Loboe and New Music in South Africa

This week we presented a concert of contemporary chamber music, including the world premiere of American composer Hannah Lash’s piece for the solo Loboe, Silvers. What made this a unique experience was that the concert almost didn’t happen due to a combination of increasingly violent riots and strikes at the University of KwaZulu-Natal campuses last weekend. Indeed, Durban is not immune to academic budget cuts, though the official reasoning from the student-base was never completely made clear in the papers covering the story. What was made very transparent to us on the day of the concert was that after a weekend of rubber bullets and protesting, about half of the University staff was on strike and the concert hall management could not guarantee that we would even have an audience, should we choose to go ahead with the performance.

Well, the threat of a small audience is hardly a set-back for new music people. We preceded anyway, considering the concert involved three other members of the KZN Philharmonic and rescheduling would have been a nightmare. As long as there was no immediate threat of tear gas at the concert, we were on.

Despite all of the drama over the weekend and that morning, we had a good turnout of University students, orchestra colleagues and other guests. There were several people who later said that they could really hear the distinct timbre of the “low-A”, especially as it is featured in the ending of Hannah Lash’s work. A few words were said about each piece and the program was as follows:

Sylvia by Moerane/Blake

Violeta Osorhean, Violin and David Plylar, Piano

Partita Canonica by Hofmeyr
David Cohen, Clarinet

Phantom Vignettes by Plylar
Violeta Osorhean, Violin and David Plylar, Piano

Skirmish by Plylar
David Cohen, Clarinet, Alison Lowell, oboe and David Snaith, viola

Silvers by Hannah Lash (world premiere)
Alison Lowell, oboe

Fractured Colloquy by Plylar

Alison Lowell, oboe and David Plylar, piano

Solace; A Mexican Serenade by Joplin/Plylar

Ensemble

My colleagues all performed beautifully and it was very enjoyable to work on contemporary music again with such fine players. It was wonderful to see so many curious audience members come back stage and ask questions about the works, how certain effects were notated, etc.
Durban is not exactly over-run with new music yet, but performing at a University is a good place to start. 

Loboe Potential in Bach's "Magnificat"

 Not every orchestra has the luxury of owning an extended range of auxiliary instruments, especially when it comes to the double-reed families. When the need for two oboe d'amores arose in our orchestra's performance of Bach's Magnificat last week, we faced the unique dilemma of being unable to find more than one working and available instrument within South Africa. While it is always preferable to perform works with the intended instrumentation, practicality and financial issues seemed to dictate the use of English horns over shipping instruments from Europe. However, it was interesting being able to offer the conductor the alternative of performing Mvt. III, "Quia respexit humilitatem", on oboe as well as English horn.  An oboe transposition of the oboe d'amore solo line is actually provided in the part, but because of the one instance where the music reaches the "A" below the staff, the register has to be shifted up, thus breaking the original flow. English horn of course provides a closer color in terms of sound, but the transposition, while quite doable, sits very high on the instrument and frequently extends to the written "E" above the staff. For the Loboe, the solo line fits very comfortably on the instrument.  It is attaca from Mvt. III to Mvt. IV and there are no register shifts for the English Horn II; this part could also conceivably be performed on a non-extended range oboe.

While this is a very specific instance, it is refreshing to know that should an orchestra find itself faced with a lack of oboe d'amores, the Loboe can offer an additional auditory solution for consideration. 

Artistic Strides Across the Pond

Before too much time passes, I wanted to document my experience traveling back to the States for the first time since moving to South Africa. With a five week vacation, we were fortunate to have an ample amount of time to visit friends and family but more significantly, we also had a first-hand look at the speed and momentum at which music organizations and ensembles seem to be moving in the States. With so many talented musicians and so little funding to go around, competition for public attention is fierce. Despite a horrific economy for the arts, many artists seemed to be truly pushing forward and I wanted to share some of these inspiring achievements.

