. It is easy for an orchestra member to be caught up in the music, and self-consciousness falls by the wayside as each musician accepts his/her role as a member of a music-producing team. Not so during an audition!

Another common complaint about auditions has to do with audition repertoire. On the job, musicians know exactly which pieces will be performed each week (and even during each rehearsal!), and the number of pieces to be performed is reasonable. There are no surprises. Yet during an audition, the element of surprise is constant, since the candidates don't know until the last minute exactly which excerpts from which works will be asked. Sight-reading is on nearly every audition list, and it means that any piece of music ever written can be placed in front of the candidate. The prepared audition list is long - much longer than the list of pieces that an orchestra member would be expected to perform in one day!

Additionally, during an audition it is difficult to assess a candidate's sense of ensemble and ability to follow the conductor. For principal positions, leadership skills are untested during the audition process.

After playing a preliminary round, the candidates wait in a designated waiting room for results. Results are typically announced each hour or so, but the wait seems interminable. Candidates chat among themselves; many know each other from previous auditions. (Regulars are said to be "on the audition circuit".) Finally the personnel manager or assistant appears, and most candidates are sent on their way; the lucky ones are asked to stay for semi-finals.

The semi-finals are usually held behind a screen as well, and the list of excerpts is usually longer than the preliminary list. After that round, some candidates are thanked and sent on their way, while the luckiest stay for the finals (assuming that musicians who succeed at auditions are talented, prepared, and lucky!)

Finals are almost always held with no screen, thus enabling interaction between the audition committee (which always includes the Music Director for the finals) and the candidate. A finalist may be asked questions about his/her equipment or background, or he/she may be asked to play things differently (faster, slower, more pianissimo, with more freedom, etc.) Candidates often play for considerable lengths of time in the finals, which is why endurance is such an important factor in audition preparation. There may even be yet another round.

Some orchestras, including the Columbus Symphony, carry the audition process a step further by occasionally asking a finalist to perform within the orchestra. That makes a lot of sense to me, since actually performing in the orchestra is so vastly different from playing an audition.

Sometimes there is a winner at the conclusion of an audition; sometimes not. The audition process is far from perfect, for sure.

Is there a better way to test musicians for employment in an orchestra? I recall hearing a story about a legendary bassoonist winning an audition for the NBC Symphony during the mid 1900s by playing a Bb minor scale - nothing more, nothing less - for conductor Arturo Toscanini. Is that a preferable method of sorting out orchestral candidates? (That bassoonist really did deserve the job, by the way!)

Arturo Toscanini

My next post will explore the Berlin Philharmonic's audition procedure, which is very, very different from what I've described here.

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Some orchestras' secrets of success

2011-06-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

It's rare these days to read good news about symphony orchestras, so today's report of record-breaking support for the Houston Symphony was indeed welcome.

The Houston Symphony adopted an ambitious five-year plan covering fiscal years 2011 through 2015 to strengthen its financial position. At its core, the plan focuses on the need to expand the Symphony’s audience and donor bases through strategies such as:

introducing satellite concert series throughout Greater Houston
investing in new concert formats and multi-media projects
building stronger ties between patrons and the organization.

The successful FY11 outcome in Houston was largely the result of two factors:

the extraordinary generosity of the Symphony’s Board of Trustees who collectively doubled their annual contributions
more than 1,200 donors who made made first-time gifts to the Annual Fund during a “Million Reasons to Give” campaign

Wouldn't it be nice if Houston's solution could be applied to any orchestra suffering from financial challenges? Of course, it's not that simple. Each orchestra exists within a unique set of conditions.

For starters, orchestras' budgets vary greatly. The Houston Symphony's annual budget for fiscal year 2011 was $25 million. During the 2010-11 season, annual budgets of full-time orchestras ranged from $98 million for the Los Angeles Philharmonic to $6.5 million for the San Antonio Symphony.

"It costs money to make money."

Houston's fairly hefty budget allows for the above-mentioned satellite concert series throughout Greater Houston area as well as the multi-media projects. I'm sure that any beleaguered orchestra would be thrilled to incorporate such concerts, but how many can afford to?

Another orchestra which has recently heralded good news financially is the Colorado Symphony.

To explain the Colorado Symphony's standout success at the box office, symphony leaders point to:

more accessible programming, especially the introduction of its multimedia Inside the Score series
an overhaul of its marketing

Colorado's Inside the Score concerts are informal, multimedia programs which diverge from a straight concert format with the addition of light commentary and the frequent participation of dancers, actors and other collaborators. Examples this year have included an exploration of tango, a breakdown of Dvorák's "New World" Symphony and a CSI investigation of the ailments that killed Beethoven, complete with an actor portraying the famed composer.

The most recent Inside the Score concert on April 1 was devoted to a radio- style countdown of classical music's top 10 most popular works. More than 1,600 people attended, including 1,000 who purchased their tickets through a Groupon promotion.

"It makes a better use of our orchestra and the space, and (it has) turned a new product into a whole new interest," said Margaret Williams, vice president of marketing and communication. "We now have full halls, whereas it had been very small audiences in the past. We couldn't sustain 21 Masterworks concerts on Friday nights."

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra performed a similar type of concert last season, called Beyond the Score® . It was extremely well done and entertaining, but the production, owned and rented out by the Chicago Symphony, was expensive. (The fee covers such aspects of the production as orchestral parts with excerpts for demos, scripts for narrators, and video.) Unfortunately, Columbus has no more of those concerts planned for the future due to the cost. It appears that the Colorado Symphony, recognizing the limits of its modest $10 million budget, decided to produce its own series patterned after Chicago's Beyond the Score® series. (Smart move, Colorado.)

Almost a third of all audience members in Denver are new ticket buyers! What attracted more first time concert-goers to Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall this year?? According to symphony officials, these are some of the changes which attracted new audiences:

new investments in marketing and technology
a new website
a social media campaign

“The Colorado Symphony undertook a complete overhaul of sales and marketing programs at the same time that it examined what Denver communities want and need from a symphony organization,” said James Palermo, the symphony's president and chief executive. “We asked tough questions, such as whether programming has sufficient appeal to younger generations and if people still want two-hour concerts.

“We also conducted research to learn more about what young families in Denver desire in terms of family programming, as well as what educators need from our music education programs. The results include not only the new Inside the Score series, but across-the-board changes to everything we offer and how the Colorado Symphony does business on a daily basis.”

Fundraising and development also improved. The number of individuals donating to the Colorado Symphony’s Annual Fund has doubled in the last 18 months.

Read more: Colorado Symphony on track for record ticket sales | Denver Business Journal

What do Denver and Houston have in common? Location, location, location. Both cities happen to be located in currently fast-growing states. Denver boasts the additional advantage of being the only full-time professional orchestra in its state.

Factors such as location cannot be controlled for the most part (although the Cleveland Orchestra has found creative ways to deal with the location problem, as exemplified by its winter residency in Miami). But I think that the Houston Symphony and the Colorado Symphony (notably with its thorough examination of what its community wanted) have provided fine examples for other orchestras of how to wisely spend money to make money, within the limits of their budgets.

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Do Musicians have Better Brains?

2011-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently they do. According to a recent post on Freakonomics blog, musicians' brains are rather highly developed! Check it out:

(Photo: Lifesize)

A new study (abstract here; summary here) argues that musicians have more highly developed brains than the rest of us. The research relates the concept of high mind development to the potential to become really good at something:

New research shows that musicians’ brains are highly developed in a way that makes the musicians alert, interested in learning, disposed to see the whole picture, calm, and playful. The same traits have previously been found among world-class athletes, top-level managers, and individuals who practice transcendental meditation.

Using EEG‘s to measure brain activity, researchers concluded the following about the brains of musicians:

They have well-coordinated frontal lobes. Our frontal lobes are what we use for higher brain functions, such as planning and logical thinking. Another characteristic is that activity at a certain frequency, so-called alpha waves, dominates. Alpha waves occur when the brain puts together details into wholes. Yet another EEG measure shows that individuals with high mind brain development use their brain resources economically. They are alert and ready for action when it is functional to be so, but they are relaxed and adopt a wait-and-see attitude when that is functional.

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The original article in Science Daily also states the following:

Two questionnaires are also used to measure mind brain development. One has to do with moral reasoning. Those with high mind brain development score higher here. The other questionnaire targets what are called peak experiences. These are described as a higher level of consciousness. You have an intense feeling of happiness and harmony and of transcending limitations. Individuals with high mind brain development have many peak experiences.

Fred Travis emphasizes that everything we do changes our brain. Transcendental meditation and making music are activities people should devote themselves to if they wish to change their mind in the right direction. But you can make good progress by following common health recommendations: get enough sleep, work out physically, eat healthily, and don't do drugs. How you think also plays a role.

"If you are a very envious, angry, mean person and that's the way you think about people that's what's going to be strengthened in your brain. But if you are very expanded and open and supportive of others, there will be different connections," says Fred Travis.

Just imagine the brainpower of an open, supportive, health-conscious musician who practices transcendental meditation! And how about those former musicians who are now orchestra administrators - their brain activity measurements must be off the charts........

New work for bassoon by Kohei Kondo

2011-05-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of the many benefits I've experienced from maintaining this blog is that I receive fascinating and informative emails from bassoonists and composers from all over the world. Recently I heard from Japanese composer Kohei Kondo (check out his website here) who lives in the west part of Japan, in Hyogo Prefecture. He reports that following the earthquake in East Japan, he composed a work in memory of the victims of the earthquake and nuclear reactors. It is written for solo bassoon, entitled Prayer on the Seashore, Op. 121.

Here is a recording of bassoonist Robert Ronnes of Norway performing the world premiere of Prayer on the Seashore:

The PDF is available for downloading on Kohei Kondo's website. Although the composer has arranged the piece for other instruments, its haunting, pensive quality is particularly well-suited for the bassoon, for which it was originally written.

Mr. Kondo encourages us to perform his piece. Music plays a healing role in tragedy, as was so remarkably evidenced by the countless concerts which took place in the aftermath of 9/11. Mr. Kondo mentioned in his emails how grateful Japan is for the worldwide support following the disaster. His composition offers us (and our audiences) a meaningful way to acknowledge what the Japanese people have endured.

When you visit Kohei Kondo's website, be sure to notice his Quartet for Flute, Bassoon, Violin and Cello "Where the Ocean Current Passes 2" Op. 102. (Its PDF is also available for downloading.) This piece was a prize winner in the 2010 "Kland der Welt - Ostasien" composing competition of Duetsche Oper Berlin.

Mr. Kondo requests that we inform him by email at R5656m@aol.com if we perform one of his works, and I predict that many of us will!

April is the Cruelest Month

2011-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal recently featured an eye-opening article by Terry Teachout entitled April is the Cruelest Month for Purveyors of High Culture. Mr. Teachout lists various April 2011 examples of nationwide performing arts fiscal crises, including the shutdown of the Syracuse Symphony, the New York City Opera's decision to suspend plans to announce its 2011-12 season pending the outcome of a serious review of its finances, and most shocking of all: the Philadelphia Orchestra's bankruptcy filing.

"If the Philadelphia Orchestra can get into a hole so deep that bankruptcy is the only option, then no orchestra is safe."

Uh-oh. What exactly does this mean, especially to those of us who have committed our lives to being orchestral musicians?

Sam Goldwyn: "If nobody wants to see your picture, there's nothing you can do to stop them."

Goldwyn's famous quip isn't funny anymore. As Teachout points out, if people can't afford to buy tickets to your performances, there's nothing you can do to make them buy a ticket. The old business model for symphony orchestras which relied heavily upon advance subscription sales to sustain the orchestra is not working anymore. Our present-day society tends to buy concert tickets at the last minute, refusing to commit in advance to attending future performances.

Mr. Teachout speculates that unions are part of the problem, as they insist on attempting to protect the musicians from having to pay for the mistakes of poor management. As I said myself in a past post, it is infinitely more beneficial for unions to act in a cooperative rather than a combative manner with management.

The level of public interest in what we're selling (live symphonic music) has diminished, whether we like it or not, and change is necessary. Those changes may include a new business model, reduced season length and reduced salaries. (All three changes have been made by my employer, the Columbus Symphony.) The very challenging goal which current orchestra managements face is to succeed in slashing costs without also slashing artistic quality. The orchestras which succeed at that will be the ones left standing ten years from now.

What can the individual musicians do? Some musicians I know have chosen to get out of the field altogether after realizing how impossibly difficult it has become to earn a steady and reliable income. Many others have taken on more private students or college teaching jobs to supplement their orchestral income. Double reed players often sell their handmade reeds. Some musicians become extremely devoted to chamber music (and those musicians quickly learn how difficult it is to market and sell your product!).

Those of us who choose to remain committed to our jobs playing in orchestras are better off if we find a way to accept the changes affecting the performing arts (which are occurring whether we "approve" or not!) and flex accordingly. If an opportunity arises in which we might be able to help our orchestra in some way, whether it be in the form of some sort of outreach or fundraising event, or exploring new ways to connect with our audiences, or simply saying yes to a management request, go for it!

