Comparisons

In the mid 20th Century there were two violinists thought by many to be the best in the world, American, Jasha Haifitz and Soviet, David Oistrakh, the reasons for these opinions as who was best were prevalent, diverse, strong, and impassioned. The first points of openion were some of national favoritism, Hatfitz was American and Oistrakh was Russian plus this mid 20th century happened in the midst of the cold war; it was not an unusual kind of favoritism observed in International sport and music competitions . Nothing could be further from the truth, Jascha Heifetz was a warm and passionate player… as was David Oistrakh. 

The study of music could not function without the tool of comparison. Imitation is one of the most useful tools learning music; we start with something we like then we try to imitate it, then comes the comparison, How well do we compare with our example?                                                                                      

But then, in our tuba world , we rarely hear discussion between tubists regarding comparisons of other tubists. That’s a shame; is there some unwritten protocol in our community regarding comparisons between tubists? We Frequently, hear discussions between players of other types of instrumentalists and tuba, pianists for example. It’s time to remind ourselves that there was never competion between Hatfitz or Oistrakh, they were examples of two superb violinists. So is it with tubists. Imagine that pianist who my have accompanied perhaps 5 or 6 superb tubists, Imagine the store of interesting information available from that accompanist experience  , not choosing the best but noting the differences. In that discussion would be a vast amount of valuable information that could guide our personal musical growth. 

We are a conpetItive species, that is one of the methods by which we learn.

February 24, 2022 Oaxaca, Mexico 

The Heifetz Syndrome

 

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011

The Heifetz Syndrome

It’s difficult to admit the mistakes one has made or even worse, mistakes that were made repeatedly. I’ve made a few but in the case of this article I’ll limit my words to what I call the “Heifetz Syndrome”; thank God we learn with time, the greatest teacher of all!

Joshua Heifetz is the name of perhaps the most famous violinist of all time, who, in his lifetime, recorded virtually every major work written for violin. Further, Joshua Heifetz had, and frankly still has, the reputation of being a cold player, a master technition, a perfectionist, but a cold musician. Quite simply, that’s wrong, very wrong!

I once heard a concert of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Joshua Heifetz playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in 1955 when I was 17 years old and indeed it was perfect. Because it was perfect and because the chronic indoctrination and chatter of that time, I accepted that it must have been a cold performance even though I was very moved by it; I was young and too easily accepting of what I was told.

About ten years later I listened to a Heifetz recording of the Tzigane by Ravel, a virtuoso piece with strong Hungarian, French and Gypsy flavours. Of course, the playing was perfect but it was also passionate, fiery and with enormous rhythmic energy. Recently, in preparation for this article, I listened to many other recordings of the Ravel Tzigane, which although great, frankly, did not compare to Heifetz recording. That Heifetz was cold could not have further from the truth, Heifetz was a was a warm, expressive and passionate musician. Sadly, the technical perfection that was part of Heifetz, the complete musician, served to distract from his extraordinary musicality.

Recently, just by chance, I uncovered an old live recording, probably a radio recording, hidden away in an unlikely cyber-corner of my computer, of Mahler’s 6th Symphony with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado that I believe was made in 1972. It was an absolutely superb performance, but one of the most outstanding aspects of it was the extraordinary horn playing of the solo horn player Henry Sigismonte; it was sensitive, and heroic, powerful and delicate. It was also perfect!

Now it’s time for an uncomfortable true confession; at the time I thought it was cold playing.

As well as being the solo horn player of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Henry Sigismonte, who sadly passed away in 1989 at the early age of 53, was one of the main horn players in the Hollywood studios; probably everyone has heard Henry in films, television, recordings and most likely in advertisements. Perfection was a required quality of those who were successful in the Hollywood studios and Henry was certainly both a successful and a perfect player. Why, how, I could have allowed myself to not hear his abundant beauty and artistry? I was experienced enough in 1973 to not be confused by the “Heifetz Syndrome”.

Composer Gunther Schuller, tells the story: Once while driving over the Austrian Alps, he listened to the Vienna Philharmonic playing a profound and beautiful performance of the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony. As the story goes it had all the magic and beauty of that pastoral countryside. Several years later, while driving back to New York City on the New Jersey Turnpike, he was listening to a performance of the same symphony but this time it was a poor performance that had absolutely none if the sonic imagery of the one he remembered in Austria. It was the same recording!

Beauty is, certainly, in the eyes (or ears) of the beholder but in music it is the responsibility the listener to keep our vision as clear as possible; it's tragic if a bad day or a bad road trip can changes our perceptions to the degree of missing greatness.

Henry, Bravissimo.

republished January 21, 2022, in Oaxaca, Mexico

This blog is being republished as a prerequisite for a new blog. COMPARISONS

to be published in the next days .

Codas

Corona virus, with it’s accompanying postponements, cancellations, quarantines  and isolation requirements, has not only left us with the frustrations caused by the necessary disruptions of our regular lives, but hidden in all the inconveniences it has left us with an unplanned plentiful gift of free time and the possibility of using that free time in positive and creative ways. 

