Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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!

The photos are wonderful, the stories fill out the character of a man I've known of for decades as the father or grandfather of my playing style, but knew very little about. I studied with Harold Gomberg, a student of Tabuteau, and I am delighted to have this volume to make real an amazing musician and a vital influence in the world of double reed playing in America. Check out Mr. Tabuteau with the salmon on page 347.

The world of the oboist is very small. Yet, almost anything happening in the world can affect an oboist. The historical perspectives offered in this book connect politics, war, drought, and serendipitous opportunity to the small world of oboe playing. Laila Storch gives a perspective of how one musician's determination to excel transforms not just a generation of oboists, but a generation of musicians on the American musical stage. Her insights to Tabuteau's personality, approach to life, and desire to strive for an ideal in everything from making reeds to cooking a meal make for an enjoyable read.

While I'm not through reading this book, I'm amazed at it in many ways. Tabuteau was perhaps the most important orchestral musician of the 20th century in that he taught and found employment for many oboe and other woodwind players. This book covers many details of his life in a readable fashion by the great Laila Storch, a student and worker of his. As a woman, she was not readily accepted by the orchestral community, but she persevered and became an outstanding oboist and musician as a result of his teaching. His methods are not readily understood by many players and I admit to some confusion at times, perhaps because of his choice of words.

Included in the book is a CD of lessons with a Danish student after he had retired. I'm eagerly looking forward to listening to it and, perhaps, learning more.

This book is a must for oboists. It is a great bargain!

I second all of the above reviews and add that it dovetails nicely with "Sound in Motion" by McGill.

This is a magisterial biography of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. It is meticulously researched, beautifully written and brings to life a remarkable man for those who never had the opportunity to work with him. For those of us who were fortunate enough to have done so, it is a wonderful and lively memory bank, bringing together the reminiscences of a large number of people who studied with him or were colleagues. I recommend it most highly to anyone interested in Tabuteau, and anyone interested in how one person can affect the style of playing of an entire nation.

I cannot say enough about the quality of this book. My college percussion teacher often mentioned Marcel Tabuteau and taught musical phrasing in much the same manner, but I never knew much about MT. Thank you Laila for this important work. When are we going to see the movie? Or how about a Biography on Discovery Channel?

This book is a "must have" for any oboist. It is such a well written account of the man who had more influence on the oboe world than probably any other person in history. I am not quite all the way through the book, but I am so enjoying it and I don't want to miss anything. The book itself is of such excellent quality. Only the finest materials were used in making this book. Thank you so much Ms. Storch for your excellent work!