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Symphony Phone-a-Thon

2011-04-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Development Department of Columbus Symphony Orchestra recently held a Phone-a-Thon in the symphony offices. Musicians, staff and board members were invited to volunteer to sign up for evening or weekend time slots during which they telephoned symphony supporters to thank them, to chat about symphony news, and to see if they'd like to renew their most recent gift to the orchestra.

In the past, the Columbus Symphony hired telemarketing companies to do this work. Professional telemarketers who did not live in Columbus and had no interest in or knowledge of the symphony made the calls. Those professional telemarketers were disappointing in their lack of knowledge of the symphony - I know because I was twice the recipient of their calls, and I put them to the test!

Back then, the symphony sponsored occasional volunteer telemarketing campaigns in which musicians participated, but those campaigns were disorganized and frustrating. And since the past telephone campaigns took place in addition to the regular professional telemarketing, the phone calls were NOT well-received! There were many angry people on the other end of the phone line back then - people who were upset that the symphony had not acknowledged their latest donation, or frustrated that symphony telemarketers kept calling even after being asked to stop. I vividly recall bursting into tears after my very first phone call to a symphony donor....

Fortunately, our management was recently restructured, and many positive changes were made. This time, each symphony supporter who answered the phone seemed glad to speak with us. Not one of the donors had a complaint about symphony management mistakes. No one mentioned a gift unacknowledged or a call being made following a request to stop. Not one audience member had a problem with tickets or subscriptions to report. The records the volunteers were given to use for our phone calls were extremely orderly and proved to be accurately updated, which made things a lot easier for those of us placing the calls.

As expected, a number of donors on my calling list didn't answer the phone, so I ended up leaving a lot of voice mail messages. (Even a mere voice message offers a bit of connection, though!) Each time a person did pick up the phone, I had the opportunity to introduce myself (a surprising number of them said that they watch me during concerts) and discuss the orchestra. Many symphony fans expressed huge relief that things had taken a turn for the better. Lots of them wanted to rave about our new Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni. And several of the people I called made sizable donations. It was like winning the lottery to have donors offer to give me their credit card numbers for recurring monthly gifts to the symphony!

Following the Phone-a-Thon I received a hand-written thank-you (on quality stationery!) from Lucy Godman, the Columbus Symphony's Development Director, as further evidence that things are really being handled properly.

I have written posts about the importance of musicians connecting with the audience. Participating in a Phone-a-Thon is a great way to do it! As I keep saying, the days are gone when all a musician had to do was to show up for rehearsals and concerts to play the notes on the page. Audiences and donors now must be enticed through various types of connections. Furthermore, many symphony board and staff members volunteered for our recent Phone-a-Thon, providing an extremely valuable opportunity for mingling with the musicians - another important type of connection which helps to ensure the orchestra's future.

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YES, things really have changed for the Columbus Symphony

2011-04-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Columbus Symphony Orchestra musicians

Regular readers of this blog know that from time to time, I stray from bassoon topics and instead write about issues affecting orchestras and orchestral musicians. This is one of those times.

It's common knowledge that many orchestras have recently experienced devastating financial losses. A recent ABC news report lists current challenges of U.S. orchestras: the economy, overtly large concert halls which can't possibly be filled, union-management struggles, and the American public's changing taste in music (very likely brought about by the slashing of arts programs in schools). The Syracuse Symphony is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, as did the Honolulu Symphony recently, and the Louisville Orchestra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December. The Detroit Symphony just ended a lengthy strike which caused the cancellation of many concerts over past months, and even the venerable Philadelphia Orchestra has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Columbus Symphony began experiencing financial difficulties nearly a decade ago, as support for the orchestra waned following the controversial departure of its music director. In 2005, the musicians agreed to a 13% pay cut. But support for the orchestra continued to dwindle, and by the spring of 2008, the orchestra had depleted its capital assets. The musicians resisted the board's request of an additional compensation cut, and the result that the orchestra was shut down for 6 months, after which the musicians accepted a 23% compensation cut.

Then, in late 2008, immediately following the signing of the new contract, the U.S. economy tanked!

The recession resulted in further decline in donations and ticket sales for the orchestra, and by February of 2010, the Columbus Symphony's financial status had became dire. The orchestra's new leaders, CEO Roland Valliere and Board Chair Martin Inglis, determined that the orchestra would have to either cease operations or radically restructure. The musicians voted to accept compensation cuts of 20% in order to save the orchestra, and the symphony's administrative duties were turned over to CAPA, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts. CAPA's dynamic President and CEO Bill Conner became the symphony's CEO, and Roland Valliere became the symphony's President and Chief Creative Officer.

Now, only a year later, it's safe to say that the Columbus Symphony has experienced a remarkable turnabout. The symphony has benefited greatly from its affiliation with the highly-regarded CAPA. Turning over administrative duties to CAPA saved the orchestra thousands of dollars, and since CAPA is an extremely well-run organization with competent, dedicated employees, the symphony is now well-managed. Anyone who telephones the symphony office is presented with immediate evidence of improvement, since phone calls are now answered by a live person rather than the annoying recorded message which everyone used to complain about!

Corporate and individual donors recognize the change and are showing their support financially. Our current administrative and board leaders are respected in the community. Our board membership has been revitalized, and now includes many high-profile and committed members of varying ages. We are receiving unprecedented grants from both the city and the county. Our budget is balanced, with 7 years of accumulated debt erased. And, a few months ago the Columbus Symphony named Jean-Marie Zeitouni as its new Music Director, much to the delight of the orchestra and the entire city of Columbus.

In late February, the musicians, management and board displayed remarkable evidence of our new spirit of collaboration by negotiating a new four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement six months early! This demonstration of labor peace and institutional stability makes it possible for our management to move forward with its plans to build a cash reserve and endowment which will fortify the orchestra's future.

Next season the orchestra is introducing two new concert series (Rush Hour series and Sound Bite series) and a new venue (the Southern Theater), designed to appeal to a much wider variety of audiences. Our concerts are streaming on InstantEncore so that our fans can listen to our music anytime, anyplace, including via the Columbus Symphony's iPhone app.

This past week, the symphony's development office sponsored a Phone-a-Thon in which board, staff and musician volunteers gathered in the symphony office to make calls to past donors who had not yet renewed their gift this season. Instead of hiring telemarketers, our staff wisely used those of us who care about the symphony. What a great opportunity to establish connections between the audience/donors and the symphony! (It was also beneficial for the musicians, board members and staff to have the opportunity to get to know each other a little better!)

When I was speaking with one of the musicians who did not participate in the Phone-a-Thon, she told me she was refusing to volunteer because when she had volunteered once a few years ago, "things were all disorganized, and some of the donors were irate because the symphony had not kept track of their past donations!" I understood what she was talking about, because I also had volunteered in the past, when things were not running as smoothly as they are now. This time, the donor lists were in a perfect state of organization, and not one donor with whom I spoke on the phone had any gripes.

In fact, each donor I spoke with expressed relief that things really are different now.

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Bolero

2011-04-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

My teacher, K.David Van Hoesen of the Eastman School of Music, used to say that the Bolero solo was the most daunting bassoon solo in the standard orchestral literature, due to the high likelihood of some sort of unfortunate malfunction.

It also happens to be the solo I have encountered most frequently during my tenure as principal bassoon of the Columbus Symphony. In fact, I performed it during my very first rehearsal and concert with this orchestra. (That's called "trial by fire".)

The Columbus Symphony recently performed Ravel's Bolero with our Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni. It should have been easy, right?, seeing as how I had played it many times.........well, not exactly. First of all, each time I play a piece, I approach it as though it's the first time, regardless of past experience. In reality, each time truly IS a new experience. The reed is different, the bocal and/or instrument may be different, the conductor is probably different, the hall may be different, but most importantly, I am not the same as I was the last time we played the piece. I am either a better or a worse bassoonist, depending upon how much I have been practicing and whether I am on the right track regarding equipment (instrument, bocal and reeds).

The first thing I do to prepare (and this would take place at least two weeks before the first rehearsal) is to practice a couple of exercises to ensure reliable finger technique. I think that finger technique has to be the top priority, since technical failure is top challenge, followed closely by reliable execution of the high Dbs.

Before I begin, I make an adjustment to my instrument which must be done each time I play a high solo. My bassoon (Heckel #15421) has a larger diameter than older Heckels, and because of that, it is impossible for me to reach the high D and C keys without also hitting the low Bb, low B and/or Low C keys. I de-activate the low note keys by wedging a foam earplug under the low C key:

It's tricky to get the ear plug positioned correctly, because if it's shoved in too far, then the low D key is also de-activated. In the case of Bolero, that would create a problem because the pitch of the Db at the end of the solo would be too sharp if the low D key is not functioning fully.

The first exercise is one which was given to me by Christopher Weait, a legendary bassoonist (former principal of the Toronto Symphony and OSU bassoon professor) who happens to live in Columbus:

I practice this over and over, to the dismay of my colleagues within earshot. (Most of it is done at home, though.) The tempo is best kept slow, since smoothness and reliable fingering are the priorities. If it can be played perfectly accurately at a slow speed, it can be played at any speed. It's important to not practice a mistake! If the slightest thing goes wrong, I stop and focus on that interval before returning to the exercise.

The next exercise involves high Db, so at this point I'll mention my approach to high solos. I am a minimalist when it comes to changing equipment - I change as little as possible. Many bassoonists change bocals for high solos - I do not, even though I own an outstanding Allgood high bocal. The only thing I change for high solos is the reed. For Bolero I search for a reed that has a reliable high Db. Some bassoonists have high and low reeds which they save for future use, but for me, new reeds work best, even for high and low solos. My approach to reeds is that I keep trying new reeds until one of them displays the quality I'm looking for. Of course that means that I have to make a lot of reeds, but this approach works best for me. Some bassoonists say that they're able to make specific reeds, like high reeds, but so far, I have not been successful with that.

Here's the other exercise I practice ad infinitum:

I think it's important to honor Ravel's wishes, even in this exercise. He placed accents on the 2 Dbs, as indicated, and on the G - not on the final Db. For some reason, many musicians ignore Ravel's markings.

When the fingerings are secure, I begin focusing on intonation. It doesn't matter how accurate the fingerings are if the solo is out of tune! I play a drone on G to play the exercises (and eventually the entire solo) with. I use a tuner which produces sound, or an electronic keyboard, or an online source which produces pitches.

The metronome is also an important tool for preparing Bolero. Most of the time, for Bolero and everything else, I use the metronome to mark the offbeats. That's a technique I learned from a very successful jazz musician and educator, although I have yet to run into another classical musician who does it. My metronome clicks on the "and" of one, the "and" of two, the "and" of three, etc.

Of course, there's nothing different about my metronome - it's just that I'm choosing to recognize its click as the offbeat. Practicing this way is more effective than the traditional use of the metronome on the beats because it forces the player to produce his/her own beats. Those beats are "checked" by the metronome's offbeats. Lots of metronome practice is advisable for the Bolero solo, especially since while playing the solo, the bassoonist may not be able to hear the ultra quiet snare drum. I practice the entire solo with both the drone on G and the metronome on the offbeats.

It's always nice when the conductor chooses a tempo which seems "right". Apparently Ravel marked the tempo at 72 in the score, and I think that's the tempo that our Music Director conducted. I always practice Bolero (and every solo) at many different tempos so that I'm ready for anything.

The bassoon solo follows the calm, relaxed, quiet flute and clarinet solos. It's a worthy goal to think of attempting to match that laid back quality, even though the realistic bassoonist may fully expect the Bb entrance to sound like a veritable explosion compared to the delicate ending of the ever-so-graceful clarinet solo!

I wonder if it's any easier on Ravel's intended instrument, the French basson..........

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Musician labor unions: the pros and the cons

2011-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Labor unions formed in the 19th century as a necessary and appropriate response to horrible working conditions which included long hours, low pay, dangerous conditions and child labor. The 40-hour work week which most American workers now take for granted is a hard-won example of union efforts. Many types of workers belong to unions: teachers, firefighters, police, miners, manufacturing and construction workers, factory workers, government employees, technicians, doctors, and, of course, musicians.

Benefits of union membership:
Union members negotiate as a group with their employer (collective bargaining), which gives the workers much more power than if they were to negotiate individually. The wages of union employees are approximately 27 percent higher than wages of non-union workers. 92% of union workers are offered job-related health coverage, versus 68% for non-union employees. Guaranteed pensions are another benefit common among union workers.

Through their collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and the grievance and arbitration processes, unions protect their employees from unjust dismissal. Union employees can't be fired without “just cause,” unlike many non-union employees who can be fired at any time for nearly any reason.

Collectively bargained wages, job security, full time employment status, pension, health insurance, sick leave, paid vacation, personal leave, overtime pay, along with strict limits on length, timing and number of services per week are examples of the benefits we musicians have reaped from our union affiliation.

Yet nationwide, union membership has taken a nosedive during recent decades, falling from 33% union membership of the workforce in 1945 to 11.9% union affiliation in 2010.

Why??

Consider this:
1. Is it possible that today's unions sometimes push wages to an unreasonable or unsustainable level? If unrealistic wages force the company (or orchestra!) out of business, then what good were the union-negotiated wages?

