Friday, July 10

Why make reeds? (part 2.b) / Pourquoi faire ses anches? (#2.b)

Recall:

These are MY opinions: I encourage everyone to try for yourself and come to your own. I think this blog is most useful if it starts conversations and helps people ask more intelligent questions (maybe help people realize they are not crazy if they have difficulties with reeds). Not everybody will share my opinions and that is good: the more contrasting conversations we can have, the better!

I wanted to discuss this topic in 2 parts:

  1. the definition of a good reed
  2. comments on the makers.

But some conversations I had on Facebook lead me to insert one more discussion in the middle.

Rappel:

Ceux-ci sont MES opinions: j'encourage chacun à essayer pour soi et se former ses propres opinions. Je crois que ce blogue est utile à démarrer la discussion et aider aux gens de poser des questions intelligentes (peut-être à confirmer que la difficulté avec les anches n'indique pas la folie). Plusieurs ne partageront pas mes opinions et c'est bien ainsi: toujours bien d'avoir des discussions contrastées!

Je voulais discuter le sujet en 2 parties:

  1. la définition d'une bonne anche
  2. commentaires sur les fabricants.

Mais quelques discussions sur Facebook m'incitent à insérer une autre discussion au milieu.

Also, this experiment on reeds made by other people coincides with more elaborate experiments on my own reeds with new and old cane from different producers. I have found that different sources of cane favour very different tone colours AND feelings while playing: two sources can sound the same, but require very different embouchure habits – this is not an easy thing to modify while experimenting! Aussi, cette expérience avec les anches fabriquées par d'autres coïncide avec des expériences plus élaborées avec des roseaux par différents producteurs. J'ai trouvé que différentes sources de roseau favorisent des timbres ET des sensations bien différents de l'une à l'autre: ceux de deux producteurs peuvent sonner presque pareils tout en exigeant des habitudes d'embouchure différentes – pas une chose facile à modifier en expérimentant!
Finally, I just acquired a new microphone. It is quite good, but almost the opposite from my old one, so I'm debating the possibility of recording sound clips from the different reeds.... with just my old microphone, it is very difficult to capture the small differences that are a big deal to us oboists, and that we hope the audience actually hears! Enfin, je viens d'acquérir un nouveau microphone. Il est excellent, mais presque l'opposé de mon vieux, alors je jongle avec l'idée de faire de courts enregistrements avec chaque anche… avec mon vieux micro tout seul, il n'est pas facile de capter les détails sonores, si importants aux hautboïstes, mais qu'on ne peut qu'espérer que l'auditoire perçoit!

Remember one of the slogans from last post (here): "A reed can play easily OR sound great, but not both". This leads to the question: what is a good tone colour on the oboe?

 

Harsh tone or harsh playing?

Back in the 1980'-90's, when I was a music student, MANY people were criticizing Heinz Holliger for sounding like a swarm of flies in recordings he made in the early 1980's. I don't know if the recordings were faithfully reproducing his sound or if sound equipment and expertise at the time were inadequate, but it's clear that his tone colour is completely unimportant when you start grasping his unique expressiveness, vitality and the artistry in his ornamentations of baroque repertoire.

Still, I think most people prefer a more velvety sound. For sure, I am trying to move away from the Indian snake-charmer sound oboes give in old black-and-white movies. But if sounding like a plush toy means getting headaches from blowing like an air compressor or being unable to extend a range past p-mf, then I'll leave that sound to other people.

olFaithful

Many years old and still one of my best playing/sounding reeds ever!

Plusieurs années à me servir et sonner le vrai délice – reste une de mes meilleurs anches jamais faites!

Rappel d'un des slogans du dernier article (ici): "Une anche peut bien jouer OU bien sonner, mais pas les deux". Ceci mène à la question : c'est quoi, au juste, un bon timbre de hautbois?

 

Timbres durs ou dureté du jeu?

Dans les années 1980-90, pendant mes études musicales, PLUSIEURS personnes critiquaient le timbre nasillard de Heinz Holliger (ses enregistrements au début des années 1980). Je ne sais pas si les enregistrements véhiculaient fidèlement son timbre ou si l'équipement et l'expertise de prise de son à l'époque manquaient d'expérience, mais il est claire que son timbre n'a aucune importance quand on commence à saisir l'expressivité unique, la vitalité et la musicalité de ses ornementations dans le répertoire baroque.