One of the first nights back I was flipping through the channels and low and behold, there was Gustavo Dudamel on Jay Leno along side Queen Latifaht! Having lived in Los Angeles for four years, I was struck by the major marketing campaign that the LA Phil created for their new conductor. Suddenly, Dudamel was not only gracing the newspapers and the Internet in the form of reviews, but his image was plastered on buses and tv commercials. This orchestra truly wants Dudamel to reach celebrity status and not just amongst music lovers. This is a unique approach and in the end, if it results in exposing new people to classical music without resorting to watered-down programming, I am all for it.

I spent a good deal of time surfing the Internet simply because I could (you can see my earlier posts about Internet usage in South Africa...). The level of expertise when it comes to website attributes continues to astound me. Carnegie Hall employs a beautiful, interactive and very user-friendly digital season brochure that truly captures the spirit and style of the organization. Check out the digital brochure here

I'll admit that I discovered this next feature this summer and not while on break. Listening to the classical station in Los Angeles, I discovered that I was really enjoying whomever was leading the broadcast of the New York Philharmonic during their residency at the Aspen Music Festival, though I could not quite put my finger on it. And suddenly it hit me; that charming voice was actor Alec Baldwin.  It turns out that he has been the host for the weekly symphony broadcasts of the New York Philharmonic since 2009. I tend to be one who prefers to hear more music and less commentary by the radio hosts anyway, but this combination just worked perfectly. I do not associate such actors with the classical world but because of that, there was no elitist air or over-the-top personal opinions about the music.  There was something delightful about hearing this familiar voice in a totally unlikely setting.

Over all, it was encouraging to see arts organizations employing new tactics to maintain their place in the world without resorting to endless “pops concerts” or similar approaches. In the latest issue of Opera Magazine, Tim O’Leary, the general director of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, wisely gives this advice to struggling organizations;

The biggest mistake in response to a challenging economy is to play it safe and scale back. You don’t have to be irresponsible, but you have to keep pushing forward. You have to produce work that makes your institution as indispensable in order to attract support from funders and audiences.

A New Alternative in Oboe Cases

There are many ways to house an oboe.  Up until last year, the double backpack case made by the BAM company was my constant companion. Of course, an unexpected issue with the Loboe arose when it dawned on me that it would not fit in my double Oboe/EH BAM case (the oboe is an inch longer than the standard oboe). With airline restrictions as they are, carrying two cases when both instruments are needed is not a viable option. While the BAM case is a sturdy model, it relies on the oboe resting in a fitted molding, hence making an adjustment for the Loboe's additional length virtually impossible due to size constraints. In my search to find an appropriate case, I discovered an incredible new model.

The world of custom-made cases can be overwhelming, not to mention exceedingly expensive.  For as much as I respect Loree instruments, the cases are a far cry from the exceptional craftsmanship of the oboes, a feeling that I believe is widely held in the double-reed community. I scoured the Internet looking for options and granted, I did come upon a few very good makers for both single and double cases based in Chicago and Boston. However, the right balance of quality, functionality and cost for my specific situation still eluded me.

After some investigation, I was put in touch with Sue Bohling, the principal Cor Anglais player for the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Though not a Loboe player herself, she also had been on a long quest to create a case that would provide superior protection and fit for her instruments, especially while touring internationally with her orchestra.

The additional inch that I required was easily made possible due to the rather ingenious design of the “Bohling” case. State-of-the-art foam holds the instrument in place only by the end joints.  With no pressure from traditional case molding on the top or bottom, the case perfectly secures any make or model of oboe. The oboe’s top and middle joint stay together and the bell is separate. I personally have found that the design and material of this case better protects the instrument from extreme temperature changes (tropical humidity to air conditioned buildings is the norm in South Africa). It restricts virtually all movement within the case while it is being carried.