2. Is it possible that unions sometimes pit employees against employers in a way which is counterproductive, creating an "us versus them" mentality, breeding distrust on both sides?

3. Is it possible that one of the union's greatest sources of power, the strike, actually has the ability to harm the very union members it seeks to protect? The cost to employees of a prolonged labor strike can be devastating, more so than the originally offered wages and working conditions, had they been accepted! Furthermore, strikes tend to alienate the customers (or the public in the case of orchestras) who may come to perceive the strikers as greedy and self-serving.

4. Is it possible that the traditional function of labor unions is outdated? Could it benefit from tweaking?

As previously stated, a union can negotiate a better collective contract than each worker could negotiate individually. But. ..... because the union negotiates collectively, the same contract covers each worker equally, regardless of his or her productivity or effort. Only seniority is rewarded.
In the manufacturing economy of the 1930s, this system worked reasonably well. An employee's unique talents, skills and level of dedication made little difference on the assembly line, after all.
But now those jobs are automated.
In the current job market, who wants to work for a company that treats all workers exactly the same, no matter how hard they work? Who wants to work for a company that promotes and rewards employees only on the basis of seniority, and not merit? Who wants to work for an employer who ignores individual efforts? Yet that's what labor unions offer employees today.
Overseas outsourcing has been partially driven by the high costs of union partnership. Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman strongly believed that unions produced higher wages for its members at the expense of fewer jobs, and that those higher wages would inevitably sink to the level of non-union jobs anyway. Friedman, obviously no fan of unions, extolled the virtues of a free market economic system.
Many members of the current workforce are teens, parents and already-employed workers who are seeking part-time supplemental work. They have no interest in unions. Currently, younger workers in general tend to prefer independence over group affiliation.

5. Is it really true that only union workers are fairly treated by the employer ? In fact, many non-union employers offer such incentives and benefits as stock options, Christmas bonuses, every type of insurance from vision to dental to mental to life, free health club memberships, weight-loss rewards, automatic annual wage increases, several weeks of paid vacation, annual safety bonuses for being accident-free, and paid personal days. Why would the employees of such a company need a union? Job security may be the obvious answer, but is union protection of all workers, including those who are minimally productive, justifiable in today's job market? Is it fair?

What about musicians' unions?

From my perspective as a Columbus Symphony musician I have seen what I consider to be a healthy and flexible response on the part of the musicians' local branch of the American Federation of Musicians. In the past, our local union militantly opposed symphony management in defense of the rights of the musicians. For example, in 1986, the union led the Columbus musicians in a six-month strike over fairness of wages and job security. The musicians prevailed, which was possible during the socioeconomic environment of the 80s in Columbus.

More recently, in 2008, the union and the musicians again defied management over proposed wage cuts, and the result was a six-month work stoppage. Luckily for us, we ended up settling just days before the economy tanked. Had we waited any longer, the orchestra could not have withstood the economic downturn. The deal we ended up with, however, was a lesser one than what we had rejected six months earlier.

Last season, with a new executive director on board, our economic situation revealed itself to be far more grave than had been previously estimated. The executive director and board chair consulted with the local union president (who also happens to be a Columbus Symphony bassoonist) and the orchestra players' committee, explaining the unforeseen yet critical financial problem.

This time, our local union wisely understood the changed environment, along with the precarious and desperately needed community support for the orchestra. The musicians voted to accept a variance to our collective bargaining agreements (CBA) which lowered our salaries fairly dramatically. Our management had presented the musicians with what the majority of us considered to be a reasonable plan to restructure and save the orchestra. Part of the plan involved a management partnership with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) - an alliance which is proving to be extremely beneficial to the symphony.

Had our local union instead decided to fight against our management, the orchestra would have suffered irreparable damage. Nearly every professional orchestra in the U.S. is union-affiliated. Recently, quite a few orchestras have encountered financial situations similar to ours. Each union branch must assess local circumstances to choose its plan of action and its recommendations to its players.

Unions have served us well over the years, no doubt. However, it seems to me that the time has come to reassess the purpose of the union. I am eternally grateful that the Columbus local union was able to flex, and to make such a wise, insightful, informed and realistic choice - the choice to collaborate with rather than to defy our management. As a result, our orchestra, with our restructured management and inspiring new music director Jean-Marie Zeitouni, is now on the right track, sustainable and stable, growing back to its former stature and beyond.

Another good reason to play the bassoon (maybe we can use this information to attract new students.....)

2011-03-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Medical News: APSS: Playing a Bassoon Protects Against Sleep Apnea - in Meeting Coverage, APSS from MedPage Today

Playing a Bassoon Protects Against Sleep Apnea

By Paula Moyer, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Published: June 10, 2009
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

SEATTLE, June 10 -- Compared with other members of an orchestra, musicians who played a high-resistance woodwind instrument were less likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea, researchers found.

In a study of 901 professional musicians, the woodwind players also had a lower risk of apnea than did singers or conductors, according to Christopher P. Ward, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, who reported the findings at the meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies here.

High-resistance woodwind instruments are those in the double-reed category, such as oboes, English horns, and bassoons.

The protective effect was only observed in those musicians who practiced an average of three hours a day, Dr. Ward said.

A musician himself -- he plays the trumpet and once served as interim band conductor at a college where he was teaching -- Dr. Ward said he did not know the exact mechanism that protects double-reed musicians.

Based on results of this study, Dr. Ward theorized that training sleep apnea patients to play double-reed instruments could be therapeutic.

However, Dr. Ward acknowledged that novices were unlikely to rapidly develop the needed embouchure -- the movement of facial muscles and placement of lip and tongue that allow music to be played on a wind instrument -- to sustain at least three hours of practice every day.

Dennis Nicholson, M.D., of the Sleep Disorders Center of Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona, Calif., said it was possible that the embouchure specific to the double-reed instrument has characteristics that would help sleep apnea patients.

"This is a continuation of some previous literature that suggested that muscle training can improve sleep apnea, at least in some patients," said Dr. Nicholson, who was not involved in the study.

According to Dr. Nicholson, previous studies of musicians and obstructive sleep apnea revealed varying results among those who played wind instruments.

Dr. Nicholson suggested that a useful target for study would be identification of the specific muscle groups that are involved in playing a double-reed instrument so that patients could be trained in exercises using those muscles.

That, he said, would be a more practical application than attempting to teach patients to play double-reed instruments.

And, while Dr. Nicholson said he believes the finding deserves further study, he cautioned that the analysis was based on self-reported data as to practice time and apnea diagnosis.

Dr. Ward and colleagues followed 901 professional musicians. In the group overall, 41 (4.6%) reported an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and 29.2% were at high risk for it.

There was no statistically significant difference between instrumentalists, of whom 29.1% were at high risk, and noninstrumentalists -- conductors and singers -- of whom 33.3% were at high risk.

When the investigators analyzed the risk of apnea according to instrument type, the rate of high risk for those who played high-resistance woodwinds was significantly lower than it was for noninstrumentalists and for other instrumentalists (P=0.049).

Dr. Ward said that he received no outside funding for the study.

Connecting, Part II

2011-02-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

My last post focused on ideas for building a connection between the audience to the musicians. This post deals with the issue of connecting the audience to the music.

"Everyone loves classical music..................

......they just haven't found out about it yet."

-Benjamin Zander

In this video, the renowned conductor, teacher, speaker and author Benjamin Zander describes an experience he had while working with a group of street children in Ireland. One day a boy approached him and told him how the Chopin piece (he referred to it as the "shopping" piece!) which Zander had played the night before had affected him even though he'd never heard classical music before. He went on to say that his brother had been shot a year earlier, and while Zander played, thoughts of his dead brother came into his mind; before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face. It was the first time he had cried for his brother, and it was cathartic. What a clear demonstration of the universal power of classical music!

(Do not listen to the statisticians who claim that only 3% of the population likes classical music!!)

My recent post about connecting with the audience drew many well-thought-out and helpful comments. For example, commenter Travis Branam mentioned a blog post he had written on this subject entitled new years resolutions for classical music. This is one of Travis' suggestions for classical musicians:

"Find someone who can “decode” your music for the general public. Someone- a musician, a journalist, a blogger, anyone- needs to be appointed as our unofficial diplomat to the masses on behalf of all branches of classical music; someone who will not only carry a unified, positive and specific message about what classical music has to offer people today but someone who can break down and analyze music in a register of language that someone who doesn’t have a music degree can understand and even enjoy."

Travis is proposing the idea of one individual who can have a far-reaching, international effect. He goes on to say that we need someone to do for classical music what Oprah did for literature through her famous book club. Leonard Bernstein is a past example of a classical music diplomat. (How about having lots of musical diplomats? How about one or more for each orchestra?)

I'd say that Benjamin Zander is serving as a present-day international musical diplomat. He has the ability to reach every last person in his audience. He doesn't do it just by playing the piano- he also speaks, in an enthusiastic and inspiring manner. That's how an audience is created. Chances are, everyone who has experienced one of Benjamin Zander's presentations will attend a classical concert in the near future!

This reminds me of a recently viewed PBS documentary about professional baseball. Pro baseball was not that big a deal in the U.S. until the games started being broadcast on the radio. Why? Because the radio announcers made baseball accessible! Their explanations of how the game was played changed everything. Radio announcers made baseball accessible to and understood by the masses.

After watching that documentary about baseball, I began wondering how orchestras might benefit from some sort of announcer who could keep the audience informed during the concert. Of course, Peter Schickele thought of this a long time ago:

But is there some way that orchestras can do this in a serious way? At the very least, how about having a charismatic announcer (maybe the conductor) speak before the piece begins and between movements? How about subtitles (commonly used for opera) being used to help the audience keep track of what's unfolding in the music? Maybe twitter or a smart phone application could be used, especially for the younger audience members which all orchestras are currently seeking.

The Columbus Symphony is already using an announcer of sorts (a narrator, really) in a series of educational concerts we're presenting in elementary schools. The narrator guides students through the concerts. Sometimes she uses props, which I think is a great idea. She even asks students to volunteer to help her. In my opinion, the narrator could be doing even more- I see nothing wrong with her signaling to the audience when a theme is returning or when the oboe has a solo! It's time for us to break free from our outdated molds and start innovating! If the announcer is concerned about offending or distracting the musicians, then it's time for the musicians to let it be known that we embrace change! (We do, don't we?)

During the past year and a half, the Columbus Symphony has been offering audio streams of our concerts on Instant Encore. At first, some musicians feared that the availability of our concerts for free on the internet would result in a decline in ticket sales. Those fears proved to be unfounded, since our ticket sales have been strong. In fact, our internet presence has been extremely beneficial. It's a way of putting our orchestra on the map, so to speak. Several of my long-distance friends have told me how much they've enjoyed listening to our concerts on InstantEncore. (Also, as an added benefit, the musicians in the orchestra, especially wind and brass players, can learn a lot about their playing from listening to the performances.)

The Chicago Symphony has created an incredible series called Beyond the Score® which is designed not only for classical music aficionados, but also for newcomers looking to delve deeper into the world of classical music. The first half of each Beyond the Score® program offers a multimedia examination of the selected score - its context in history, how it fits into the composer's output of works, the details of a composer's life that influenced its creation - sharing the illuminating stories found "inside" the music. Actors, a narrator and moving and still images are used. The second half features a performance of the work in its entirety.

These productions are extremely well done, as proven during our Beyond the Score® presentation of Mozart Piano Concerto #27 here in Columbus, but they're also expensive to present - a problem for beleaguered orchestras. I wish that presentations like Beyond the Score® were more affordable, because currently, the multimedia approach offers a huge advantage for orchestras which must compete with endless entertainment options, such as other local arts groups, a vast array of internet options, and more recently, videos of world class orchestras shown in movie theaters.

Next season the Columbus Symphony is offering some new options which hopefully will allow us to connect more people with the music. For example, we will present "Rush Hour" concerts beginning at 5:30 - a great time for downtown workers who welcome an excuse to avoid traffic jams! Also, the once-popular "Coffee Concerts" presented at midday on Fridays will be re-introduced, in a smaller venue than our regular hall. These new concerts are sure to attract new audiences. It totally makes sense for orchestra managements to seek new options (new times, new formats, new venues, new add-ons such as food and drinks) for connecting the music to the audiences. The mid-sized orchestras most likely to survive are the ones which flex, offering presentations which are appealing and convenient.

Please add your comments and additional ideas!

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Connecting with the audience

2011-02-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days when orchestral musicians had nothing to worry about except practicing. Now our careers are threatened by:

plummeting philanthropy
diminishing governmental and foundational support
aging audiences
competition from world class orchestras on the internet and in movie theaters
a glut of live entertainment options competing with orchestral concerts
cuts in arts education
perceived stuffiness, stiffness and formality of symphonic concerts

Some classical musicians have sought careers in chamber music, and those who have done so successfully have figured out that a connection must be forged between musicians and audience. For example, I recently attended a performance by Carpe Diem String Quartet here in Columbus. Instead of hiding backstage, fussing over the tricky passages before the concert, each quartet member was in the kitchen of the venue, chatting with and serving food and drinks to the audience members who joined them in the kitchen. When it was time for the performance to begin, the guests brought their drinks and plates into the performance area (which included unusual seating options like sofas). The musicians chatted and joked in a relaxed fashion with the audience during the performance. One of the pieces on the program was composed by a Columbus resident who was present, and he also offered a few words to the audience. What a great way to establish relevance in the community! The quartet played really well too, but they were smart enough to realize that playing well is just one of the requirements for success in today's classical music environment. I believe that orchestral musicians can benefit from following the examples of successful chamber ensembles like Carpe Diem.

The musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra have begun an innovative series in which they perform chamber music in the Happy Dog bar in the Gordon Square Arts District of Cleveland. They are responding to the current environment which is making it difficult for even the top orchestras to thrive. These musicians are not above donning Happy Dog t-shirts and offering their fine musicianship free of charge. Why? It's all about forging a connection between the audience and the musicians. Here's a video of one of their performances at Happy Dog:

Just last Thursday The Cleveland Orchestra was stranded in Ann Arbor during a winter storm Guess what the musicians did? Thirty of them gathered at Silvio's Organic Pizzeria at the University of Michigan for an impromptu performance of chamber music where they were joined by world-renowned pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard. It has become habitual for The Cleveland Orchestra musicians to connect to their audiences, even when they're out of town!

The efforts of The Cleveland Orchestra musicians are especially remarkable because the free events are organized solely by the musicians. Instead of looking around for a target to blame for the current socioeconomic environment which is not as supportive of symphony orchestras, the musicians have found a solution. Their performances in Happy Dog have created quite a stir in Cleveland, from which the entire orchestra will benefit greatly.

What else can be done to forge those connections? Well, first of all, the musicians have to be willing to connect to the audience. Columbus Symphony Principal Clarinetist David Thomas started a podcast project a few months ago. He asked the members of the Columbus Symphony to volunteer to be interviewed (by David himself) with the intent of making these podcasts available to audience members so that they'd have the opportunity to learn more about the individual musicians. Sounds like a great idea, right? Yes, it is, but unfortunately, very few musicians agreed to be interviewed, and the project flatlined. (Thank you, David, for trying....)

Another project of David's has been wildly successful. He has presented numerous chamber music performances by Columbus Symphony musicians in his house. Each time, his house has been jam-packed with enthusiastic symphony supporters who relished the chance to meet the musicians and to watch them perform up close. One of David's many talents is that he really knows how to throw a party, and he sees to it that the music is complemented by delectable hors d'oeuvres and fine wines. David's most recent chamber concert was also a benefit for the symphony; the guests gladly offered donations.

Some orchestras showcase individual musicians before concerts by having a different musician each week speak a few words about his or her background before the concert begins. Although the musicians always report that it's nerve-racking to speak before a concert, the audiences love that personal touch. Some orchestras create a video bio of each musician for inclusion on the orchestra's website, and of course most orchestras feature photos and brief bios of the musicians on their websites.

I think that post-concert gatherings held in the lobby are an obvious way to forge connections between musicians and audience. The orchestra would not incur any expenses except the fee required to keep the hall (and its concessions) open a bit later. The resulting connections would be well worth whatever it costs to keep the hall open an hour longer.

In the past, some Columbus Symphony musicians have experimented with a "Meet and Greet" in the lobby of the hall as concertgoers arrive. However, many musicians feel that pre-concert socializing interferes with concert preparation. The musicians standing around the lobby trying to greet patrons are not easily recognized as musicians because they don't have their instruments . Also, the patrons entering the facility always seem to be in a hurry to get to their seats. Based upon my observations, pre-concert "Meet and Greet" situations are minimally effective.

But the unexpected encounters between musicians and audience members on their way into or out of the hall provide great opportunities to connect. We're usually carrying our instruments, so everyone knows we play in the orchestra. I vividly recall an incident which occurred before a concert a year ago. I witnessed a couple of musicians walking very quickly toward the hall. They were intently engrossed in conversation, and as the musicians veered around an elderly couple, they nearly knocked them down. The elderly patrons were incensed, and they hissed something about Columbus Symphony musicians not caring about anyone except themselves! It was very unfortunate, especially since the offending musicians, who unwittingly served as the orchestra's ambassadors, never even realized what happened.

After that, I decided to embark on a mission to offer good will to any concertgoer I encountered. I began going out of my way to smile at and speak to anyone who looked at me before and after each concert. Right away, it became clear from the way people reacted that my efforts were appreciated. In fact, I was surprised to find out that some patrons actually knew who I was! That invisible barrier which has existed between musicians and audience does not serve us well. Let's get rid of it!

When we're onstage, we're being watched. I don't like to think about that too much, lest I become self-conscious, but the fact remains that there is indeed a visual aspect to our performances. Perhaps we musicians should even consider smiling now and then when our performance is being acknowledged!

Please help me brainstorm. What ideas do you have to help orchestral musicians connect with the audience?

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Shostakovich 11

2011-02-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

Dmitri Shostakovich

Judging from the reaction of the audience following last night's Columbus Symphony performance of Shostakovich Symphony No. 11, Opus 103, "The Year 1905", the power of this symphony transcends the specificity of Bloody Sunday and the Revolution of 1905 which the piece commemorates. On Bloody Sunday, a peaceful protest (against autocratic rule) by Russian workers and their families turned into massacre as Russian troups opened fire on the defenseless crowd. Hundreds died senselessly; the Revolution of 1905 ensued.

Shostakovich himself wrote of his 11th symphony:

"...it deals with contemporary themes even though it's called '1905'. It's about the people, who have stopped believing because the cup of evil has run over."

Undoubtedly, many people in the audience and the orchestra were mindful of current events in Egypt during last night's Shostakovich 11 performance. We were fortunate to participate in such a powerful demonstration of the relevance of classical music.

Shostakovich quoted nine different Russian workers' revolutionary songs which were woven into the texture throughout the 65-minute symphony. This was a departure from his usual style, and probably contributed to this symphony's immediate success in Russia upon its publication in 1957.

Shostakovich wrote some of the greatest bassoon solos of all time, most notably the recitative-like solos of 4th movement of Symphony no. 9. The first page of the 1st bassoon part of Shostakovich 11 contains nothing but solos:

The first solo (2 bars before 15) occurs following a lengthy rest. To avoid surprising yourself and everyone else with a pitch below A=440, it is advisable to remove the reed from the bocal and quietly blow air into the instrument for a couple of minutes prior to the entrance. Bassoons are extremely sensitive to temperature, and any entrance following a lengthy rest should be preceded by blowing air into the bassoon, unless the stage temperature is unusually high. The reason I know this is because I listened to the InstantEncore stream of the Columbus Symphony's Handel's Messiah performance from a couple of months ago. I was horrified to hear an entrance of mine sounding quite flat on low F after a prolonged rest. Then I remembered the advice of my Japanese bassoon teacher, Ryohei Nakagawa: he insisted on blowing into the instrument during long rests to keep the pitch stable.

The passage above which begins 3 before 21 (and becomes a soli with the 2nd bassoon at 2 before 21) is to be played as powerfully as possible. It really is ff! The last 3 bars complete the passage with 1st bassoon and contra. Of course, it's a good idea for the bassoonist to drop his/her jaw in the attempt to keep the pitch of low Eb down.

Near the end of the 3rd movement, which is a funeral march lamenting those who lost their lives in the Bloody Sunday massacre, Shostakovich wrote the following bassoon solo which is accompanied by 2 clarinets during the 1st 3 bars:

The bassoonist is well advised to match the dynamics of the 2 clarinets until they drop out. (It may require a volume louder than p!) Then the bassoon can end the solo quietly beginning at 5 after 117.

There are some tutti passages which require significant wood shedding in this piece. This example is from the final page of the 1st bassoon part:

Along with the other woodwinds, the bassoons are likely representing the intensity of the crowd - the people who will ultimately prevail in their revolution. We should not let Shostakovich down by fumbling through this passage! Its intensity requires precision.

Here is the audio stream of the Columbus Symphony's performance of Shostakovich from this past weekend:

Russian Masters - Rachmaninoff Paganini Rhapsody - InstantEncore

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Please fill out this easy survey for a reader of bassoon blog!

2011-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

I received a request from a bassoon blog reader today who asked if I would post this online survey. The author of the survey is a college student who is completing a research project about the use of machines in reed making. Please fill out the form and submit it to help our fellow bassoonist! I've pasted the form below just so you can take a quick look at it, but in order to actually submit your results, please use this google spreadsheet link. Thank you!

1. Your instrument?

Oboe
Bassoon
Other:

2. Country of residence?

3. How old are you?

less than 26
27 - 40
more than 41

4. Your occupation? (student, orchestra member, teacher, other)

5. Do you use reed making machines for making your reeds? (if no proceed to question 8 )

6. Which?

Gouging (oboe and bassoon)
Shaping (only oboe)
Profiling (only bassoon)
Tip profiling (oboe and bassoon)

7. What brand? (i.e. gouger rieger, tip profiler DRM)

8. What are the advantages of using reed making machines? (1 is less important and 5 is more important)

9. What are the disadvantages of using reed making machines? (1 is less important and 5 is more important)

	1	2	3	4	5
I do not know how to use the machines.
I do not know how to adjust machines.
I do not have time for making canes.
I can not afford buying machines.
I can not achieve same quality like ready cane.

10. How long does it usually takes for you to get the answer from the customer service?

I usually get an answer within 24 hours.
I usually get an answer within 1 - 2 days.
I usually get an answer within 3 and more.

11. Your opinion about the price of reed making machines?

12. Are you planning to buy a new machine soon?

Not at the moment.
In less than 1 year.
In more than 1 year.
Maybe if they would cost less.

Ravel Piano Concerto

2011-01-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

One of the most challenging works for the bassoon in the orchestral literature is the Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major. It appears on many bassoon audition lists, although the specific movements vary. Some orchestras ask for the first movement only; some ask for the third movement only. Most ask for both.

Some bassoonists use a special high note bocal for a high solo like the one in the Ravel first movement:

I am not one of those bassoonists who switches bocals, for this or any other solo. For me, that's just too much fussing around. However, I do switch reeds for extreme solos like this one. Although I can play the solo on a regular reed, it sounds better on a reed which favors the high range.

HOW TO MAKE A HIGH REED

I know there are bassoonists who claim they can make a high reed, and they can even explain how they do it. Those methods have never, I repeat, NEVER worked for me. But fortunately, high reeds just appear in my life from time to time. I can't say whether high reeds are caused by certain density variations in cane, or quirks of construction, but I just know that high reeds crop up when I least expect them. They tend to be higher pitched in general, and difficult to play. They don't vibrate as well as other reeds, and the crow of these reeds is resistant. If one of these reeds plays high Es or The Rite of Spring easily, then I let it dry and then store it in an airtight container until I need a high reed. I even have a special zip-lock bag reserved specifically for Shostakovich 8 reeds (reeds which easily attack high E flat, or E flat 5).

When played in the orchestra, the tempo of the above solo is usually not very strict - it's rather laid back. Just listen to the accompaniment and watch the conductor, and it will be easy to place each note. This solo definitely benefits from intonation practice. I like to set up the tuner to produce a drone on E and play the solo against it, and afterwards I check the pitch of each note on a meter just to be sure. Of course it's a big deal to get the high E in tune, but the high C# and high B are often problematic as well. Be aware that the temperature of the stage where you perform may affect the pitch of your reeds. In my case, the stage temperature is usually hot, and so my reeds play higher.

In my opinion, this solo should be played out, with as big a sound as possible. I've never had a conductor ask me to play less on this solo, and it's so easy for the bassoon to be drowned out by the rest of the orchestra.

I am a huge fan of the French bassoon, and of course this part was written for the French bassoon. I searched YouTube for an example of this movement played on French bassoon, but this was the closest I could find:

This is the Orchestre National de France, Charles Dutoit conducting, with pianist Martha Argerich. It's definitely a French orchestra, and the bassoons are French bassoons. However, these players exemplify the trend in which French bassoonists are attempting to sound more like German bassoons. This trend disappoints me, since I am quite taken by the sound and lyricism of a real French bassoon.

Later in the movement there is a tricky passage in which the notes can be challenging to place accurately:

It's wise to prepare prior to the first rehearsal by practicing the 32nd note passages with the metronome at many different tempos. Then you'll be ready for whatever tempo the conductor presents at 25. Usually this is conducted in 3, so set your metronome accordingly. During the rest between the two 32nd note passages, it's very easy to lost track of what's going on, thus compromising the accuracy of the second entrance. It's advisable to learn the horn solo so that the second entrance is obvious based on what the horn player does. If the horn player gets off, you're covered, whereas any woodwind colleagues who were relying on counting (as opposed to listening) may be left in the dust.

These notes go by rather quickly, and must be well practiced so that they sound smooth and even. Because of the more famous solos in this piece, it's easy to neglect this difficult passage.

And what about the second movement? There's an oft-forgotten solo there too:

Every second bassoonist knows about the solo at the top of the page, beginning on B#. Intonation is tricky and can benefit from private rehearsing with the English horn player, who plays the solo line for the first 4 bars. Then the 1st bassoon takes over from the English horn in the 5th measure. I like to pretend I'm an English horn player during that passage, starting the E4 at the same dynamic as the English horn finished with, and matching the English horn player's vibrato. Conductors often like this passage to be very expressive, as someone seems to have scribbled in the rental part pictured above. It works well to have the volume and vibrato both intensify in the middle of the 4 bar phrase, and to begin and end very subtly.