Through the last year we have seen huge increases in personal videos;  masterclasses, lectures, interviews, mixed media, demonstrations, exhibits, personal announcements and extraordinary opportunities for listening. Many of these videos are beautifully produced and some have offered us great vehicles for both learning and entertainment, Personally, as a symphony musician for 35 years of my life and one who has avoided symphonic music since leaving my orchestra life in 1990, I am surprised to find myself not only enjoying listening again, but listening  from a new and fresher prospective, the time off from playing has changed me from listening as  performer to listening as a listener, it’s very different from chronically taking note of the ensemble, the intonation, balance , tone quality and other aspects in a brass section. Music needs a performer, creator and a listener to exist.

As an enthusiastic listener I have developed a new appreciation for form and in the study of form, I have become fascinated with codas. Why would an 83 year old retired symphony musician become fascinated with codas? We see codas in our musical lives as a common and frequent occasion. It seems all codas are unique, from a short virtuoso flurry in a work by Schubert or an extended developed and powerful coda in a Mahler symphony, which can appear so powerful and coherent that it could almost stand on it own as a complete work.

The coda of the first symphony built on the interval of a descending 4th which is prevalent through out the whole symphony but developed in to a powerful and triumphant fanfare appropriate for crossing the legendary rainbow bridge into another world. 

The 2nd symphony, The Resurrection Symphony, also develops previous themes and brilliantly compresses the finish to a fortissimo unison note of the whole orchestra with the strength of a clap of thunder from a close distance, leaving the listener stunned.

The coda of Mahler’s 9th symphony (The Adagio coda) is quite different than symphonies 1 and 2. The four note chromatic themes used to create a 10 minute poco a poco diminuendo morendo which results in one of the most beautiful and dramatic moments in all music. During the final four notes the listener is nearly unable to  distinguish where the music actually ends. The result is the long period of silence before any sounds come from the audience. This musical silence is one of the most powerful and amazing moments in symphonic music.

 

Carlo Maria Giulni “My friends, do not confuse dynamic and intensity” 

Roger Bobo, January 12, 2022, Oaxaca, Mexico

 

 Lateness

There are scary videos available where one can hear Maestro Aturo Tosconini screaming at the orchestra, frequently that rage was directed at the contrabasses  and the the low brass about their chronic lateness. Many of the musicians to whom that rage was directed rationalized that the reason for the lateness was that those instruments that were the most distant from the podium where the maestro was listening and because of the greater distance, took the sound longer to reach the podium.

In fact, it’s true, many of the sections farthest from the conductor’s podium, do sound late, but is distance the reason? With my awkward mathematical skills I calculated that if the first stand of violins were one meter from the conductor  the sound would reach the conductor in .003 ( 3 thousandths of a second) to reach the podium; that’s a nearly imperceptible length of time. And if we calculate the back of the contrabass section as 10 meters from the podium the sound would take .03 {3 hundredths of a second. The differences that the sound from the contrabasses and the first stand violins is .027 of a second ( 27 thousandths of a second), that we are able to hear that 27 thousanths of a second difference is dubious.

Of course, the reason the lower instruments sound late is because it takes a proportional amount of energy generate a sound as the frequencies get lower. Energy in the case of low frequency instruments comes from the  body which must be able to deliver the energy  that will enable the instrument (contrabass and tuba, for example), to respond in time with the higher pitched instruments

For lower brass instruments this involves the following 4 aspects of an articulation:

1, Are speed 

agenerally air speed doubles every octave into the low register.

 

2, the compression of the air at the point of an articulation,

3, Tongue placement,

 generally the contrabass register , responses more immediate with the tongue quite far forward, in the very low register, starting a note with the tongue between the lips helps in achieving

4, Resistance of the instrument:

Resistance changes from instrument to instrument. and the length of the tube; there is  great difference in length whether we are playing on the open tube or with all the valves pressed , which almost doubles the length of the instrument.

The best way to assure not being is to listen and to be sure your sound in sync with the rest of the ensemble, particularly the higher instruments.

The key to not sounding late is, of course, listening and perhaps more importantly, listening while thinking of simultaneously participating, simultaneously participating with all the musicians near or at a distance and simultaneously participating with a conductor, just following frequently can result in lateness.

Roger Bobo , December 27, 2021 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

 SOMETHING HAS TO BE SAID

One month ago I experienced a small health set back; it was a very mild stroke, of course, it has to be taken seriously but I want to emphasize the prognoses is very positive and improvement has been visible little by little every day.

The saddest part of this set back is that it came half way through a tour of across the USA presenting masterclasses starting in southern California  and working my way east to Boston and continuing on to conservatories in Germany, of course, having to cancel the tour only half way completed; It was particularly sad and frustrating because I was looking forward to this tour for the better part of a year. To exacerbate my frustration it was the third cancelation I've had to make in three tries to arranging more or less the same itinerary. The first cancellation was the 2019 world wide alert of COVID, which put all my traveling colleagues in the same situation the second cancellation of a parallel tour in early 2020... three in a row. Of course, I will try and recover this tour as soon as possible, hopefully in the spring of 2022. 

In the wake to these disappointing circumstances something beautiful has happened: I have received an abundance of beautiful heart warming messages from around the world. I miss both the vocabulary and the poetic ability to express how much these messages have meant to me. They have  pointed out these warm thoughts from friends and colleagues, particularly our very unique tuba community, we have something so very special and I want you to know that the warm thoughts are returned to you. Thank you thank you, what an honor to be a member of this wonderful community of  men and women.

Very sincerely , Roger

December 28, 2021, Travers City, Michigan