Review of The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Oboe Reedmaking, vol.2, by Ann Rosandich.
International Journal of Double Reeds, Volume 47, no. 1, 2024
Reviewer Stuart Dunkel
International Journal of Double Reeds, Volume 47, no. 1, 2024
Reviewer Stuart Dunkel
This book is a gift to oboists seeking guidance on making oboe reeds. It piggybacks on Volume 1, published in 2011, which covers the basics of modern American-style reedmaking, including tying, shaping, gouging, and scraping. Volume 1 is the perfect reference book for the novice reedmaker.
Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 leaves off by addressing more advanced reedmaking concepts and techniques. The Introduction discusses balancing the reed, adjusting the oboe, and how acoustics and soundwaves affect volume, pitch, and tone quality. Like the previous volume, Volume 2 includes many colorful charts, graphs, and illustrations that clarify concepts and technical information.
Because Volume 1 consists of eight lessons, Volume 2 begins with Lesson 9. This Lesson is a comprehensive study of reed adjustment and tone quality. Illustrations depict the crow of the reed with its good and bad qualities to give the reader a visual impression of the sounds produced. A table describes positive and negative tonal characteristics and how to adjust flaws. In describing the characteristics of sound and the crow, beautiful illustrations that look like a medical journal describe sound in visual terms. An in-depth chart of reed problems and how to solve them is invaluable.
Lesson 10 dives into the physical anatomy of the reed. The author explores the relationship of the tip and back of the reed along with the consequences of the tip being too short or too long, too thin or thick, as well as the importance of the blend between the tip and heart. In keeping with the problem-solving focus of the book, the author provides helpful advice on how to combat these problems.
Lesson 11 deals with advanced reed adjustment and tests. The author recommends music that can be played to test the reed’s strengths and weaknesses in different registers. These tests include breath attacks, articulation and response, low register response, and tests for reeds that are too flexible or too stable and stiff.
The illustrated reeds from different angles are spot on, with very clear guidance on the problems of asymmetry and gradations. These pictures are worth the price of the book. This lesson also focuses on advanced reed adjustment techniques with an emphasis on knife technique and reed overlap. Excellent pointers on finishing the reed and what to look and listen for are also provided.
Lesson 12 focuses on advanced reed blank preparations. It begins with a discussion of tube cane and its qualities, including cane strength, diameter importance, and gouged cane contour and thickness. It discusses the importance of reed shape, its contours, width, and how it affects dynamic range, pitch, and tone quality. Other topics include a short section on the oboe staple and mandrel, and measuring the cane correctly with a dial indicator. An in-depth pictorial shows how to measure the different areas of the gouged cane.
Lesson 13 describes how to design and customize the reed, starting with how to control the opening of the reed using cane hardness, shape preference, staple type, reed length, and gouge dynamics. Also covered are articulation and response preferences and how to achieve the desired result. Little has been written about the gouging machine, but Rosandich provides a nice overview, describing the parts of the machine with pictures and including a great adjustment guide. This information is welcome for the many players who don’t understand this machine.
The detailed glossary and index included in Volume 2 help the reader to quickly find specific topics and issues in the book. Really helpful are the code blue and code black summaries that tell you what to do when faced with a problem and when to give up on a reed.
Along with Volume 1, Volume 2 is a lifesaver for anyone who wants to improve and perfect their reed making skills. It is extremely comprehensive, providing clear and detailed explanations, and great tips and problem solving strategies.
— Stuart Dunkel received his bachelor degree in music from Boston University in 1975, master’s degree from the Mannes School in 1985, and doctoral degree at the Julliard School in 1987. He studied reed making with Harry Shulman, Harold and Ralph Gomberg, John Mack, Elaine Douvas, and Robert Bloom. Over his thirty-year professional musical career, he was Principal Oboe with the Opera Company of Boston, and has played with the Boston Symphony and Pops, the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, as well as principal oboe with orchestras in Hong Kong, Florida, Vermont, and New Hampshire. He also taught on the faculties of Boston University, and the New England and Boston Conservatories. In 1983 he started Dunkel Reeds, selling reeds, and oboe equipment to oboists worldwide. He has published two books, The Audition Process: Anxiety management and coping strategies (Pendragon Press), and An Artist’s Life: The artwork of Stuart Dunkel (2009).
This second volume of “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Oboe Reedmaking” is an advanced edition designed for those seeking to master the art of reedmaking. While Volume 1 was based on a process‑driven approach, Volume 2 expounds on the principles of listening and quality control, including advanced reed adjustment and cane and reed blank construction. Author and professional oboist Ann Rosandich of Local 9-535 (Boston, MA) has added a lesson on reed customization and design and precise gouger adjustments. The book contains over 235 color illustrations and photographs of the reedmaking process. Editor Alan Weiss, also of Local 9-535, is a professional flutist.
International Musician, January 2024
Review of The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Oboe Reedmaking, vol.1, by Ann Rosandich.
Reviewer Stuart Dunkel.
"Ever since the first double reed was made, double reed makers have explored the art and craft of making the perfect reed. Today, we have a handful of “how‑to books” on the subject. Ann Rosandich’s new book brings the communication of this mystical process to a new height. Part of a three‑part series, the book is published in a right‑handed and a left‑handed version, demonstrating the author’s care and commitment to helping the reader master the craft.
What makes the book unique are the many, detailed colored illustrations on knife techniques, graphs with comparisons of possible mistakes to the correct process, and charts about the correct sequences to execute. The level of detail in the illustrations reflects the author’s detective‑like probing into the minutiae of each step in building a reed. The book includes diagrams on gouging machines, knife‑sharpening techniques, and information not included in other books, such as graphs that John Mack used to teach the relationship between the pitch and the strength of the reed. The third lesson on adjusting and finishing the reed is invaluable. The charts and graphs take you through each step.
The book is organized in 8 lessons. The introduction starts with a detailed account of the equipment needed and how to use them. This is followed by the biomechanics of the workspace and understanding leverages and angles and how they relate to the workload. Then there is a statement of the symbols and definitions used in the book. The book progresses from knives and knife sharpening to scraping techniques. The third lesson is on finishing and adjusting the reed, which is particularly strong with the use of the codes and diagrams. The next 4 chapters deal with tying, shaping, gouging, and selecting reeds from commercial dealers. There is also a listing of all the illustrations in the book that number over 340. I found the chapter on cane selection and preparation for shaping particularly well covered. Color examples of the best tube cane lined up so the viewer can weed out the immature cane for later use will save the owner the cost of the book. The description and illustrations on the tricky process on how to shape cane are the best I’ve seen.
Ann is an experienced and skilled oboist and teacher, who clearly understands how students learn. For students who are more left‑brained, Ann explains the concepts in a clear, logical manner, repeating ideas in different words. For those who learn by being shown, Ann uses graphs, codes, and color, making it easy to follow along with a more right‑brain, intuitive perspective. Here is where Ann shines: her attempts to teach the student a difficult concept are explained on many different levels and from different perspectives. For the student who is not coordinated, the illustrations read like a fine map. It is a pleasure to highly recommend this new addition to the oboe reed library."
Dr. Stuart Dunkel
The Boston Conservatory
May 10th, 2012
Review of The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Oboe Reedmaking, vol.1, by Ann Rosandich.
Double Reed News, The magazine of the British Double Reed Society No. 101, Winter 2012
Reviewer Geoffrey Bridge.