There are a few different ways to perform the famous 3rd movement bassoon lick:

It can be performed as written, or with the 1st bassoon playing the whole passage alone, or with both bassoonists playing the entire passage. I've done it all 3 ways, and I'd say that the least successful was the one time I played it as written. For some reason, at such a fast tempo, it's hard to coordinate 2 players, and the two players usually sound quite different from one another.

The first time I played it, shortly after I was hired by the Columbus Symphony, I remember how unspeakably frustrating it was to practice this passage. I was ready to toss the bassoon out the window. The more I practiced it, the worse it sounded! Back then, I didn't have any history with this piece, so I think I was somewhat flipped out. (What if the performance didn't go well? Would I fail my probationary period??)

Now, with a few performances of this concerto under my belt, I know I can do it, but it's still extremely daunting. It makes total sense to me for the first bassoonist to play the entire passage (either alone or with the second bassoon playing in unison) rather than trading back and forth as printed. In auditions we are expected to play the entire passage, combining the first and second parts. That's what we're used to, so why not play it that way in the orchestra?

I've noticed one difference between practicing this excerpt and actually playing it in the orchestra - it's harder for me to get through the entire passage in one breath in the orchestra. I think it's because I play it louder in the orchestra than I would when practicing. In the orchestra I automatically adjust the volume up to a level appropriate for projection, and that does take a lot more air.

Preparing the above passage is no different from any other as far as practicing techniques. I slow it way down (quarter = 60) and aim for smoothness and ease. Sometimes I practice it with altered rhythms. But the important goal is to slow it way down. Once it becomes easy and 100% reliable at a slow tempo, it's no problem to tackle faster tempos, since the finger motion between consecutive notes is the same regardless of tempo. I like to practice it at a wide variety of tempos so that I'm prepared for anything, up to around 165.

There's one more passage to consider, a few bars before the end of the concerto:

This is exposed, fast and best played with a truly growling fortissimo so that it can project - the perfect last word from the first bassoon!

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Petrouchka

2011-01-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

The great Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) wrote his ballet score Petrouchka in 1910 and 1911 and revised it for a more moderately-sized orchestra in 1947. Petrouchka is one of the great pre-World War I tone poems, so colorful and captivating that it stands alone in the concert hall even without the ballet dancers it was meant to inspire. Petrouchka is set in St. Petersburg during a Mardi Gras-like festival and tells the dramatic tale of the love triangle among three living puppets: the downtrodden, mournful Petrouchka, the handsome, cocky Boor and the beautiful yet superficial Ballerina.

Many of the greatest bassoon solos in the orchestral literature can be found in Stravinsky's ballet scores. Stravinsky was not afraid to require the bassoon player to reach beyond his or her limits, as best exemplified by the famously high-pitched bassoon solo which opens another of his famous ballets, The Rite of Spring.

Petrouchka, which the Columbus Symphony performed this past weekend, abounds with interesting parts for the bassoon section, such as the one for 2 bassoons and contra at 58 in Part One:

It would be easy for the first bassoon to be uncertain where to come in if he/she didn't realize that the strings play pizziccato on the downbeats of each measure with grace note entrances after 58. That's why it's so important to listen to recordings and study scores.

The following passage beginning at 73 presents quite a technical challenge:

Oftentimes, bassoon passages like the one above are lost within the orchestral context. Not this one! It's fairly exposed and must be played accurately. The tempo is usually around 120 per quarter note.

The most effective way to practice is is to slow the metronome way down and, while remaining relaxed, practice it until the fingerings become automatic. (This requires a considerable amount of practicing over a period of days.) Some musicians refer to this process as the development of "muscle memory." It is also helpful to practice the patterns with various rhythms and, in the advanced stages, faster than necessary, so that it seems easy when slowed down to the actual tempo.

I use all standard fingerings for the passage, except for using short F# (LH: half hole, 2,3 , E flat key, whisper key; RH: 1) on the downbeat of the second measure. The parts for Petrouchka are rental; the markings in the above passage are not mine (and I don't know what they mean!).

The bassoon solo after 95 in the Second Part can be awkward:

It's a good idea to be very aware of the clarinet parts, by listening to recordings and examining the score, so that there is no question where to place each note. The 64th notes 3 before 97 may require some experimentation with F# fingerings. My standard F# fingering, known as the French fingering (LH: 2, Eflat key; RH: 1,2, F key) doesn't work for me in this passage due to resultant squeaking. The short F# fingering which I referred to above doesn't work much better. Instead, I chose an F# fingering which I rarely use: LH: 2, E flat key; RH:1,2, B flat key. (For some bassoonists, this is the standard fingering.) This fingering produced reliable results, although since I don't use this fingering very often, I had to train myself very thoroughly to use it here, with lots of repetitive practice.

At 106 in the above excerpt, the bassoon seems to represent poor Petrouchka crying over his imprisonment and his rejection by the Ballerina. The crying is best done in tune, though, and I checked the pitches of those notes with my Boss tuner before each performance.

Perhaps the bassoon solo which most people associate with Petrouchka is found in the Valse:

The first note of each measure, the detached and staccato E flat or D, should sound like a swift kick, I think, and can be somewhat bold. The remaining five notes of each measure, though, are legato and refined, taking great care to ensure a smooth connection between F and A flat especially. I tried several different fingerings for the staccato E flats to find the one which was in tune when played with the "kick" character. That fingering turned out to be LH: 1, 3, whisper key; RH: 1, B flat key.

Here is the Columbus Symphony's performance from this past weekend which included Petrouchka, with Enrique Diemecke guest conducting.

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The dog ate my reed

2011-01-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

Although my dog is widely known for his ability to keep my playing in check through his selective howling during my practice sessions, he harbors an unfortunate addiction. He loves to sneak around behind my back, snatching and devouring any wayward bassoon reeds.

I managed to pry this one from his clenched jaw before it embarked on its intended journey through his digestive tract. He did, however, manage to ingest the most delectable part of the reed: the ever-so-carefully crafted blades.

Luckily for the dog, this was my "embouchure maintenance" reed. An "embouchure maintenance" reed is a reed with undesirable playing characteristics which, instead of throwing in the trash, I keep in my mouth when I'm not playing the bassoon, with an embouchure formed tightly around it. ( For anyone unfamiliar with the term, embouchure is defined as the application of the lips and surrounding facial muscles to the reed and/or mouthpiece of a wind instrument. The position of the jaw is also involved in the formation of an embouchure.) Sometimes I blow into the "embouchure maintenance" reed, but that doesn't really seem to make a difference. The point is to build up the embouchure muscles without actually playing the bassoon.

Why not just practice the bassoon to build up the embouchure? you might ask. Well, I am practicing the bassoon, but after a certain point (when the player becomes too tired) continuing to practice does more harm than good, and I need an embouchure of Herculean strength this week. I need an embouchure which is stronger than that which can be attained through mere practicing.

Why? Well, my music stand is overloaded this week:

This is the list of pieces I am preparing to rehearse and perform this week, beginning tomorrow:

Beethoven Symphony No. 8
Britten Soirees Musicales
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major
Rimsky-Korsakov Overture on Russian Themes
Shostakovich Festive Overture
Stravinsky Petrouchka
Tchaikowsky Piano Concerto No. 1
Tchaikowsky Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian"
Tower Made in America

You can see why I think I need a strong embouchure (among other things). I am daunted!

Yet, as always, I remind myself that anyone who is employed as a classical musician is fortunate. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage to perform each of these pieces at a professional level all within the same week, but I'm ready to give it my best shot.

B-a-a-a-a-d dog!

Happy new year!

2011-01-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

Today's the day to start numbering your reeds at #1, that is, if you're interested in keeping track of the number of reeds you make per year. I have not done this in the past because I used to re-start at #1 each time I switched cane. That's no longer necessary because I've been consistently color-coding the reed thread according to cane type. In fact, I even sub-divide. Rigotti cane from Midwest Musical Imports is a different color:

from Rigotti cane from Woodwind Brasswind:

On top of that, I have a reed notebook for recording any observations which may improve my odds of reed success. It seems to me that the only way to know what works is to keep track of any changes.

Keeping track of one's cane and results can cause disappointment if a great source dries up. The highest number of good reeds for me were made with cane from a source called "All Bassoon Cane" which was located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, the business no longer exists, and nobody knows what happened to the proprietor or his inventory!

In case any readers are in the market for a bassoon stand, I ordered a Hercules DS561B stand for bassoon or bass clarinet from Amazon.com for $66.95 (shipping included), which makes it the most affordable bassoon stand available. The Hercules stand is very sturdy and secure, and I highly recommend it for home use. For schlepping, though, I prefer the more common Fox bassoon stand which weighs less than 2 pounds, compared to the much larger 6.4 pound Hercules stand.

Has anyone encountered problems finding #3 crochet thread for wrapping reeds? In Columbus it has become increasingly difficult to find the thread in formerly reliable sources such as Joann Fabrics. (Well, I can still find it, but the colors are disappointing.) I found a good internet source, Knitting-warehouse.com which sells #3 bamboo crochet thread for $2.29 per spool, in great colors!

Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 3 Sale!

Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 3 at discount prices! 100% bamboo from viscose is an earth friendly sustainable and renewable resource with a recycled core and label. A size 3 crochet thread with a luxuriously silky hand. 100% bamboo. Size 3. 150 yards. Machine washable.

Happy new year!

Orchestral relevance

2010-12-27T13:32:00.000-08:00

My friend, colleague and fellow blogger David Thomas recently posted his well-informed thoughts about the changing role of the performing musician. David lists the irrefutable trends which have contributed to the financial crises for orchestras nationwide:

the slow decline in classical concert attendance since the 1960s
the aging of the audiences
the explosion of vivid competition for entertainment dollars

The third point, competition for entertainment dollars, is huge, and it largely explains the first 2 points (declining and aging audiences). The internet provides amazing options for listening to and watching world class performances anytime, anywhere. The most striking example of this is the Berliner Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall. There are also countless performances of orchestras and chamber groups offered on YouTube free of charge.

Of course, the internet options are a double-edged sword for us musicians. An important part of our ongoing development involves listening to music, and now our options are infinite. These days there's no excuse for musical ignorance - we are able to easily find internet performances of any piece of music we are preparing. We can access world class performances of any orchestral or chamber work right now, often without spending any money. That's miraculous!

The infinite internet options (including musical performances as well as video and TV streaming and social media) potentially provide competition for live, in person orchestra performances. Internet options are an essential aspect of the social trend known as cocooning. Cocooning, quite simply, is the tendency of people to spend their leisure time at home, using computers, TVs and game consoles for entertainment.

For those who choose to buck the cocooning trend, and instead, venture out into the city of Columbus for an evening of entertainment, there are now many more entertainment options in real life as well (not just on the internet). During its peak in the 1980s and 1990s, the Columbus Symphony was one of the only acts in town, although competition had begun to materialize, as exemplified by the founding of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in 1980. Now, the performing arts options are so numerous (including theater troupes, dance companies, opera, choral, chamber groups including chamber orchestras, jazz ensembles, and folk, world, and renaissance music groups) that local arts groups compete with one another. In addition to competing for audiences, each arts organization seeks donations from the same local businesses, foundations, and individuals.

In Columbus, I believe that there is another factor or trend which has affected the symphony:

the decline of downtown

Twenty years ago, downtown Columbus experienced incredible growth. A stunning shopping mall called Columbus City Center was built right in the heart of downtown. It was connected to the Ohio Theatre where the Columbus Symphony performs.

Columbus City Center attracted shoppers from all over the Midwest. Symphony patrons typically enhanced their concert-going experiences with shopping, dinner and drinks at Columbus City Center before and after the performances, for a true night out on the town.

This year Columbus City Center was demolished, following a dramatic decline in which most of its stores went out of business. (New malls built in the suburbs created competition which could not be overcome.)

Columbus City Center became a ghost mall as store after store shut down.

What's the solution?? What can be done to minimize the effects of these trends?

During the 1980s and 90s, the symphony was important in Columbus, since a large number of people wanted to hear live classical music, and there was no oversupply of options available for socializing and entertainment. At that time, venturing downtown was exciting, as Columbus City Center was constructed and opened. The symphony's relevance during the 80s and 90s must somehow be recaptured, perhaps by dissolving the barriers between audience and orchestra and by showing the public how the orchestra can enhance their lives in myriad ways and help define the community.

One solution is already being taken care of. The non-profit Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (Capitol South) has built a brand new park, Columbus Commons, on the former City Center site. I like the new (not yet finished) park, which unofficially opened this month. Despite the cold and blustery weather conditions, I've enjoyed walking through it on my way to Nutcracker performances.

Upon completion, Columbus Commons will include cafe, a fountain, a carousel, and a large concert amphitheater! Certainly there is link between the revitalization of the downtown core and the thriving of the symphony, at least here in Columbus. (Is it mere coincidence that the symphony peaked when the Columbus City Center Mall thrived, and that the mall and the symphony declined simultaneously?) I'd like to think that the grass being planted in the ground at Columbus Commons symbolizes new growth for the symphony as well as for the city.