Toujours est-il que la majorité du monde semble préférer un timbre plus velouté.

Sans aucun doute, je vise à délaisser le timbre des envoûteurs de serpents de l'Inde dans le vieux cinéma. Mais si sonner comme un ourson en peluche équivaut à des migraines parce qu'il faut souffler comme un compresseur ou me limiter à p-mf, alors je laisserai ce timbre à d'autres.

When I started being active in Internet groups, I felt only very dark, baroque-like sounds (e.g. Louise Pellerin or Cynthia Steljes were good and everything else was bad musicianship. Over the years (thanks to You-Tube, Vimeo, Arte-Web, etc.!!!) I have come to appreciate edgy sounds, or clear sounds with a hint of a buzz in it, which I consider more "living" or "pastoral" (country-side) sounds. In high-school, beginner oboists honk their way through band class, so we want to stay away from any kind of hollow, strong sound. But as a performer reaches the control of the professional, a sustained goosey tinge to the sound, I find, is actually very nice in many respects. My own personal taste still prefers the tone of the Baroque Oboe (Marcel Ponnsele or John Abberger) over all others, but I now find quite a lot of modern oboe sounds to have pleasant qualities that simply don't occur in the period instruments.

I'm not trying to be politically correct or sensitive to the preferences of others: there are still big names whose sounds bother me to the point of not being able to appreciate their artistry. And now I consider many professionals with heavenly tone-colours play without feeling or soul – in my opinion, of course. I have just come to appreciate variety: this makes my quest for the "one single ideal oboe" even more difficult!

 

Cynthia Steljes
Louise Pellerin
 
Heinz Holliger
 
Marcel Ponsele

Au début de mon activité dans les groupes Internet, je croyais que seuls des timbres très sombres, riches et baroquescants (tels Louise Pellerin ou Cynthia Steljes) se respectaient et que tout le reste trahissait un manque de goût artistique. Au fil des ans (merci You-Tube, Vimeo, Arte-Web, etc.!!!), j'apprécie maintenant les timbres plus carrés, clairs ou même avec un soupçon de buzz, que je qualifie plus vivant ou pastoral. À l'école secondaire (le lycée), les débutants vont plutôt klaxonner leur hautbois. Par conséquent, nous cherchons à délaisser un timbre creux ou rude. Mais lorsque l'artiste acquiert le control professionnel, un soupçon de cacanement (cri de l'oie) soutenu à son charme. Mes goûts personnels favorisent toujours le hautbois baroque (Marcel Ponseele ou John Abberger) mais j'apprécie beaucoup plus les timbres modernes pour avoir des qualités plaisantes qui sont simplement absents des instruments d'époque.

Je ne vise pas la rectitude politique, ni la sensibilité aux préférences d'autrui: il reste des grands noms dont le timbre m'achale au point de ne pas pouvoir apprécier leur musicalité. Je trouve aussi que certains professionnels avec des timbres célestes peuvent manquer d'âme dans le jeu – mon opinion, bien sûr. Mais j'apprécie maintenant la variété: ce qui rend plus difficile ma quête pour "l'unique hautbois idéal" encore plus difficile!

Best reeds: machine made or all handmade?

Vicky's website is called "Handmade Oboe Reeds" and I know there is generally a general bias in favour of making reeds by hand rather than machine. But I think most large-scale makers of short-scrape reeds now start their reeds with profiling machines and produce first rate reeds; there are even profiling machines to make American reeds. Most makers will test and finish their reeds by hand; in the end, the only thing the machine did was speed up the process and prevent accidental chopped-off corners or holes where you don't want them.

Which is better, American (long) scrape or European (short) scrape?

This is probably the most emotion-packed and verbally violent debate among oboists in international discussion groups. Well, let me begin by pointing out that "long scrape" does NOT imply "American scrape". Actually, the very notion of "American" reeds actually becomes fuzzy because there are important variances and I have seen sketches of similar scraping styles characterizing Dutch reeds.

red2

Looks can be deceiving:
NOT American scrape!

