For years I think I have had a love-hate relationship with the oboe, although you would have a hard time trying to find an oboe player that wasn’t just a little frustrated. If you’re not frustrated as an oboe player, then you’re either a genius or so bad you don’t know any better.
-Kevin Schilling
I read it here.
call me a lonesome star. my only 2 real friends at this time: one is the ipod, the other is the oboe
I have some students who are currently struggling with hand position. Their left hand is the problem: instead of having the index finger hover over the side octave key, it is resting below the side octave key — almost pushing into the somewhat sharp point of the key, in fact. A student today asked me, “Why can’t they just make the side octave key longer?” Hmmm. Maybe that would help, but honestly, when I put my hand in the position they are using, it places the pinkie finger beneath the low B flat key, which is not a good place to have it. Not at all. In “home position” the left pinkie is over the G# key, or between that and the low B key.
The wrists shouldn’t be bent, and the left hand is not precisely perpendicular to the oboe. It is, instead, angled very slightly downward. This helps the index finger rest over the octave key, and brings the pinkie up where it belongs.
I really need to get some good pictures of hand position here. (I am certain I’ve seen some good photos online somewhere, but I’m not finding them right now.) Unfortunately the only pictures I have in my files aren’t up close enough. I wonder if I can find a photographer anywhere who could take pictures sometime. Hmmm.
Harriet B. Stowe: Still, Still With Thee
Gwyneth Walker: I Thank You God
(For the e.e. cummings poem go here
I just heard a kid (looks to be an older teen) tell another “This is a Japanese Maple. Ja-pa-nese Ma-ple,” he pronounced slowly, holding a branch from our tree in the front. He then said, with a bit of awe, “It’s 200 to 300 years old.”
We planted that tree in the 80s. :-)
It was rather cute and made me smile on what is a somewhat dull Saturday.
I’m not sure why, but I’m exhausted. Probably because I had gotten used to having no work, and I just finished up with three days in a row of three hour rehearsals for opera. I love love LOVE being back to work. I love the joy music brings. I love the beautiful music in this. But I do get used to laziness. True, I’ve been teaching, but it’s not taxing in quite the same way as the pages and pages of music. Especially as this opera is new to us. We are all quite used to Boheme, Tosca, Butterfly … and as tiring as those might be to play, they don’t require the concentration that this currently requires. After all, I have to count measures of rest! I’m looking forward to reaching the point when that isn’t necessary any longer. Not that I ever fully trust myself to not count them … but I like knowing that even if I didn’t I’d be okay with the next entrance!
Here’s another snippet of the opera, this time used in the movie “A Room With A View” … go to 3:13 to begin and of course the wonderful kiss at 5:56, cut short by Charlotte …
Oh this does make me want to see that movie again!
It appears that the Madison Winds had some added percussion during their performance of the Aria from Arne Running’s Aria and Quodlibet for Woodwind Quintet … you’d not know it from looking at them, though! We are so good about not showing any reaction to things like this. So do you think it would be wise sometimes to just stop and ask that the noise be silenced, beginning the work again after that, I wonder?
Aria:
Quodlibet:
I knew the volcano that erupted caused tons of flights to be canceled, and I saw the news that told of stranded travelers, but I was totally forgetting about the musical world.
Travel disruptions from Europe’s volcanic ash problem have brought a heavy measure of turmoil to the classical music world. More than in many other fields, its practitioners — conductors, singers, pianists and other instrumentalists — depend on plane flights. Opera casts are increasingly international. Concert promoters, especially in this country, place a heavy premium on foreign talent. After all, where does “jet set” fit better than adjacent to “conductor”?
When I have afternoon rehearsals I’m a bit thrown off my routine. I still wake at about the same time, but somehow I feel a bit frozen. When I’m teaching in the afternoon I don’t feel that way. I suppose it’s that I begin lessons, at the earliest, at 2:45 (mostly 3:30 or 3:45). Opera starts at 1:00. I wake thinking I have tons of time. An hour or so later I realize that a rehearsal that begins at 1:00 means leaving home around noon. I’m not far from the hall, so I’m there before nearly everyone else, but I prefer it that way. (I’m guessing some colleagues who live further are just getting in their cars as I arrive!) Early arrival gives me time to test a few reeds without other players in the pit. No matter what I do in my home studio I have to check the reeds out in the pit or on the stage where they will be used; I can’t tell you how different every space is for reed behavior. Or I can, but you’ll probably roll your eyes and say I’m nuts. But it’s true. (Okay, you oboists out there will agree … yes?)