The brand new venue for outdoor concerts in Columbus Commons could be a real shot in the arm for the Columbus Symphony. We already have a successful outdoor summer series, Picnic With the Pops, taking place at Chemical Abstracts near the Ohio State University, but our summer schedule includes a lot of free time during which we could be performing elsewhere. The more we perform, in as many different locations as possible, the more relevant we become to the community, as Columbus citizens begin to associate the ever-present symphony with various events, festivals and venues.

Community spirit is part of the reason why local orchestras still exist in spite of the internet. So many cities are proud of their symphony orchestras! Musicians of full time orchestras live in the community and provide services such as teaching and coaching for students. They perform in chamber groups as well as in the orchestra, and ideally, they are highly visible, performing all over town for many different events. Here in Columbus many orchestra musicians have performed for fundraisers for various charities (including the symphony itself). When we perform in smaller settings, we have the opportunity to really connect with the audience with conversation in addition to music. Such interaction works wonders in establishing the musicians as relevant community members.

The Columbus Symphony, along with several other U.S. orchestras, has already embraced the internet's ability to offer music anytime, anyplace. Our recordings of recent concerts are streaming on InstantEncore
free of charge. Has that caused a decline in our ticket sales? On the contrary! Ticket sales remain solid, and corporate donations are increasing, perhaps due in part to the evidence that we are technologically up-to-date and therefore relevant as evidence that Columbus is on the cutting edge.

The restructuring of the administration to include the symphony under the umbrella of the successful and highly regarded Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) was a bold move undertaken last season when the symphony faced continuing financial instability. Such innovative restructuring was an important part of the solution here in Columbus, since it reduced administrative costs and reassured civic and corporate leaders that the symphony is now well-managed. In addition, the symphony hired a new leader, our dynamic music director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni whose fine international reputation is sure to help re-establish the orchestra's relevance in the classical music world.

Collaboration with other local arts organizations is another solution which is already being implemented here. The Columbus Symphony regularly performs with BalletMet Columbus and OperaColumbus. We perform side-by-side rehearsals and concerts with the CSO Youth Orchestra, and have collaborated several times with the Columbus Gospel Choir. Hopefully more such collaborations will be part of our future, further increasing our community visibility as well as our relevance to other arts organizations.

The very obvious solution to the trend of aging audiences is to grab the attention of the children, our future audience members. It's not enough to just present concerts, any old concerts, to young audiences - we must find a way to connect, and therefore become relevant to the young concertgoers, to the point where classical music is considered an essential part of life! Conductor Leonard Bernstein created a large segment of today's audiences through his nationally televised Young People's Concerts during the 1950s and 1960s. Bernstein figured out how to make classical music fascinating, enticing and relevant. It is now the job of symphony orchestras to follow Bernstein's example and show our future audiences why our music is relevant - why 300 years ago, William Congreve wrote the poem which includes the famous quote:

Music has charms to soothe the savage breast,

To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.

Christmas Eve gig and the power of music

2010-12-25T00:51:00.000-08:00

Many musicians worked late last night, on Christmas Eve, myself included. I performed a church gig which featured various combinations of chorus, orchestra and organ in works by Handel, Rutter, Bach, Holst, traditional carols, and Gregorian chants. Although quite interesting, the program was not particularly bassoon oriented, so I was afforded the opportunity to just listen rather than having to worry about mastering my instrument.

A year ago I played the same Christmas Eve gig, and at the beginning of tonight's program I began having flashbacks to a year ago. My sister had been very much on my mind last year, and I remembered texting photos of the beautifully decorated church to her last Christmas Eve.

The organ in the church is one which has the ability to shake the earth - that's how powerful it is. The very talented organist performed Weihnachten, Op. 145., No. 3 by Max Reger (for solo organ) both years. During the Reger, the lights were turned off, leaving the huge church in total darkness. This year when the Reger began, I flashbacked again to a year ago. I hadn't known that it was my sister's last Christmas, because her cancer was in remission. The piece is spooky and ominous-sounding, and last night something happened as the tremendous crescendo built up. I was completely overtaken by the music, in an indescribable way which seemed to somehow involve my sister.

When she died this past fall, I didn't talk about it or even mention it to many people. I left Columbus to attend her funeral, but hardly anyone knew. A friend suggested that maybe I should write about it on this blog, and discuss what it's like to go on with business as usual at a time like this. But I couldn't. In order to keep playing the bassoon and functioning, I had to NOT think about it. There were times when the music we were rehearsing or performing would make me think of her, but in order to function as a bassoon player I had to push those thoughts away and be very businesslike.

Last night was different, though. The lights were off, nobody could see me crying, and I wasn't even playing during that portion of the service. It was the perfect opportunity to allow the music to take effect. My guess is that every person in that church was deeply affected by the organist's performance of the Reger Weihnachten, but each of us had a different issue or perspective which responded. The music performed its therapy on whatever ailed each one of us.

When I left the church last night, I could tell that I had been internally re-arranged during the Reger Weihnachten. And to think, I was paid to be there.

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Lest we forget

2010-12-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while we benefit from a reminder of why we do this - why we push ourselves relentlessly to be the best possible musicians we can be regardless or in spite of compensation or appreciation from outside sources. One of the most famously inspiring examples of such a reminder is found in the speech delivered by Dr. Karl Paulnack to the incoming freshman class of the New England Conservatory of Music in September 2004:

"If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med student practicing
appendectomies, you'd take your work very seriously because you would
imagine that some night at two AM someone is going to waltz into your
emergency room and you're going to have to save their life. Well, my
friends, someday at 8 PM someone is going to walk into your concert hall and
bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that
is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you
do your craft.

You're not here to become an entertainer, and you don't have to sell
yourself. The truth is you don't have anything to sell; being a musician
isn't about dispensing a product, like selling used cars. I'm not an
entertainer; I'm a lot closer to a paramedic, a firefighter, a rescue
worker. You're here to become a sort of therapist for the human soul, a
spiritual version of a chiropractor, physical therapist, someone who works
with our insides to see if they get things to line up, to see if we can come
into harmony with ourselves and be healthy and happy and well.  

Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, I expect you not only to master music; I
expect you to save the planet. If there is a future wave of wellness on this
planet, of harmony, of peace, of an end to war, of mutual understanding, of
equality, of fairness, I don't expect it will come from a government, a
military force or a corporation. I no longer even expect it to come from the
religions of the world, which together seem to have brought us as much war
as they have peace. If there is a future of peace for humankind, if there is
to be an understanding of how these invisible, internal things should fit
together, I expect it will come from the artists, because that's what we do.
As in the concentration camp and the evening of 9/11, the artists are the
ones who might be able to help us with our internal, invisible lives."

Thank you, Dr. Paulnack.  I needed that.

Nutcracker update

2010-12-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

During last night's Nutcracker performance I decided to change my fingering for the high A-B trill in the bassoon solo in No. 11:

For reasons I cannot explain, the high A-B trill fingering I have used ever since my very first Nutcracker is unreliable. I don't know why I remained loyal to this fingering:

Mysteriously, the fingering works perfectly when I first take the bassoon out of its case. The trill works quite a few times at first, and there doesn't seem to be any problem. Then suddenly, inexplicably, something changes and the fingering fails, with a cacking noise replacing the high B in the trill. Once this change occurs during a practice session or orchestra service, the cacking continues each time the trill is attempted! It's confounding.

It might seem obvious to some bassoonists that if the cacking begins only after repeated executions of the trill, the logical solution would be to not practice it before a performance. But I am too obsessive to restrain myself from testing it, over and over, before a performance!

Finally, in the middle of last night's Nutcracker, I decided to solve the problem once and for all. As long as other fingerings exist, why not find a reliable fingering for the High A-B trill?

Early this morning I pulled out my Cooper/Toplansky Essentials of Bassoon Technique. I tried all of the fingerings for that trill, thanking my lucky stars that there were so many choices, and decided upon the one that had popped into my mind last night during the Nutcracker:

This one never cacks, even the hundredth time it is played. It is slightly awkward due to the 2nd finger right hand having to go up when the 3rd finger left hand goes down, but my original fingering wasn't exactly easy either.

But a problem does exist. I have practiced the original fingering thousands upon thousands of times (ask any member of the Columbus Symphony). That fingering is in my DNA. Now suddenly I'm supposed to have a new (and awkward) fingering ready to go by tonight's performance?!

In the past when I've had to "reprogram" like this, I've used the technique of keeping the bassoon out all day (normally I put it back in its case whenever I'm not practicing) so that I can continuously pick up the bassoon and play the new trill fingering, within the context of the Nutcracker solo, then set it down and do something else briefly (or practice something else), followed by another go at the passage, ad infinitum, in the hopes that I can make the trill automatic by tonight. I have found that the most helpful thing I can do at this point is to remind myself before playing the passage to leave the 4th finger right hand on the F key for the A4 which begins the trill, since that is the most unusual and unnatural aspect of this new trill fingering. Whenever I do remind myself to leave the 4th finger on the F key, the trill is a success.

Have you ever encountered a problem with this trill? What was your solution?

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High F

2010-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Sigh. High F. Sure, I can squeeze it out using a high note reed or an Allgood high bocal, but I want to be able to add F5 to my repertoire of everyday notes. My goal is to be able to include F5 in scale practice using my everyday Heckel CC1 bocal. (Is this goal reasonable?)

My current bassoon (Heckel 15421) enables me to play reliably up to high E (E5) on regular reeds (as opposed to "high" reeds), and I am glad that my scale routines can cover the bassoon from Bflat1 through E5 without altering my equipment in any way. But now I want to expand to F5!

This is the only fingering I've had any success with:

It only works for me some of the time, on certain reeds. I am using a very tight embouchure which is parallel (no overbite).

Do you have any solutions?! Please comment here or send me an email at betstur@aol.com. I will post the solutions in a later blog post. I'm interested in any information or suggestions offered, even if it involves alteration of equipment!

Thanks!

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The Nutcracker

2010-12-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Until recently, bassoonists typically used to roll their eyes and issue a guttural "aughhhhhh!" whenever Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker was mentioned. After all, it contains some of the most confounding bassoon passages ever written, and it is often performed ad infinitum throughout the entire month of December with multiple performances per day!

Things have changed. From my perspective with the Columbus Symphony, being offered the opportunity to perform in the Nutcracker pit represents a major victory. Last season, BalletMet Columbus was unable to afford to hire the Columbus Symphony to accompany its Nutcracker performances, and they used recorded music.

The musicians were obviously unhappy about the ballet company's use of recorded music, as were many audience members who voiced their disappointment to the ballet management. The musicians feared that we would never again perform with the ballet, since once such a change is made, it usually turns out to be permanent.

We were lucky, though. BalletMet's board and management (along with the also financially strapped OperaColumbus board and management) sincerely wished to work out a solution which enabled continued collaboration with the Columbus Symphony. Last summer the boards and managements of all 3 organizations (symphony, ballet and opera) worked out a deal. Because the symphony was also having severe financial problems, it was remarkable that a solution was reached. The musicians had to vote on a variance to our master agreement to allow reduced pay for ballet and opera services, and the variance passed.

This is the version of the Nutcracker which we're using:

The orchestration was reduced by David Itkin. Any bassoonist who has encountered the Itkin reduction will report that this part is even more difficult than the original. There is only one bassoon in this version, so yes, some of the second bassoon parts are included. Also the bassoon part contains lines originally assigned by Tchaikowsky to a horn or trombone. The string parts seem to be original, but the woodwind and brass parts are quite altered.

It's a safe bet that this is the most challenging bassoon passage in any version of the Nutcracker:

The tempo of this passage can make or break the bassoonist's success, of course, but the tempo is usually uncomfortably fast! I have practiced it by slowing it down and altering it in every way I can think of: playing in duple rhythm, playing all slurred, playing with various rhythms and articulations. Sometimes in performance, the way I watch the part as it goes by seems to make a difference. If I take care to watch each note in succession, that helps. (I seem to normally ignore the printed music, especially with something like this which I have practiced a lot!)

The 3rd phrase of the following bassoon solo in Act II used to frustrate me to no end:

Now, suddenly it is easy on my 15,000 series Heckel. I have no explanation, other than that the degree of difficulty of this passage varies greatly from bassoon to bassoon. Just pick your favorite high A-B trill fingering, and that's it.

The infamous B octaves at the end of the Arabian dance played in the original by 2 bassoons is always tricky to tune:

But in the Itkin version, the lower octave is played by the second clarinet - violà - problem solved! Itkin is either a genius or a lucky experimenter.

As an example of the unexpected surprises transferred from other instruments to the bassoon in this version, the following appears in the Dance of the Flowers:

The scalar passages at the top of the page are unfamiliar, but playable, as are the horn choir parts beginning at H. Chances are, the music sounds perfectly fine (and normal) to the audience.

Classical musicians are beginning to open our minds to change. Perhaps we would have balked at the idea of performing the Itkin Nutcracker reduction 10 or 15 years ago. We're beginning to ponder the notion that flexibility may be required of us if we want to remain employed as musicians. And I think it's safe to say that all of us are more appreciative of the work we're offered, since we can no longer take it for granted.

