Cooper Wright Reeds | blog - Al Genovese (I might get in trouble for this post)

Al Genovese (I might get in trouble for this post)

Thursday July 05 2007

I just finished relistening to two of Al Genovese’s Cds which I bought earlier this year, the Musique Francaise one which was recorded 1997 and came out in 1998 and the Alfred Genovese/Peter Serkin one which was recorded in 1992.

I like the Musique Francaise program better. David McGill is one of the single-best sounding bassoonists out there, and his Saint Saens Sonata seriously makes me which I hadn’t played oboe but rather bassoon. I think next year I might try to transpose it for English Horn and play it on a recital.

Genovese’s sound is much better on the later CD which was recorded in 1992. When I arrived in Boston to attend the NEC… in 1998, Genovese had suddenly slipped in a coma from cancer, and died later the next year. So obviously the Musique Francaise recording in 1997 was toward the end, and he was suffering.

That said, his tone on the recording on the Musique Francaise is NOT… PLEASANT… to listen to. Particularly on the last Lalliet Terzetto, I wonder if it really was the last piece they recorded, because it sounds like his mouth was giving out and his reed was dying. Very disappointing. I really wish that he hadn’t recorded this CD because it certainly takes away from his reputation rather than adds to it.

If there are any readers out there who studied with him or heard him live, I’d love to hear your opinion on what made him an extraordinary player. When mentioning his name to Mr. Weber, Mr. Weber replied, “Now there was a man who knew how to ring!” (meaning get lots of “ring” and overtones in his sound). I know that many high-caliber of musicians who have spoken highly of him, but based on these CDs, I can’t distinguish why.

Correction: Apparently Mr. Genovese is alive, well, and healthy! Perhaps my link refers to another Alfred Genovese! Thank for the correction!

Cooper left these words on Thursday Jul 5, 2007 at 09:43 AM
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oboerista
Jul 7, 2007

Cooper,

I studied with Mr. Genovese for 2 years, back in 1978-1980. Having come from the “Old New York School” of oboe playing, I was fond of a huge, bold & rich oboe tone - like that of Harold Gomberg & Engelbert Brenner. Genovese’s approach to oboe sound was quite different than this. His sound was light, and instead of his tone being deep & rich, it was small and translucent. It was, however, ever beautiful, and I feel my horizons were expanded by working with an artist that achieved beautiful results in a different way.

Herb Blayman, former principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, commented to a friend of mine that in all the years he worked with Al Genovese, he NEVER heart him miss or play a note out of tune.

His craft/artistry was apparently a natural thing for him, or at least he didn’t do a good job describing things in lessons to me. I had to observe, listen intently & mimic.

A good recording to hear a younger Alfred Genovese is the Cleveland Orchestra’s recording of Beethoven’s 7th under Szell.

I still prefer the bigger, richer sound of Harold Gomberg, but Mr. Genovese was a wonderful oboist.

David

cjwrightoboe
Jul 7, 2007

Wow, this is a great explanation about Mr. Genovese, and kind of confirmed my suspicions that this might be Genovese’s sound. Like I said, his sound on the earlier CD is much more focused and refined than the latter, but listening to it you can tell that he valued translucency and a kind of innocence and fragility to his tone. Did you by any chance study with Wayne Rapier? When I listen to his CDs, I kind of hear the same qualities in his tone as well.

I value your response a great deal, and hope you feel free to contribute with comments in the future. Thanks Mr. Mankin.

oboerista
Jul 7, 2007

I did not study with Wayne Rapier, but my fellow students who were assigned to him (New England Conservatory) adored him. I remember him beautifully playing 2nd oboe in the BSO, and filled in as principal on occasion to spell Mr. Gomberg. I ran into him many years later at the West Virginia double reed convention. Remarkably, he remembered me as the kid who played English horn well at NEC - I was flattered & amazed.
David

Brent
Feb 14, 2008

here are other recordings of Al Genovese and the Cleveland Orchestra:

Dvorak 7
Schumann Piano Concerto
Grieg Piano Concerto
Schubert 8
Beethoven 7
Tchaikovsky 5
Prokofiev 5
Haydn Sy 96 “The Miracle”
Schumann Sy 4
Mozart Sy 35 “Haffner”

I studied with Al Genovese during the 1997/98 year. He was still playing beautifully live, and had just bought a DQ series oboe from Pat McFarland that he began to use alongside his longtime Laubin. He sounded GLORIOUS in Symphony Hall. He was not using as free/light of a reed that he was using in the Szell/Cleveland years, but they were still very crystal clear and not dull and colourless. He would pick one reed before going on stage and would play the whole concert on it. He never scraped or altered a reed once he got used to it for a performance; and he could play ANYTHING- he could take the hardest, dullest reed and make it sound like it was the most effortless reed. I was lucky to hear him play many beautiful works that year; and at the time he was using reeds that were 90% finished by a local friend of his. But, one day he MADE two and brought them into my lesson. They still ring in my mind as two of the BEST most beautifully looking as well as sounding reeds I have EVER encountered. Jim Caldwell told me that while he was sitting second to Genovese at Marlboro in 1957 or 1958, Genovese purposefully broke his ONLY reed 10 minutes before a concert as he hated it, and made another just as the last people were getting on stage to tune- and it was again, flawless. Last I spoke to him he was well, enjoying football season and is happy to be retired from playing- although, he still likes hearing about what tips people are using…what gouges are being used….and what oboes are coming into mainstream use!