So I wake up, have my latté, spend some time catching up on Scrabble games, email, and other somewhat unnecessary but relaxing computer things. I try to get a few blog entries prepared (so far that’s been a bit ZERO aside from this post; anything you have read today was prepared earlier). Today I also managed to prepare dinner already, and I’m showered and dressed for work. And now? Now I’m sort of torn between practicing, working on reeds, and cleaning a very dusty house.
Alas, the house will have to wait. I really do need to get a few more reeds up and running. And there is one little lick in La Rondine that I want to be sure is entirely in my fingers. (Yep, only one that needs that sort of attention. This is unusual for operas.)
Currently I’m listening to some really lovely Vaughan Williams vocal music (Four Hymns). I can listen to the music as I continue with reeds (I am soaking cane first). Of course when I am playing the reeds the music goes off … my ears really dislike hearing music from the speakers while I’m playing. I don’t know if other oboists have this issue, or if this is merely me and my silly ears.
Okay … off to work I go!
um Clarinet utterly bad. Oboe & English Horn rule. Period !
Head Pain After Playing the Oboe?
I use to be able to play without breathing for 4+ measures, but now after just playing a 1 oct. A scale can be very painful. I’ve been playing the Oboe for about 2 1/2 years now. When I stop playing I become very lightheaded, my vision gets white and sometimes black dots in it, and my head will throb really bad for 1 minuet to sometimes 3. If you know anything about this please tell me how I could make it less painful, or if it has happened to you.
Thanks (:
There are only 3 days left to answer. Go here … I’m sure the young player would appreciate some help! (I’m just a bit on the busy side and I’m guessing I won’t get to it.)
Check out the “OBOE reconstructed T shirt tunic”.
Hmmm. I think I might wear it. I just love those oboes. And here I recently said I’d not carry a “music is my bag” bag around. Go figure!
We have our second rehearsal for La Rondine today. It’s our first with one of the casts. This is when the fun begins! I love hearing the voices, and the music does make a lot more sense then. La Rondine is about as close to musical theater as can be for opera, I think. I wonder if this might be a good first opera for people who love musical theater.
Here’s a bit of the fun (not us, of course!):
I did a really stupid thing today. (Well, okay, I probably did more than one stupid thing but this is the one I’ll ‘fess up to.) I left my part under my chair! Argh! I planned on going over a few little sections that are a wee bit tricky. (There’s really nothing in it that is as difficult as other operas we’ve been doing, but I of course want to be as close to perfect as possible!) I left the original on the stand thinking, “Well, I bought my own part, so I’ll practice with that and be safe about leaving this part here.” Of course I forgot that I had put my music folder under my chair when we began the rehearsal. I did look under the chair before I left, but the folder is black, and the pit is quite poorly lit. So no practicing the part tomorrow morning after all. Rats and double rats!
I do have reeds to be worked on, so that will easily take up the morning in any case. I played on two different reeds for today’s rehearsal, neither of which had me completely happy, neither of which was even close to perfect. (But when does a reed have us completely happy, eh?) One was too easy and is dying, and the other is definitely not stable yet. The latter is new, so I’m hoping it will decide to become the Perfect Reed. But of course I must have more than one, and I know how likely it is to be absolutely perfect.
Oh dear … I’ve used the word “perfect” far too many times. Man, oh man, that’s just … well … you know … perfect.
Oooh I heard a beautiful oboe sound coming from next door this afternoon… :)
… but the reviewer I’m quoting must be one busy person, attending every symphony in the country!
“A symphony orchestra should be stimulating but never stodgy, which perfectly describes the Oakland East Bay Symphony, the most fun-loving symphony in the country.”
I have friends in the group, and next time I see one (or more) I’m going to ask what makes things so darn fun, and why aren’t they making the groups we play in together the most fun-loving. But I really, really love fun.
Reading the article does make me think about the theater Symphony Silicon Valley (sorry, it appears the site needs updating) plays in. The California Theatre is a restored movie theater. They show movies there on occasion. Why don’t we do a movie/orchestra night? Wouldn’t that be fun? Years and years ago San Jose Symphony (RIP) played the original, rarely heard soundtrack to the silent film, The Thief of Bagdad. I remember it being a bit of a challenge, coordinating the music with the film, but it was pretty darn fun. I’d love to do more of that. And perhaps it would bring in a different audience. Don’t know unless we try!
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