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Best of Baroque

2010-11-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

Please forgive me for taking a short break from blogging. Ill be extremely busy over the next couple of weeks, but I intend to resume writing as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, here's a stream of a recent concert by the Columbus Symphony with our new music director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni:

Best of Baroque

It's a terrific program including Stravinsky's Pulcinella.

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Adjustments to the instrument

2010-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

My new Heckel bassoon #15421 has not yet been sealed or tuned. It has been in its pristine state since I acquired it. I have not wanted to make any changes to the instrument while it is so new, due to the necessary breaking in and settling period.

There were a couple of issues which I finally decided to address. My teacher, K. David Van Hoesen of the Eastman School of Music didn't talk a whole lot about the specifics of bassoon mechanics, but there was one point he insisted upon. He said that the height of the G key pad (which is located above the A tone hole) was critical. And I knew that mine was not right, as seen in this photo:

The G key pad is way too high. Mr. Van Hoesen insisted that the metal on top of the G key pad should be flush with the top of the metal guard surrounding the bottom of the hole. When the height is too high, like mine, the bassoon's low A is sharp.

Any change to the instrument, even adjusting the height of a key pad, has the potential of widespread effect since the bassoon is acoustically so complicated. For one thing, I was afraid that lowering the key pad would lower the pitch of A2, an octave higher than low A. That note was reliable and I didn't want to mess with it.

Fortunately, a dear friend set me straight. He said that the change may not affect A2 at all! I guess there's no point in attempting to apply logic to the bassoon. I should know that by now!

So I finally did it- I lowered the height of the G key pad to make it flush with the guard:

Not only is the low A pitched lower as a result of this change, but miraculously, the A2 is unaffected! As a further bonus, Bflat2 is now much more stable and reliably pitched. I think there's a very good reason why Mr. Van Hoesen focused on this one critical aspect of bassoon adjustment. It seems as though the intonation of my entire instrument fell into place after making this adjustment. I am sure that this was one of the trade secrets of the legendary woodwind repairman of the 1900s, Hans Moening of Philadelphia, whom Mr. Van Hoesen respected greatly.

I made the change by sticking a thin piece of cardboard on top of the black rod or pin which extends through the interior of the boot to operate the G key:

The view below shows the 2 rods. The rod used for this procedure is the top one, the one closer to the bocal. The cardboard is placed between the top of the rod and the bottom of the key mechanism:

You'll know you're doing the right thing when you see that the height of the G key pad has changed. As I said, this very slight adjustment has changed the entire instrument for the better. I highly recommend it!

Next, I decided to tackle the problem of the wing joint not being able to be fully inserted into its receiver in the boot:

This is as far as it would go. I can only guess as to how this might affect intonation, and I can clearly see how it affects the placement of the left thumb keys. (The thumb keys on the wing joint end up being higher than the thumb keys on the long joint.)

It should be a simple matter to remove some of the string wrapped around the wing tenon, right? Well, it wasn't. I hadn't attempted to do this since the 8th grade, so I'm out of practice. But I also ran into a hurdle.

Mr. Van Hoesen had instructed his students to find the end of the string, unwind it a bit, and see if the joint fits into its receiver before cutting the string. If it fits, you make a loop in the middle of the string and pull the end through to secure it in place.

I used a piece of wire to find the end of the string, but the search was in vain. Finally I had to give up on finding the end of the string. I used scissors to cut into the string:

When I pulled on the string to unwind some of it, I was shocked to end up with this mess:

There were no fewer than 3 pieces of string hanging off the tenon! By this time my stomach had turned inside out and I began to panic. (I'd just destroyed a priceless and irreplaceable instrument!)

I immediately thought of the great bassoon teacher Norman Herzberg, who was my reed-making teacher. Mr. Herzberg's advice for any bassoon-related emergency was "dinner and a movie," followed by a refreshed effort to address the emergency.

That's what I did. And when I readdressed my emergency, a piece of string somehow extracted itself from the mix, and I ended up with what I wanted- one end of string to make a loop with and pull the end through. A fairly substantial amount of string was removed before the joint fit completely into its receiver:

As you can see, all of this work was done over a towel. Another legendary bassoon teacher and instrument mechanic, Hugh Cooper, taught me to do that. He said it would be a big mistake to ever take any action without holding the bassoon and its parts over a towel, just in case the unspeakable occurs.

To complete the job, I applied to the tenon the cork-grease-like substance which came with the bassoon:

Here's the finished tenon::

And it fits like this:

Just right!

Another issue which is easy to overlook is that of inserting the wing joint so that it is correctly lined up with the boot:

Just eyeballing it every time you assemble the instrument is not likely to result in accuracy. Many bassoon repairmen make marks on the boot and wing to line up during assembly. I just applied 2 thin pieces of masking tape to line up on my bassoon:

The blue tape on the whisper key rod above is there to ensure that the whisper key closes when the pancake key is depressed. Of course, this is an extremely common point of malfunction on bassoons.

That's enough bassoon alteration for one day, I think. Just a word of caution, as originally delivered by Mr. Van Hoesen: Don't ever perform any kind of maintenance or alteration - not even oiling of the keys - right before a performance! You never know when something might go wrong.......

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Pulcinella

2010-10-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Columbus Symphony's performed Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite with our new Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni. Pulcinella is the first piece of Stravinsky's neoclassical period, and is full of unique challenges for the 1st bassoon.

The first challenge is to obtain a reed which can do everything called for in Pulcinella. It has to favor the high range and the low range, it has to have a big sound and a more subtle ability to accompany.

The first solo passage occurs at rehearsal #1:

My teacher at Eastman, K. David Van Hoesen, spent a lot of time coaching me on Pulcinella. He said that the passage at #1 should be played with a very full sound throughout, with no crescendos or diminuendos, with strict rhythm. Of course, the bassoon should not overbalance the oboe solo which begins on the downbeat of #1; the voices should be equal.

The first entrance in the Scherzino is also to be played with a very full sound:

Tempo-wise, the 1st bassoonist is at the mercy of the 2nd bassoonist who sets the tempo with 8th notes underneath the 1st bassoon melody. The 2 passages between #20 and #21 are also prominent passages.

The Allegro is quite fast, and the most challenging passage of the movement begins 2 measures before #36:

Mr.Van Hoesen taught his students a very unusual set of fingerings for the first measure of this passage. It involves keeping the low F key depressed from the 2nd note (G#) through the 5th note (also G#). The high A is played with the right hand plus the low F key. The passage is difficult to play in tune with these fingerings- the G#s and A have to be coaxed up to pitch- and the passage is very awkward at first with these fingerings. But once you get used to it, the results are better than if you try to use standard fingerings, especially if the tempo is on the fast side. Our tempo was fast, but I didn't mind at all. It makes things very exciting and energetic. These are the Van Hoesen fingerings for 2 measures before #36:

The trill passage later in the same movement goes by quickly. As with each of these excerpts, time spent with the metronome will pay off.

As you can (barely) see above, I penciled in a high B at the end of the1st line. I do whatever I can to see to it that the visual aspect of the music is as clear and helpful as possible. There's no point in screwing up if you can avoid it by writing in a visual cue. (When I was beginning to practice this excerpt, I kept missing the high B. As soon as I penciled in the B at the end of the line, I stopped missing it!)

The passage ending the 3rd movement is awkward because of the fingerings and the increasing tempo:

There's something about the role of the left hand 3rd finger in this passage which makes it difficult. I have a theory that because the bassoon rests on the left hand, the 3rd finger may simply be physically strained, especially if this piece is played at the end of a concert or rehearsal. I tried to adjust the balance of the instrument during the measures leading up to this solo so that it leaned more to the right, taking pressure off the left hand. It seemed to help.

In the above passage, I had practiced it the traditional way, with a crescendo as well as an accelerando leading up to the end. Our conductor asked for a subito piano on the last 2 measures, so I had to adjust my mindset a bit, which is fine with me. I think it's important for an orchestral player to be flexible. Once in a while I have to take a little time to reprogram my brain for certain changes, but I'm always open to new ideas, especially when they come from a respected conductor like Jean-Marie Zeitouni.

The Tarantella is in one and it's fast!

The 2 bassoons trade off during the 2 measures before #56. At #57, the 1st bassoon has the ability to provide rhythmic stability for the rest of the orchestra. It's important to check in with the conductor to be sure that your tempo is accurate!

Many bassoonists consider the Toccata to be the scariest movement of the piece.

The passage beginning one measure before #69 is one of the Pulcinella excerpts which I started practicing weeks before we played it. I began by practicing it all slurred at a very slow tempo with the metronome. When I mastered it at the first tempo, I increased it. During each practice session I started at the very slow tempo and increased it. (That way I'd be experienced at playing the passage at any tempo!) Eventually my top tempo reached 120 (the tempo which is printed in the part) which is quite fast. I kept going though, until my tempo was considerably faster than 120. That way, 120 would seem easy. On most recordings the tempo is slower than 120, probably because of the 1st bassoon part! I think it's wise to be prepared for any tempo, even after rehearsing with the orchestra. Oftentimes tempos adjust in performances, which is one of the reasons why live music is so exciting. I wouldn't want to be left in the dust due to inadequate preparation!

You can see in the passage above that I penciled in a "C" above the high B# and a "D" above the high C#. That's because I decided to use the high C key for B# and the high D key for C#. That's what sounded best, although that was definitely NOT the easiest fingering choice. On my new Heckel, those keys are hard to reach without an enormous left hand.

The 1st bassoon does a lot of accompanying in the Gavotta, and then suddenly rises out of the texture at #76:

The high D in the third measure after #75 is tricky for 2 reasons, I think. First, the 1st bassoon has been playing constantly in that movement and the player has had no chance to reset the reed or suck the moisture out of the bocal. Secondly, you don't really have the option of choosing a high reed for this piece- there are too many other issues to worry about! Normally, a high D would be no big deal for a principal bassoon player, but in this context it's a bit daunting.

Variazione 2a immediately follows the above Gavotta, with no break.

It's important not to cover the solo flute and horn and later the flute duet. In this piece the flutes will probably be sitting in an unusual spot, since there are no clarinets in the piece, and the flutes will most likely sound very different to you in the Pulcinella configuration. Therefore the conductor must be relied upon to assess the balance.

Variazione 2a is one of those passages which varies greatly from reed to reed. The challenge is to make it sound clean, and on most reeds, it doesn't. In fact, I used this movement as the basis for my reed choice. For some reason, it's much more nerve-racking to play this in the orchestra than at home. (With most excerpts, there's not such a difference between home and stage, in my experience.)

Although Variazione 2a is a tremendously big deal to us bassoonists, it's actually a mere accompaniment. When preparing this movement, I practiced it at every tempo imaginable, with the metronome of course. Ideally, it will sound relaxed and easy. That's the goal. Good luck.

After that workout, the 1st bassoonist should be able to coast to the end of the piece, right? Not exactly. The 16ths in the measure before and 4 after #95 in the Minuetto below should project, but the eighths are best blended with the cellos. On our stage, the cellos were located far enough from the bassoon that it never sounded blended to me- it sounded like I was out in left field. This is one of those spots in which the 1st bassoon has to be sure to be with the conductor- it's very easy to lag behind between #95 and #96.

In the Finale, the 16ths such as those after #103 should be quite aggressive. Even if you're able to single tongue at 144 to the quarter, double tonguing is more appropriate for aggression and velocity.

No doubt, the 1st bassoon player has a lot going on in this piece. I can't wait to play it again!

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An amazing bassoon recital

2010-10-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

Karen Pierson

The Ohio State University School of Music's Weigel Hall was the site of Karrie Pierson's bassoon recital this evening. Karrie is Associate Professor of Bassoon at The Ohio State University, for those who don't know. The program was staggeringly ambitious:

Ludwig Spohr (1784-1859): Adagio in F Major, Op. 115

Jean Francaix (1912-1997): Concerto for Bassoon

Damian Montano (b. 19--): Duo Concertante

Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838): Concertino for Bassoon

Each piece was virtuosic and full of character. Karrie's sound is indescribably appealing; it's dark yet sweet, present yet discreet. Her accompanist, Maria Staeblein, also from the OSU faculty, matched Karrie perfectly without ever overpowering the bassoon.

Of course, the Francaix Concerto is rarely performed, for good reason. (Many bassoonists consider it unplayable!) Somehow, Karrie was able to make even the Francaix sound easy! This is only the 3rd time in my life that I have heard this piece played live. It was a real treat.

The Montano was the most avant-garde piece on the program, although it definitely matched the other pieces in its appeal. I especially enjoyed the note bending which Montano called for.

Karrie's career has included much playing and teaching. After studying with Hugh Cooper and Norman Herzberg while obtaining her degrees in bassoon performance, she played principal bassoon in the Omaha Symphony. Then she taught at UT Austin before joining the Houston Symphony where she played prior to accepting her appointment at The Ohio State University.

Karrie plays on a 9,000 series Heckel. I love the way Karrie is able to make her instrument sound smooth, even and flexible throughout its range, with vibrato which is at all times clear and well-controlled.

