"Suddenly, 'Oboist Wanted' Signs Are Everywhere"
PJ was quoted in an article titled Suddenly, 'Oboist Wanted' Signs Are Everywhere by Daniel J. Wakin in the February 12, 2005 issue of The New York Times.
"Where have all the oboes gone?
"More precisely, where have the principal oboists in the nation's leading symphony orchestras gone?
"The job - a critical one in any orchestra - is open, or about to be, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the San Diego Symphony.
"...The lack of a permanent, full-time principal may not be readily obvious to the concertgoer, accustomed to hearing the orchestra tune to the oboist's pitch, a plaintive A. But the instrument has some of the most prominent solo material in symphonic music....
"...Over the long term, musicians say, the void can affect an orchestra's sound, internal culture and morale.
"Changing any principal position can be subtly disruptive in an organism whose artistic expression depends on years of playing together. Personalities and musical profiles must mesh. The oboist is particularly important, and is often seen as the pre-eminent woodwind voice (though clarinetists and flutists may dispute that judgment).
" 'They are the principal fiddle of the wind section,' said Paavo Jarvi, the music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 'There is a musical and moral authority that comes with the position.' The principal oboist is often seen as 'the second concertmaster of the orchestra,' he said.
"The prominence of the oboe, one of the earliest winds to join the orchestra, stems from tradition, the role of the principal player and the vividness and intensity of the instrument's sound.
"...Delaying the appointment of principal oboists also delays the learning curve.
" 'Being a solo oboe player, you are basically playing a concerto every night,' Mr. Jarvi said. 'A new person will have an incredibly difficult 10 years in front of them, because everything is new, everything is exposed. You have to have nerves of steel.'
"Given the pressure, it is remarkable that many principal oboists stay around for several decades.
"...Richard Johnson, the Cincinnati Symphony's principal for 30 years, has been out most of this season with health problems, and he plans to take over the vacant second oboist job and its relatively lower level of pressure next season, Mr. Jarvi said."
Read the entire article on doublereeds' blog here.
"Where have all the oboes gone?
"More precisely, where have the principal oboists in the nation's leading symphony orchestras gone?
"The job - a critical one in any orchestra - is open, or about to be, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the San Diego Symphony.
"...The lack of a permanent, full-time principal may not be readily obvious to the concertgoer, accustomed to hearing the orchestra tune to the oboist's pitch, a plaintive A. But the instrument has some of the most prominent solo material in symphonic music....
"...Over the long term, musicians say, the void can affect an orchestra's sound, internal culture and morale.
"Changing any principal position can be subtly disruptive in an organism whose artistic expression depends on years of playing together. Personalities and musical profiles must mesh. The oboist is particularly important, and is often seen as the pre-eminent woodwind voice (though clarinetists and flutists may dispute that judgment).
" 'They are the principal fiddle of the wind section,' said Paavo Jarvi, the music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 'There is a musical and moral authority that comes with the position.' The principal oboist is often seen as 'the second concertmaster of the orchestra,' he said.
"The prominence of the oboe, one of the earliest winds to join the orchestra, stems from tradition, the role of the principal player and the vividness and intensity of the instrument's sound.
"...Delaying the appointment of principal oboists also delays the learning curve.
" 'Being a solo oboe player, you are basically playing a concerto every night,' Mr. Jarvi said. 'A new person will have an incredibly difficult 10 years in front of them, because everything is new, everything is exposed. You have to have nerves of steel.'
"Given the pressure, it is remarkable that many principal oboists stay around for several decades.
"...Richard Johnson, the Cincinnati Symphony's principal for 30 years, has been out most of this season with health problems, and he plans to take over the vacant second oboist job and its relatively lower level of pressure next season, Mr. Jarvi said."
Read the entire article on doublereeds' blog here.
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