Gare aux apparences: n’est
PAS le grattage américain!

Meilleures anches: fabriquées à la main?

Le site web de Vicky s'intitule "Handmade Oboe Reeds" (anches faites à la main) et je sais qu'il y a un parti-pris général contre la fabrication à la machine. Mais je crois qu'en gros, les fabricants de style européen commencent les anches à la machine et produisent ainsi d'excellentes anches; il existe aussi des profileurs pour anches américaines. La majorité des fabricants vérifieront personnellement les anches ainsi produites et les termineront à la main; en fin de compte, la machine sert à accélérer le travail de gros et prévient les trous et coins rongés par accident.

Quel est mieux, le grattage américain (long) ou européen (court)?

Voici sans doute la question la plus remplie d'émotion, provoquant des "débats animés" dans les groupes de discussion internationaux. Commençons par préciser que grattage long n'implique PAS le style américain, notion qui devient floue parce qu'il y a nombreuses variantes et j'ai vu des esquisses semblables décrivant le style hollandais.

In my own personal definition, "American" scrape is always nearly full-cane-length and requires one very special characteristic: the back "windows" must be thinner than the heart, with the heart typically rather thick. A reed can be scraped very long, but if it the thinning is continual from back to front without an important hump, then by my definition it is not American scrape. Many of my own reeds look American because of a long W behind the heart, but the back "gullies" (as I call them) are thicker than the heart: these reeds are popularly called "hybrid" (i.e. half-way between American and European scrape). The length and gullies serve to control opening on obstinately open reeds.

The words "European" or "short" scrape can be used almost interchangeably. Short scrape is a straight-forward technique and very likely the oldest: just always get thinner towards the tip (and the sides). People still talk about German or French or English scrape, but there are really numerous variances that cause impressive differences in sound and behaviour. People now adapt them to their own tastes and country-label is really only useful for discussion. Dozens of profiles and scraping length can vary from 1/4 to almost all of the cane length. In general, the idea is "not American".

 

americanMass

Machine-made American scrape.

Grattage à l’américaine faite à la machine.

Selon ma propre définition, le grattage "américain" couvre toujours presque toute la longueur du roseau et exige une caractéristique particulière: l'arrière (les fenêtres, "windows") doit être plus mince que le coeur, avec le coeur typiquement assez épais. Une anche peut être grattée longuement, mais si la minceur procède continuellement jusqu'au bout, sans bosse importante, par ma définition ce n'est pas une anche américaine. Mes propres anches peuvent parfois paraitre américaines en raison d'un W allongé derrière le cœur, mais ces cannelures restent plus épais que le cœur: on appelle souvent ce style "hybride" (mi-chemin entre européen et américain). La longueur et les cannelures servent à contrôler l'ouverture d'anches qui s'obstinent à trop ouvrir.

Les expressions "grattage européen" et "grattage court" sont presqu'interchangeables. Le grattage court suit un profile intuitif et fort probablement très vieux: on amincit tout simplement vers le bout (et les côtés). Le monde parle toujours d'anches allemandes ou françaises, mais il y a de nombreuses variances qui produisent des différences importantes dans le son et le comportement de l'anche. On adapte le profile pour ses goûts personnels et le libel national n'est utile que pour la discussion. On retrouve des douzaines de profiles avec des longueurs de grattage d'un quart à presque toutes la longueur de l'anche. En gros, l'idée est "pas américain".

So which is the better scraping style?

The common "safe" answer is "it depends on your goals for sound". I'm never convinced of the sincerity of this answer because I would expect an explanation on which scrape is better for which sound.... and that rarely follows. Besides, I have found that any sound characteristic that can be found on American scrape can also be produced on short scrape. The preference for long or short scraped reeds is interesting because I find more and more Europeans trying (and selling) American scrape reeds. Conversely, a number of Americans and Canadians I know personally (and others via Facebook) are abandoning American Scrape and returning to short scrape.

In my personal view, the ideal reed style should a function of your PHYSIOLOGICAL characteristics; how your own body responds to blowing and the resistance from the reed. Many people will say that short scrape requires more strength and biting: but I assure you my some of own reeds put an end to that idea! Many people will say that American scrape produces a softer, mellower, darker tone: but old and new recordings of oboes with very metallic and harsh tones are easily found with long scrape reeds.

americanMakeramericanPro

Very different hand-made (by pros.) Amercian scrape reeds.