I took the Loboe in for its farewell tune-up at RDG in Los Angeles last August. It then endured a 4-day odyssey in a moving truck across the US and then a 2-day flight covering over 10,000 miles; goodness knows how many temperature changes! Fully expecting the worst from such travel brutality in such a short period of time, I was stunned to find the instrument feeling just as it had at RDG. The last two times I traveled with the Loboe (Los Angeles to Colorado and then Los Angeles to Charleston, SC, both times before I received the Bohling case), I discovered a small crack in the instrument in addition to the typical minor adjustments that had to be made. My current situation in South Africa means that I will not have easy access to a repair shop for about a year and having a case that provides the maximum amount of protection and structure is of critical importance. 

I believe that this is due to the case’s superior ability to prevent jostling and slight movements that even the BAM case is unable to prevent. The case is fitted with both a shoulder strap and back-pack straps and most importantly, since the upper lid doesn’t come into contact with the oboe, one can easily place photos like the string players typically do…I chose to fit my case with pictures of Webster, my guinea pig.  Going the extra mile for the right case has paid off, especially since I no longer live within 30 minutes of the nearest repair shop.  The Bohling case is the perfect balance of protection and functionality and a great alternative for oboists looking for that extra degree of protection.

New Works for Old Instruments

An interesting phenomena in the contemporary music world is that many of these advocates are also very well versed in the field of period music. Thus is the case for composer Hans Huyssen, a prominent figure in South Africa. Huyssen himself wears many hats; he is a baroque cellist, conductor and educator. With a recent reading of an original composition of his by the KZNPO, I had an opportunity to discover that much of his compositional output is conducive for both modern and period ensembles.  This can be a fascinating cross over and one that I personally hope will continue to grow in this country. Of course, the lack of period instruments and performers is the most obvious challenge. However, like most areas of the arts, knowledge and persistence can make a world of difference.

Other composers have delved into this strange territory. An incredible work by Mauricio Kagel entitled "Music for Renaissance Instruments" explores the sound possibilities of period instruments in an entirely new way. A quote from Kagel himself during an interview with Anthony Coleman about this work:

           I really tried to understand the true function of some of these instruments. I read all that I could about the bizarre fingering techniques, because the instruments themselves are so primitively made that they are always damaged. This for me was the link to new music, because I was trying to work with the natural state of the sounds, and each of these instruments was like a generator of denaturate sounds. So I wrote for each instrument separately to make a unity of musical discourse and functional technique. 

Kagel's composition dates from 1965-66 but this link between new and old continues to be explored. It appears that there will be three new additions to this unusual compositional experimentation list, as they have been comission to write for what is arguably the best known collaboration between contemporary and period ensembles; ensemble recherche and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Both groups are exceptional in their own genre, but also push artistic limits by offering a combined summer academy for students. At the 2011 academy, they ensembles will be performing three works by composers commissioned last year to write for a mixture of modern and period instruments. These progressive performances are yet another example of artists creating not only opportunities for themselves, but contributing to significant artistic growth as well. 

*A shout out to oboists everywhere, if you can manage to attend the joint-masterclass held by oboist Jamie González and baroque oboist Katharina Arfken in Freiburg, Germany from March 17th-19th. 

I am quite certain that it will be an extraordinary event - the deadline is January 15th, 2011!

Sticking to Your Word

This week concluded the KZN Phil's collaboration with the Cape Town City Ballet Company; Prokofiev's "Cinderella". Needless to say, there was much neck-craning from the pit to catch a glimpse of the beautiful costumes and audiences full of little girls in their own ballet-inspired outfits. As the orchestra made its way to the parking-lot after the shows, one couldn't help but observe the many spontaneous reenactments of the ballerinas by little kids and their parents, who were already thinking of ways to prevent their offspring from winding up as another starving artist. It made me think about what pivotal words of advice had an impact on my ultimate decision to go into music, and interestingly, the words that stick out the most were not the positive ones.
I'd like to think that my career has been filled with nothing but those Hollywood-style pep talks, like the one in the locker room right before the "big game". There are certainly words of confidence and encouragement that are meaningful to me, but it was the desire to overcome the negative feedback that I believe had the strongest impact on me. None of these comments stemmed from pure maliciousness; their power comes from the fact that they were said with no ulterior motive, simply very honest feedback.
The earliest I can remember was some summer music teacher who graded me on how well I prepared a book of etudes. I can only imagine how dedicated I was to preparing scales and etudes when I was 11-years old...but I remember her writing a large "F" on one in particular. My total lack of preparation resulted in an unacceptable rendition; it was a very small but visual symbol of failure. I was the only oboe student I knew of at the time, and therefore I believed that my achievements should be setting the standard; how could I fail with nobody to compare to? Perhaps I wasn't actually fooling anyone when I didn't practice...for as much encouragement as I am sure I received during that first summer, I only remember that lesson.
It was during this same summer that our neighbors next door called and asked, in all seriousness, if I was taking up the bag-pipes.  I'm sure it was an accurate description but I can remember vividly wanting to sound better. This strong desire to improve had a clear inception point, it did not stem from the words of encouragement that I had received. A few year later in middle school, my own band director would make the judgement call to introduce my oboe as "the nasal instrument" in front of the entire school; the Loboe Project itself is a manifestation of my determination to overcome that very perception.
The words that stuck to me the most came at perhaps the most critical point in my education. I was fortunate enough to spend a summer at the Eastman School's "Music Horizons" program, a two-week crash course of what conservatory life is like, aimed at high-school musicians. Most students left the program with either a burning passion to make it into a music school or an extreme feeling of relief that they were going to avoid this path. I had not only decided that I wanted to go into music, but that I wanted to study at Eastman itself. Clearly, the school had made a good impression on me...
However, it was during a lesson with the program's oboe instructor at the time, (a former alumna and incredibly talented oboist who would later go on to a successful orchestral career), that I received some shocking information. I played a solo oboe work and asked her if she thought I was on track to study music in college (I had two more years of high-school at that point). She said right away, "oh no, I don't think your conservatory material". I respected this oboist's playing so much and had been trying to soak up as much of her advice as possible; this was devastating to hear. Two weeks in this amazing environment were instantly replaced by the one candid opinion of a former student. I don't remember what the rest of the lesson was like, only my determination to overcome this verbal set-back.
In the end, whatever one's motivation might be, or how it developed, perhaps it is the negative feedback that is the most powerful catalyst for success.  Dance-class enrollment may have increased in Durban following the ballet production; I wonder how many students will be motivated to persevere beyond their own inevitable negative critiques...

What Would Your 50 Pounds of Music Look Like?

What Would Your 50 Pounds of Music Look Like? 

The reality of musicians moving abroad is that space for our scores and sheet music is severely limited to a mere fraction of its original amount.  Thanks to the flash drive, scanner and programs like Google Documents, we can still bring most of our music back to life, though be it through a printer. But there are some scores one simply cannot part with, not to mention bigger collections of work, no matter how practical their use may be in the new location.

Between chamber music, solo literature and other technical books, filtering out which physical scores made the cut was a process that took a great deal of editing; no musical “Kindle” equivalent would cut it for these.  As we all know, music adds up fast. I think for all musicians, there are those certain scores that have been through countless master classes, lessons, and performances and have those personal markings that make them invaluable to us. Of course, one can have things shipped and bring additional materials over on subsequent trips back home, but for me, the following music felt as vital to have as the Loboe itself:

In no particular order...
Concerto for Oboe - Mozart
Fractured Colloquy - David Plylar (oboe and piano)
Gillet Etudes
Musik fur Oboe und Orchester - Wolfgang Rihm (solo part and piano part)
"The Oboe" - Geoffrey Burgess and Bruce Haynes
Sequenza VIIa per Oboe by Luciano Berio
Silvers - Hannah Lash
"Patterns for Improvisation" - Oliver Nelson
"Techniques of Oboe Playing" - Peter Veale and Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf
Ten Klezmer Duos by M. Curtis
Wildlife - Robert Morris for oboe, piano and percussion