Demoted

12. July 2008 · 5 comments · Categories: Links, Ramble

Well, between last night when I blogged about my ranking and now I’ve been moved down three notches. I’m sure it’ll get a lot worse as more and more people say “You neglected me!” and get added to the list.

Ah well.

It’s kind of like being moved from fifth oboe to sixth oboe. I was already down far enough that going from 24 to 27 doesn’t make a huge diff, does it?

Still, I think I’ll feel sorry for myself for a while. … … …

Okay. Done.

I’m having fun, though, seeing what links Technorati is showing for other blogs. Some are … well … they are weird links and I think somewhat questionable. Some will get bookmarked by yours truly.

Circular Breathing

12. July 2008 · 2 comments · Categories: Havin' Fun, Oboe, Videos, Watch

Okay … the guy can circular breathe. While trilling.

More miraculous to me, though, is how he is playing this while in a horizontal position and walking on the wall.

Yeah, I know: I have too much time on my hands.

MQOD

12. July 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: Quotes

When an orchestra plays a rock song, they lose everything that makes a rock performance work – they can’t syncopate, they can’t improvise, and they can’t duplicate the individual performer’s rapport with the audience.

-R.A.D. Stainforth

I read it here.

(For what it’s worth, I can syncopate and improvise. But if I played a rock song I still wouldn’t compare to the rocker.)

Read Online

12. July 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: Other People's Words, Ramble, Read Online

An English horn is a double-reed orchestral instrument that is halfway between an oboe and a bassoon. It’s not used nearly enough. I’ve played it, of course, and the oboe. I think the English horn is more interesting (if somewhat less expressive than the oboe) in its tonal range, but there are few parts written for it.

Simply. Not. True.

EH can be as expressive — maybe more? — than oboe. I can’t believe someone would ever say that.

Of course maybe I’m in the minority. Maybe readers agree with the person above?

But what about Ravel’s English horn writing? Rodrigo? Berlioz? Even Rossini (although most people laugh now when the flute/EH section starts up, thanks to cartoons). Still, we have some great, expressive solos.

Now as to few parts … well, yeah, there are fewer than for oboe, to be sure. And you rarely find anything for more than one English horn. Too bad. It’s a blast to play. And two together is great fun!

Thank you Haydn, for Symphony No. 22! (I wish we played more Haydn, and I’d love to play that work again. I’ve only done it once, and that was years ago.)

Here are a couple of movements: