Percy Grainger
Thursday November 01 2007
So for Wind Repertoire class we sit around and listen to wind rep pieces, discuss them, and have a lot of fun. In this week’s wind rep class, I spotted a note while looking at the score of Percy Grainger’s Hill-Song no. 2
To Conductor:
All the double-reeds (oboes, English horn, bassoons, double-bassoon) should be played with a soft reed, so as to produce a wild, nasal, “bagpipe” quality of tone. The gentle, emasculated tone-quality produced by a hard reed is utterly out of place in this composition. The saxaphones should produce as “reedy” a tone as possible. Do not try to subdue the naturally “robuster” saxophone tone down to the volume of a clarinet or an oboe; the office of saxophones is to provide a tonal strength midway between the volume of the woodwind and the volume of the brass.
From now on, I’m going to keep two reed cases. One marked “soft” and the other marked “emasculated”.
cjwrightoboe
Nov 1, 2007
Thanks! I’d love to hear it! Was that with Mr. Battisti? Sounds almost as many double reeds as the Water Music!
oboerista
Nov 2, 2007
Yes - Frank Battisti was at the helm! It’s on a cassette(!) somewhere. I’ll try to find it, and then figure out how to get it into my computer!
David
Nov 1, 2007
Back in 1980, we performed the Hill Song #2 at NEC. It was really cool! If I remember right, there were 6 oboes, 6 (yes, six) English horns, 6 bassoons, a contra… maybe more. Somewhere I have a recording. If I ever uncover it, I’ll send you a copy!
David
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