Anches professionnelles américaines très différentes faites à la main.

Alors quel est le meilleur grattage?

La réponse commune est "cela dépend de tes objectifs sonores". Cette réponse ne m'a jamais convaincue parce que je m'attends à une explication de quel style fait quoi…. ce qui suit rarement. De toute façon, j'ai trouvé que tout ce qui peut décrire le grattage américain est aussi disponible avec le grattage court. La préférence pour un style particulier et curieuse parce que je vois de plus en plus d'européens essayer (et vendre) des anches américaines. À l'inverse, un nombre d'américains et de Canadiens que je connais personnellement (et autres via Facebook) abandonnent le profil américain pour reprendre le grattage court.

À mon avis personnel, le style idéal doit concorder à vos caractéristiques PHYSIOLOGIQUES; comment votre corps répond au souffle et à la résistance de l'anche. Plusieurs prétendent que le grattage court exige une embouchure plus forte et un peu de morsure: je peux vous assurer qu'un nombre de mes anches mettent fin à ça! Plusieurs diront que le grattage américain produit un son plus rond, sombre et velouté: mais des enregistrements de tout âge présentent des anches américaines au timbre métallique, nasillard et rude.

Several players of European-scrape reeds told me they found American scrape reeds are much easier to blow and more responsive: I used to make American reeds for myself – I also have some made by other people in my collection – and I really disagree with that point of view: American scrape can be very restrictive and stop responding after a few minutes of blowing.

  Plusieurs jouers d'anches européennes m'ont qu'ils trouvent le grattage répond mieux et sont plus facile à souffler: je fabriquais jadis mes anches à l'américaine, et ma collection comprend quelques-unes faites par d'autres – et je ne suis vraiment pas d'accord sur ce point de vue: le grattage américain peut grandement restreindre la nuance et arrêter de répondre après quelques minutes de jeu.

Conclusion:

The more I discuss with people, the more I am of the opinion that preferring long/short scrape and specific details is a function of climatic conditions: a matter of fitting the effects of climate on the cane and the requirements of your specific comfort at playing. Different sources for cane REALLY produce different kinds of cane (hard, spongy, waxy, grassy...) resulting in reeds that behave differently. So factors like gouge and scraping profile, I think, might suit one type of cane more than another. For me, personally, the sprightly nature of short-scrape, with its ability to cope with very weak and very strong blowing suits me better – but I also have preferences in cane to go along with it.

Therefore, there is no correct answer to this question apart from: "try and decide for yourself". Furthermore, my own experience, a person's stamina and tolerance will change a lot in different climates... just as the reed will change its behaviour too. The important thing is this: if you're getting dizzy spells or turning red when playing, try a reed with a different cane, staple and/or scraping style!!!
beigeYellow

Hybrid Scrape (on the short side).
Grattage hybride (plutôt court).

Conclusion:

Le plus je discute avec le monde, le plus j'ai l'opinion que la préférence entre grattage long/court et les détails techniques est une fonction du climat: question d'apparier les effets du climat sur le roseau et les exigences particulières de votre confort à jouer. Différents producteurs produisent du roseau à caractéristiques VRAIMENT différentes (dur, mou, spongieux, cireux…) ce qui donne un comportement vraiment différent à l'anche. Alors des facteurs comme la gouge et le profile, je crois, peuvent mieux s'appliquer à un type de roseau qu'un autre. Pour moi, personnellement, la nature dynamique du grattage court et son adaptation au souffle très faible et très fort me convient mieux – mais j'ai mes préférences de roseau pour aller avec.

Il n'y a donc aucune réponse correcte à la question sauf: "essaie-les et décide pour toi-même". De plus, selon mon expérience, la vigueur et l'endurance d'une personne changera aussi avec le climat… tout comme l'anche changera son comportement. La chose à retenir est ceci: si vous éprouvez des étourdissements en jouant, essayez un anche avec un autre roseau, tube et/ou profile de grattage!!!

2 comments:

jR said...

Very good reasoning and fair understanding of oboe reeds and types... I did not see your discussion on different style of reed influences the way one expresses music with it. Different period music often demands different style of reed, or different sound. Obviously different style of reed affects the way one could articulate the notes and construct phrases, and therefore the way to express music from the notes. For instance, a reed that makes haunting tone, likes of Harold Gomberg, is incompatible with producing very short staccato notes. Neither is it compatible to producing wide dynamic range. Such limitations do influence how one could expresses music. But it sure sounds smooth, soothing, haunting, .... and it is opposite to pre-Marcel Tabuteau era bright reedy sound of old French school. Unfortunately, composers did and still do compose music with certain oboe sound in mind. That is what composers do. Express ones idea musically with certain sound in mind. To be faithful to the music composed, oboe sound does matter. What does this mean to an oboe player? Should an oboe player be able to play oboe with different sounds and therefore reeds? Yes, some music is not as sensitive to type of sound as others. But does it make sense for an oboe player to play all music with his/her one unique sound – therefore limitation of musical expression?

Good news is that sound of modern oboe players all over the world appears to merge to similar sound, i.e. not reedy bright yet allows fairly wide range of articulation and dynamics. The keyword is “fairly”. French, English, Dutch, German, even Viennese styles evolved into “fairly” common “European” sound. And American styles evolved into a sound not so drastically different from that of “European”. It appears to be essentially a compromise between ability to express music and avoiding reedy sound. This is not to say there is no distinguishing unique sound of individual players. There are no more differences among modern oboe players as it was in the 60s between Leon Goossens and Harold Gomberg, or Lothar Koch and Heinz Holliger in the 70s and 80s.

RobinDesHautbois said...

Thank you, jR, for this really insightful reply.... no sarcasm here: the discussion you propose is worthy of it's own blog post or even an article in IDRS quarterly.

This blog is written by an amateur (myself) with no funding or any payment of any kind, so it's really just a matter of ranting on questions that come to my mind. By some miracle, others find it interesting, so I try to tip the hat by addressing questions that come my way in a manner that can be helpful (I hope) to people with limited experience in the field. => Again, everything here is a matter of my own opinions as both an oboist and a member of the audience, so opposing points of view are a welcome discussion.

I personally think it's sad that regionnal (country) tone distinctions are melding away: enjoy them all or not, there is something to be said for variety. The bright, edgy, reedy sound of the old French school - or as I say "snake charmer from black-and-white movies" (assuming it is not just a matter of recording equipment....) is indeed something most people seem to be departing from. But I'm not sure uniformity worldwide is necessarily something to aspire to.... but I'll have to record some Romanian twirl-dances on buzzy and velvety sounding reeds for comparison (if I can find MIDI accompaniment).

When you say some sounds favor some technical and/or lyrical aspects; I find it difficult to disagree with you. On the other hand, from my own experience, I tend to consider this notion (by my own standards) as a limitation rather than a quality to aspire to. I have found that the same reed on different oboe makers have a WORLD of different sounds and therefore something as simple as changing a bell might afford the same lyricism or haunting sound while still permitting stacato. I really reject the idea that a performer should physically suffer discomfort and limited expressiveness in order to acheive a desired sound - but that is again my own point of view: I respect and indeed applaud those professionals who really strive for their ideal sounds.

The idea of composers composing with specific tone colours in mind..... that I don't buy at all. It strikes me too much like saying Baroque repertoire should not be done on the piano or a modern oboe. I have worked with a number of living composers and none of them ever complained when I suggested alternate sounds. Strauss wrote the oboe concerto for John DeLancie, with his limited dynamic range (to my taste and judging by the poor recordings I have heard), but I really doubt he would have object to the power and intricacy of the latest recordings by the greats of today: such tremendously contrasting styles from one performer to the next - I think composers would actually enjoy seeing people "understand their work" with such variety.

But one thing you said I really like: "But does it make sense for an oboe player to play all music with his/her one unique sound – therefore limitation of musical expression?" .... indeed, any single performer may or may not be able to produce different sounds for different repertoires, but thank God that there are so many of us out there with so many different styles!

Thank again jR, really good discussion!