oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2:oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2 3/5/16 22:27 Page 1 T SE D C CC2012 2 Obothee 1903 - 1953 oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2:oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2 3/5/16 22:27 Page 2 the [7] Louis Gaudard (1868-1932?) [15] Georges Blanchard (1883-1954) CD II [13-15] Henri de Busscher [19] Lois Wann (1912-99) and Oboe Félix Leroux, J.C. Bach Sinfonia in Bb, op.18/2 (4:09) (1880-1975) Ferdinand Prior (b1912) oboes and ON RECORD Une soirée près du lac (2:54) Concertgebouw Orkest, cond. [1-4] Myrtile Morel (1889-1979) Music Master: Education Series of Engelbert Brenner (1904-86) cor unidentified band; Wilhelm Mengelberg Milhaud, Suite d’après Corrette (1938) Instrumental Masters, pt 2: Henri de anglais 1903 - 1953 probably Garde Républicaine Columbia 67473-D, L2047, J. Col Entrée et Rondeau (1:27) Busscher Beethoven, Variations on Odéon 165.392, c.1910 J7260, (2837-1/38-1), 10.vi.1927 Tambourin (0:36) Tchaikovsky, 4th Symphony (1:16) ‘La ci darem’ (9:54) Musette (1:00) Rimsky-Korsakov, Schéhérézade (1:49) Musicraft Album 34, 228/29 (538B, [8] Maurice-Constant Mercier (1880-1968) [16] Bruno Labate (1883-1968) Sérénade (1:12) Brahms, Violin Concerto opening 359A, 540A, 541A), 1939 Leroux, Une Soirée près du lac (4:30) J.C. Bach Sinfonia in Bb, op.18/2 (4:18) Trio d’anches de Paris, with Fernand of 2nd movement (2:49) CD I [20] Sidney Sutcliffe (1918-2001) unidentified band; probably Garde Philharmonic Symphony of New York, Oubradous (1903-86) bassoon, Radio Recordings Inc. and American and Roger Lord (b1924) oboes, [1] Caesar Addimando Républicaine Mengelberg, cond. Pierre Lefèbvre clarinet record Co., 1940s Carmen, Petite Mignon (2:10) Pathé 6787; 77765/77766 Victor 7483-7484, (CVE 48907-3, CVE L’Oiseau Lyre, OL17/18 parts 1095-98, Natalie James (1909-2004), cor unnamed orchestra (35695R/35700R) c.1910 48908-2, CVE 48909-1; HMV D 1988), 1938? [16] Fritz Flemming (?) (1873-1947) anglais (from the London Baroque Edison cylinder 10011, Dec. 1908 16.i.1929 Brahms, Violin Concerto opening Ensemble) [9] Paul-Gustave Brun (1880-?) [5-8] Louis Bleuzet (1874-1941) of 2nd movement (2:11) Beethoven, Variations on [2] Georges Gillet (1854-1920) Leroux, Une Soirée près du lac (3:07) [17] Anon oboist Mihalovici, Sonatine Op 13 pour Fritz Kreisler, Staatskapelle Berlin, ‘La ci darem’ (9:47) Rossini, Guillaume Tell (3:02) unnamed pianist J.C. Bach Sinfonia in Bb, op.18/2 (6:14) hautbois et piano cond. Leo Blech, Parlophone R. 20615 (CVE 13795/96), Leopold Lafleurance, flute; Gramophone K-5323 Städtische Orchester Berlin, cond. Moderato: Pastorale (3:52) HMV DB 1123 (CWR1358 1951-2 unnamed pianist (BFR414 I-II ), c.1926 Gmeindl Vivo: Scherzo (2:39) IV CWR1368 II D), 1926-7 Odéon 36252, Paris, c. 1905 ∆ Deutsche Grammophon, DGS 7 ∆ [21] Hans Kamesch (1901-75), [10] Arthur Foreman (1883-1962) Lento: Notturno (3:43) (69497-8), 1950 Vivo e gioccoso: Rondo (4:13) [17] Léon Goossens Manfred Kautsky (b1932 ), oboes; [3] “Giorgio” Schumann Romance no. 1 (2:58) Brahms, Violin Concerto opening Hans Hadamowsky (1906-86), cor Rossini, Guillaume Tell (3:05) unnamed pianist [18] Fernand Gillet (1882-1980) Thomas Eran, piano Columbia DFX4, 1937-9 of 2nd movement (2:19) anglais (from the Vienna Philharmonic members of La Scala Orchestra Victor 18312, 1911 Erik Satie, Gymnopèdie 1 (4:21) Fritz Kreisler, London Philharmonic Wind group) Gramophone GC 774 Boston Symphony Orchestra, cond. [11] Georges Longy (1868-1930) [9-12] Louis Gromer (1893-1980) Orchestra, cond. John Barbirolli, Beethoven, Variations on (9463b), 1906 Koussevitzky Charles Colin, Concertino in D, Handel, Sonata in F HMV 2EA2986-92, 2997-98, 1936 ‘La ci darem’ (10:28) RCA Victor (Canada) LM2651, 1930 [4] Housset (Houssaye?) Andante and Polonaise (3:44) Largo (2:22) Westminster XWN 18189, c.1953 Allegro (1:31) [18] Marcel Tabuteau (1887-1966) Huguenin, La nuit de Noël (2:12) Richell 1051 [ex-Rex], 1913-4 [19-20] Svend Christian Felumb Brahms, Violin Concerto opening unnamed pianist (1898-1972) Adagio (1:19) [12-14] Léon Goossens (1897-1988) of 2nd movement (2:35) Zonophone 12226, Paris 1903 Carl Nielsen, Romance (3:17) Allegro (1:55) Total time: 69:09 Mozart, Oboe Quartet, Allegro (4:55) Joseph Szigeti, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Humoresque (2:40) Marcelle de Lacour, harpsichord, [5-6] Joseph Fonteyn (1875-?) Adagio (3:14) cond. Eugene Ormandy Christian Christiansen, piano Etienne Pasquier, ‘cello Guilhaud, First Concertino (2:29) Rondeau (4:34) Columbia MM603-1-10 (12286-D XCO Scandanavian HMV DA5204, L’Anthologie sonore, vol. 11, and Farandole (2:54) Spencer Dyke, violin, Ernest Tomlinson 34296), 1945 (0CS525-2, 0CS256-2), 1937 AS26. c. 1940 unidentified band viola, P. Patterson Parker, cello International Talking Machine Co. National Gramophone Society Q, R & (English), 0868, c.1910 S, i-ii 1926 Total Time: 70:55 2 1903 - 1953 3 oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2:oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2 3/5/16 22:27 Page 4 exactly a winner, rather it was considered a novelty, of interest to Notes and Track Commentary by Geoffrey Burgess the refined connoisseur. It would be hard to claim the oboe as a main player in the rise of the According to the renowned audiofile Melvin Harris, it was Louis phonograph in the early years of the twentieth century. In both Gaudard who made the earliest oboe recording in 1899, but this claim contemporary literature and retrospective histories, oboists barely rate is still to be substantiated. The oldest surviving recordings date from a mention alongside the Carusos, Melbas, Elgars and Kreislers, and the the first decade of the 20th century, with showy solos of ephemeral lack of a comprehensive discography or historic anthology backs this appeal usually accompanied by band, orchestra or, more rarely, piano. up. But why have early oboe recordings been silent for so long? It is time to discredit the popular belief that of the few recordings of oboists Despite the scant examples, we are blessed with multiple that have survived, most are worthless from a musical standpoint. recordings of some favourites such as Une Soirée près du lac and standard orchestral repertoire like the overture to Guillaume While not featured as frequently as most other instruments, the oboe was Tell . These multiple versions allow direct comparison between not entirely silent in the recording studio. The problem lies much more in different oboists, although it should always be borne in mind that how and where to retrieve those distant echoes. Catalogues, reviews and the different settings and the recording process contributed in no the like cite specific recordings, but this is only a beginning. The next and Louis Goudard small measure to the total sonic record. harder step is to track down serviceable copies of this material which in Geoffrey Burgess most instances was considered of merely ephemeral value. This anthology spans the acoustic and electric eras and all recordings are monoaural. Léon Goossens was the most widely recorded oboist of the first half of the 20th century, but otherwise, all of the oboists It’s not needles, but the records themselves that need hunting down in the haystacks of archival featured in this anthology were active before the rise of the oboe “heroes” still familiar today - André repositaries and collectors’ attics. Artists’ names and instruments were given only rarely on the discs. Lardrot, Pierre Pierlot, Heinz Holliger, etc. Many were celebrated in their own day, but most are now Manufacturers’ catalogues can help but it is often necessary to resort to intelligent guesswork. forgotten. We have intentionally avoided duplicating the already copious quantity of re-released material. Oboists like Roger Lamorlette, who can be heard playing Poulenc’s trio for oboe, bassoon and piano with We have to consider ourselves lucky with what has survived. Contrary to what we might think, the the composer 1, have been omitted, and well known players like Goossens and Tabuteau whose work is scarcity of oboe recordings is not a reflection of the difficulties encountered in capturing its tone. Even the already widely available, are represented only by noteworthy selections hitherto unavailable 2. earliest acoustic recordings demonstrate that, with the player projecting directly into the recording horn, the oboe sounded better than many other instruments. The reason for the scant presence of the oboe on There is no natural terminus ad quem for this anthology. Stylistic changes in oboe playing tended to disc has to do more with its musical and cultural persona. Just as now, the recording industry in the early overlap advances in recording technology in complex ways. Still, it seems appropriate to draw the line decades of the twentieth century was dictated by popular taste. Not only did the Classical selectio ns in at the mid century with the dawn of the LP era with the Viennese recording of Beethoven’s variations gramophone catalogues constitute a small percentage of the total offerings, but they were dominated on La ci darem (CD II track 21). by operatic excerpts and rousing tunes performed by bands. In such a climate the oboe was not 4 5 oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2:oboe 1903-53 CD booklet2 3/5/16 22:27 Page 6 Direct contact with these remarkable performances from the past is still hampered by the limitations of the available recording technology and the state of preservation of this delicate material. Most of the original recordings used here are in an exceptionally fragile state and the audio quality of many is quite simply deplorable. Any wax cylinder or shellac disc that has miraculously survived the junk yard inevitably bears the signs of abuse - damaged through overuse, poor storage conditions, or the jostle of the flea market - before falling into the hands of a responsible collector.