I also marveled at Karrie's reed-making skills. Her reeds excelled in both the low and the high range, unbelievably, and seemed to be both light and powerful.

Karrie received a standing ovation for her superb performance, as you might imagine. It was well-deserved indeed!

Scheherazade

2010-10-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade features what I believe to be the most famous bassoon solos in the orchestral literature. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to perform Scheherazade this past weekend with the Columbus Symphony under the direction of our brand new Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni.

I vividly remember the first time I played the Scheherazade solos with orchestra. I was quite young and had been just hired by the Columbus Symphony. I was nervous, to say the least- so nervous that I was in a partial blackout throughout the Andantino solo. (The cadenzas later in the movement inspired a near-death experience......)

It's not much different now! It is somewhat beneficial to have past experiences, I suppose, but to me it's radically different each time. The conductor is different, the people surrounding you in the orchestra are different, the reeds are different, the hall may be different, the bassoon may be different, your perspective is surely different. Most important of all, though, is the issue of constant improvement. It has to be better each time!

Scheherazade is a story about one of history's greatest storytellers and the tales she weaves. Scheherazade is the young bride of the king of Persia (aka the Sultan). The Sultan was upset that his former wife cheated on him, so he decided to take a new wife every day and have her executed the next morning. But it all stops with Scheherazade. She marries the Sultan in order to save all future young women from this fate. She tells him fascinating stories, leaving him in such suspense each night that he can't execute her the next morning for fear of not hearing the end of the story. After 1,001 of these well-told tales, the Sultan relents.

In other words, this bassoon solo has to be so captivating that it has the power to save lives! Wow. That's a tall order.

The interpretation of this solo is an individual matter; we each have our own stories to tell, after all.

One bit of advice which may help in preparation for the Andantino solo is that it's really helpful to practice with accompaniment. I like to set an electronic keyboard to sustain the chords that the strings play during the solo, using a setting that sounds like string instruments. So for the very opening, use Bs and F#s in octaves in the bass clef. Of course, this method of practicing has to be segmented because the chords change, but that's OK- I do a lot of segmented practicing anyway. The first chord will get you through 10 bars before you have to reset the keyboard to As and Es which will take you through the next 9 measures, and so on.

For solos like those in Scheherazade, recording myself is an important part of the preparation. I use my iPhone to record myself. Sometimes I sync the phone with my computer to enable playback through my Bose computer speakers, but even just listening to the recordings through the phone gives plenty of information as to whether or not I'm on the right track.

This time when preparing Scheherazade I discovered something new about the cadenzas which occur later in the second movement. My ability to execute these solos is affected by the chosen reed! I have never understood how a reed can effect the execution of fast technical passages, but the last time I performed the Ravel Piano Concerto with its speedy bassoon part in the 3rd movement, I came to the realization that inexplicably, some reeds made the passage easier to play. The same is true for the cadenzas in the second movement of Scheherazade:

This past week I changed reeds after the Andantino solo since my "fast" reed was not flexible enough for the Andantino solo. I prefer not to be constantly fussing and switching reeds, but if it really seems to make a difference, I'll do it.

To practice these cadenzas, I made up exercises for each one which involved careful speeding up and slowing down, striving for control and evenness at all times. Sometimes I just practiced the patterns over and over slowly. In the second cadenza, it helps to keep track of each of the first 5 high Gs. As you can see above, each G has a number above it from 1 to 5. At first this might be confusing, but it seems to be a good way to mentally keep track of what you're doing.

Over-practicing passages like these can cause problems when the hands become "muscle-bound." That's why I like to start practicing these cadenzas several weeks in advance so that I don't have to cram during the week of the performances.

If any readers have any possible explanation for why some reeds facilitate fast playing, please let me know!

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Scheherazade on YouTube

2010-09-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Undoubtedly, many musicians turn to YouTube when preparing pieces to be performed. A long time ago, to study repertoire I used to either buy the CDs or borrow them from the library. Gradually, the classical selection at local libraries began diminishing, even though Columbus has one of the best library systems in the country. So I started buying recordings on iTunes. That can be expensive if the piece you need is only available in an album costing $11.99 or thereabouts.

Now, YouTube is where I turn first when I'm studying a piece. Sometimes YouTube offers the added benefit of visuals of the orchestra, the conductor and the soloists if applicable.

Next week the Columbus Symphony is performing Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. The bassoon solos in that piece may very well be the best known bassoon solos in the orchestral literature. We all know those solos really well, right? That doesn't mean it's easy to perform them- quite the opposite. It's darned daunting.

I discovered some very interesting Youtube videos featuring the bassoon solos in Scheherazade. Here's one of Stephen Paulson, Principal Bassoon of the San Fransisco Symphony, demonstrating examples of his approach to musical phrasing and sound production at the request of Michael Tilson Thomas for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra:

Here is a video of the Philadelphia Orchestra performing the second movement of Scheherazade under Eugene Ormandy, with Bernard Garfield on bassoon and a young Richard Woodhams on oboe:

Here is part 2, which features the bassoon cadenzas later in movement 2:

Next we have the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit with Whitney Crockett (who is currently playing principal in LA) on first bassoon. This video begins near the end of the first movement, so hang on- the Andantino bassoon solo is coming right up (and the cadenzas are included on this video):

The next video features the Vienna Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev:

And here is Gergiev rehearsing the Rotterdam Philharmonic, featuring Bram van Sambeek, Principal Bassoon:

I also like this NY Phil recording, which, unfortunately I have no audio for, but it features Principal Bassoon Judith LeClair:

Do you have a favorite recording or video of the Scheherazade bassoon solos?

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Survey results

2010-09-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

Thank you, readers, for your thoughtful responses to my 4 nagging questions! Some of you responded by commenting right here on bassoon blog, and some emailed me. I've compiled your answers here:

1. Do you dry out your swabs after swabbing?

This response really rang true to me:

"No, I don't bother drying out my swabs. I tend to think that keeping the bore "dry" doesn't necessarily mean bone-dry. I think the important thing is that there isn't moisture that has pooled, beaded up, or otherwise collected." The reason that makes so much sense to me is because many bassoonists take steps to humidify the insides of their bassoon cases. If we wanted the bassoon to be bone dry, why would we humidify it??

Most respondents said that they used silk pull-through swabs, and not one bassoonist said that he/she dries the swab after use. One bassoonist said he uses cotton as opposed to silk. And while we're on the subject of swabs, my latest youtube search turned up Terry Ewell's instructions on how to make your own swab:

2. Who is your repairman (or who have you heard positive comments about)? Listed in random order: James Keyes, Chad Taylor, Neil Allen (UK), Benson Bell, Jim Laslie, Paul Nordby, Bruce McCall, Fox Factory, Keith Bowen, John Friedman, Tony Milone, Paul Covey, Holden MacAleer, John Yeh, Carl Sawicki, Chuck Huebner

3. Which left thumb keys do you use for high C4 and above?

I agree wholeheartedly with this response:

"I think that the flexibility of being able to use multiple fingerings is a part of the mastery of the instrument. That applies to a number of notes on the horn!" This bassoonist said in his email that he chooses the fingering based upon the reed. Ultimately, that's what I do also- I choose the fingering based upon the reed and the passage in question, even though when I practice scales I tend to use one set of fingerings. In my case that means using the high D key for C4 and higher.

Other responses:

C key for C4

D key for C4

C + D keys for C4

D key for C#4

C + D keys for C#4

D key for D and above

4. What type of seat strap do you use?

Hook (by far the most common!)

A strap with a buckle which attaches to a key ring

Dutch leg support

(Note from Betsy: I use an adjustable cup seat strap, which never interferes with the functioning of the G or Aflat keys which one bassoonist mentioned concern about. Older bassoons with smaller boots might have that problem with cup seat straps.)

Several respondents commented that it is highly unlikely that the hook will in any way damage the instrument by applying too much pressure, even though that was a rumor I have heard. I agree. Thank you all!

What lurks inside the bassoon??

2010-09-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Many musicians read with horror the NPR article about "trombone players' lung" which circulated a few days ago. A mold called fusarium was detected inside the trombone of a musician suffering from chronic coughing and according to the article, "mold and bacteria could grow in any brass instrument." It's not much of a stretch to imagine mold and bacteria growing in bassoon bocals (and reeds) as well! To compound the problem, bassoonists are known to regularly "suck in" and then, in the attempt to avoid gurgling sounds and fuzzy attacks, we actually swallow the contents of the bocal. Ewww.......

Come to think of it, this could be the main reason why I always prefer to play on new reeds. Long before scientists ever examined the interior of the trombone, I was leery of the dark interiors of reeds and bocals. Wood, due to its porous nature, is even more likely than brass or other metals to trap and grow bacteria and mold! The older the reed, the more time it's had to attract and harbor such toxins. And since the reed is in direct contact with the player's mouth, I think it makes sense to be very afraid of what's inside of them. Mold and bacteria thrive on darkness and moisture, so after playing, I rinse my reeds with water and then leave them out to dry off. (I have paid dearly for that habit, though. Since I don't keep my reeds in the bassoon case, it's not unusual for me to show up at work without my reeds!)

To further promote bacteria-free reeds, I always brush and floss my teeth before playing, every time. Most bassoonists carry toothbrushes in their cases for this purpose. Sometimes we are offered snacks during rehearsal breaks. I do not indulge unless there's plenty of time to brush and floss before playing again.

As a more indirect precaution, I always wash my hands thoroughly before playing the bassoon. If there is any bacteria on your hands, there's a great likelihood of introducing that bacteria into the reed.

If I find it necessary to clean a reed more thoroughly, I wash it carefully with hot water and soap and then soak it in hydrogen peroxide. This is the procedure recommended by a biologist whom I questioned once about the most effective way to clean a reed.

Keeping bocals sanitary is easy as long as cleaning is frequent. The bocal I'm using now is only a year old, and I have swabbed it every 2 weeks with a silk pull-through bocal swab. The bocal looks quite clean and nothing comes out on the swab (although bacteria is invisible). I wash the swab after each run-through and then hang it outside in the sun to dry. The sunlight has a bleaching effect. For the wing and boot joints I also use silk pull-through swabs, and every few days I wash them and hang them out in the sun to dry.

After reading about the toxic trombone, I considered pouring rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide through the bocal for extra sanitizing but decided against it due to the drying effects of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. I don't want to dry out the cork on the bocal!

Do you have any other ideas to add which might enhance the safety level of the bassoon playing experience?

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Electric bassoon!

2010-09-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

lesson with Klaus Thunemann

2010-08-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I have a few spare minutes I browse youtube to see if I can find anything interesting, and i'm rarely disappointed. I was fascinated by this lesson taught by Klaus Thunemann, who communicates clearly even to those who don't speak German!

	1	2	3	4	5
I am saving time using some kind of machines.
I can make personal adjustment.
I am saving money.
I can achieve better quality than buying ready cane.

bassoon blog

Prokofiev Symphony No. 4

Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quartet Op.25 arranged for Orchestra

Nutcracker 2011

Columbus Symphony Champion: Anne Melvin

Preparing to perform as soloist

Strauss Duet Concertino

Brief encounters

A metronomic discovery

Carmina Burana

12. Cignus ustus cantat (The Roast Swan)

From the perspective of the audience

Could this be the symphony orchestra model of the future?

Pep rally for the arts

Conversation with Columbus Symphony President

A conversation with Roland Valliere of the Columbus Symphony

More survival techniques for orchestras

K. David Van Hoesen's lengthy tenure with Lake Placid Sinfonietta

Verdi Bassoon Concerto (really??)

A cautionary tale (tail)

In case you missed Archie Carey's Evening of Bassoonery

An Evening of Bassoonery live streaming here Saturday night!

An Evening of Bassoonery

Saturday, August 6th, 20118pm PST (Find out what time in your zone = 8pm PST using this link )FREE

L'Histoire du Soldat

How to circular breathe

A great reason to learn to circular breathe

Berlin Philharmonic auditions

Orchestral auditions

Some orchestras' secrets of success

Do Musicians have Better Brains?

New work for bassoon by Kohei Kondo

April is the Cruelest Month

Symphony Phone-a-Thon

YES, things really have changed for the Columbus Symphony

Regular readers of this blog know that from time to time, I stray from bassoon topics and instead write about issues affecting orchestras and orchestral musicians. This is one of those times.

Bolero

Musician labor unions: the pros and the cons

Another good reason to play the bassoon (maybe we can use this information to attract new students.....)

Playing a Bassoon Protects Against Sleep Apnea

Connecting, Part II

Connecting with the audience

Shostakovich 11

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Ravel Piano Concerto

Petrouchka

The dog ate my reed

Happy new year!

Orchestral relevance

Christmas Eve gig and the power of music

Lest we forget

Nutcracker update

High F

The Nutcracker

Best of Baroque

Adjustments to the instrument

Pulcinella

An amazing bassoon recital

Scheherazade

Scheherazade on YouTube

Survey results

What lurks inside the bassoon??

Electric bassoon!

lesson with Klaus Thunemann

Saturday, August 6th, 2011
8pm PST (Find out what time in your zone = 8pm PST using this link )
FREE