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Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom?
 
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Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom? [Hardcover]

Laila Storch (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 7, 2008

Laila Storch is a world-renowned oboist in her own right, but her new book honors Marcel Tabuteau, one of the greatest figures in 20th-century music. Tabuteau studied the oboe from an early age at the Paris Conservatoire and was brought to the United States in 1905, by Walter Damrosch, to play with the New York Symphony Orchestra. Although this posed a problem for the national musicians' union, he was ultimately allowed to stay, and the rest, as they say, is history. Eventually moving to Philadelphia, Tabuteau played in the Philadelphia Orchestra and taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, ultimately revamping the oboe world with his performance, pedagogical, and reed-making techniques.

In 1941, Storch auditioned for Tabuteau at the Curtis Institute, but was rejected because of her gender. After much persistence and several cross-country bus trips, she was eventually accepted and began a life of study with Tabuteau. Blending archival research with personal anecdotes, Storch tells a remarkable story in an engaging style.

(2010)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Storch's] personal descriptions of what it was like to study with this mercurial genius are absolutely fascinating; they provide indispensable glimpses for this generation of oboe students, not to mention future ones." —Dan Stolper, Interlochen Centre for the Arts

(Dan Stolper, Interlochen Centre for the Arts 2008)

"In this volume, Ms. Storch cleverly captures the essence of Marcel Tabuteau, one of the finest musicians and greatest teachers of his era and whose unique perspective profoundly influenced classical music for generations to follow. The stories she tells about this remarkable man are, at once, poignant, witty and right on the mark." —John Minsker

(2009)

"Everyone always said that a book ought to be written about that unique and extraordinary man, Marcel Tabuteau. Now, at last, the book has arrived." —Louis Rosenblatt

(2009)

"Ms. Storch's style is descriptive, informative, and engaging—a nice blend between the historical and the personal. This volume gets my vote as the winning historical profile of one of the most influential and revered performers and pedagogues of our time—Marcel Tabuteau. A must for every serious musician's library." —Linda Strommen, Indiana University

(Linda Strommen, Indiana University 2009)

A former student of the Tabuteau, Storch (emer., Univ. of Washington School of Music) combines Tabuteau's biography and philosophies with institutional and cultural history and douses the whole with anecdotal humor. She begins with her own experiences of her teacher but reaches far beyond her personal knowledge. A world-renowned oboist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and professor at The Curtis Institute, Tabuteau (1887-1966) not only revolutionized oboe playing but also had a significant influence on orchestral teaching in the US. On the included CD, Tabuteau himself demonstrates his musical philosophy and his unique character. The cornucopia of stories and pictures volunteered by friends, family, students, and colleagues covers everything from his fumbles as a young oboist in New York, to his trouble during the gold embargo of 1933, to his retirement years in Nice. Combining a rich portrait of Tabuteau with discussion of the music and culture of period, Storch's intriguing book will appeal to a broad audience, not just oboists. Anyone interested in music will find Tabuteau's philosophies and Storch's research beneficial and applicable. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty/professionals; general readers. --ChoiceE. E. Frisbie, Lawrence University, January 2008

(E. E. Frisbie, Lawrence University )

"... Storch's intriguing book will appeal to a broad audience, not just oboists. Anyone interested in music will find Tabuteau's philosophies and Storch's research beneficial and applicable." —Choice, January 2009

(Choice )

"... This book will be informative, interesting, and beneficial for anyone who is involved with the performance of music in the United States, whether in the field or in academe." —Lois Kuyper-Rushing, Louisiana State University, Notes, June 2009

(Lois Kuyper-Rushing, Louisiana State University Notes )

"Laila Storch... is generous in her admiration of [Marcel Tabuteau's] compelling artistry. She has produced a monumental tribute to an extraordinary musician whose influence remains alive in each generation of American oboists." —Anthony McColl, Double Reed News, 87 Summer 2009

(Anthony McColl Double Reed News )

"[This biography is] movingly personal.... may prove to be one of the most accomplished and important musical biographies of the 21st century." —Christopher Brodersen, Fanfare, 8/1/10

(Christopher Brodersen Fanfare )

"Laila Storch's biography of Marcel Tabuteau provides a detailed and intimate portrait of the life and artistry of the man widely considered to be the father of the American school of oboe playing." —The Double Reed, Vol. 33, No. 2, Summer 2010

(The Double Reed )

From the Publisher

"[Storch's] personal descriptions of what it was like to study with this mercurial genius are absolutely fascinating; they provide indispensable glimpses for this generation of oboe students, not to mention future ones." --Dan Stolper, Oboe Instructor, Interlochen Centre for the Arts

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 624 pages
  • Publisher: Indiana University Press; Har/Com edition (May 7, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0253349494
  • ISBN-13: 978-0253349491
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #609,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars My Mentor Also, April 27, 2008
By 
Joseph L. Robinson (Blaine, WA and Durham, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom? (Hardcover)
Laila Storch's new biography of Marcel Tabuteau is ennobled by her admiration for and devotion to her great teacher. It is a work that not only portrays a colorful, archetypal genius of America's orchestral history; it illuminates the time-honored and quintessential nature of apprenticeship, with the master a conduit to the pupil of esoteric information and inspiration. Like a mama bird, a great teacher nourishes eager students and infuses them with a genetic necessity to fly on their own---in this case to give wings to a song sung by a piece of grass and a stick of wood! This book is a radiant tribute to the performer's art.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Marcel Tabuteau, April 24, 2008
By 
Catherine Barr (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom? (Hardcover)
A wonderful adventure story of the right man at the right place at the right time. This book is a major gift to the music world and to all readers drawn to" bigger than life" personalities. Tabuteau's career is itself the history of a great American orchestra and in telling his story, Ms. Storch has written a real "page turner" whose main characters are all musical giants from our past. E.B.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book, Terrific Production Values!, May 2, 2008
By 
This review is from: Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom? (Hardcover)
My copy of Laila Storch's book just arrived in the US Post, and what a surprise! First off all, the Amazon.com box was a heck of a lot heavier than I thought it would be. I was expecting this book to be a fairly slim volume of reminiscences and maybe some explication of Tabuteau's teaching and theories.

But it is SO much more! It is an absolutely vital, comprehensive memoir by Ms. Storch, who herself has clearly had a really interesting life so far, as well as just about every possible thing one could hope to know about Marcel Tabuteau.

As a book publisher myself since 1985 -- and a proud alumnus of Indiana University, whose Press published this book -- I've got to beam about production values: This is a 600+ page book, gorgeously bound in "British racing green" linen covers, a smart-looking jacket with a great photo of the master himself, golden binder's bands top and bottom at the glued AND sewn (!) binding, printed on a super premium matte / semi-gloss finish, heavy pure white paper. It's just a beautiful production job, really what books should look like, and I am so proud to be a publisher right now, holding and beholding this thing.

There are some absolutely terrific archival photos, too. My favorite, having leafed through the book in 10 minutes or so, is on page 166, "The Philadelphia Orchestra Ensemble, 1923," which includes Tabuteau, famous bassoonist Ferdinand Del Negro and super-famous flautist William Kincaid, all in their handsome youth.

But wait, there's more: A bonus audio CD is blister-packed at the back of the book, containing what could be Tabuteau's last recordings, made in his home in Nice, with excerpts PLAYED FROM MEMORY (no sheet music in the apartment). Not bad for a near-77-year old, even if he did do this all of his life.

It's an honor to own this book, Ms. Storch. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
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