From Sara Schoenbeck, a teacher at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music:
Someone stole my constant companion from me in Brooklyn today (ed. Sunday). They took my soulful, beautiful and irreplaceable Heckel Bassoon, serial #9703.
Please spread the word!
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Why would a burglar, in his right mind, steal a bassoon? The reason must be sought in the realm of psychopathology rather than a musical obsession.
While classical music gets more vulnerable to critique from outside, it seems that there is an increase of criminals’ attention for musical instruments.
We are waiting for a research program that reveals the connections.
Are you certain “classical music gets more vulnerable to critique from outside,”? I am increasingly certain that classical MUSICIANS suffer this unfortunate vulnerability. It could be they just don’t get “outside” enough. I’m sorry for the stolen bassoon.
Yes of course the musicians suffer but that is the result of critique directed at the art form: woke, leftish accusations of elitism, Eurocentrism, white privilege etc. etc. And since classical music costs a lot of money, the social acceptance got under scrutiny and often with these absurd accusations in mind.
Amazing, absolutely amazing.
Looking at arguments on both sides intelligently one will simply see balance is called for. Woke will save your Eurocentric legacy too ,while ensuring patronage is extended beyond the lucky few& increased government funding will make sure not only lucky blacks like me from the middle class whose families owned pianos,violins,flutes etc. and provided for lessons get to know the remarkable history ofvWestern Civilization but everyone. Beginning at least with Debussy throughLigeti and Henze onward all the best newcomposers of our last century wanted to invite all the world to participate creatively. Its unfortunate that U don’t want subsidies for equity&inclusion but want to subsidize billionaires & their moneymaking tightlyclosed games. If you knew economics and political history a little better you would see the rightful need.
??? Where does this blip come from?
If you knew how programming of concerts is now more often than not defined by aspects that have nothing to do with music, you would never have come-up with that comment.
Music life is a reflection of society, and the problems of social injustices are located in that society. They better be solved first in society so that music life will eventually reflect improvements, if they are improvements at all, instead of simply criticizing the art form itself.
One of my dearest friends, a scientist like me, is a marvellous bassoon player. She plays in, not one, but 2, amateur orchestras.
She is of mixed (am I a white European allowed to say that?) American heritage. Indigenous & Black American.
I cherish her friendship.
And wish with all my heart that my middle class parents had embraced music more. She grew up in a home filled with music.
What a gift!
I am so sorry to hear that your bassoon has been stolen! This is undoubtedly an irreplaceable instrument. Hope it will be found, unharmed.
High likelihood the thief has no idea of what he took. Will probably wind up in a pawn shop sold for a couple of hundred dollars. Let us hope it ends up with an honest business person. BTW a new Heckel is more than $75K and I am told that there is a 17-year waiting list. At the very least I hope she has it insured for full replacement value. Good luck from a fellow Bassoonist (although not a professional one)
It is, in theory, not impossible that the thief was an orchestral player who had broke his own instrument and could not wait 17 years, and went out to steal one.
Yes, the villain(s) will have gone for a probably quality case. Could be mistaken for something else, but the wrong people take anything not nailed down.
A Heckel is a dream instrument for a bassoonist; hopefully it will be recovered safely.
Wonder how this theft took place — from rehearsal hall, home, back of car?
Agreed. How does this happen except carelessness?
Given the danger of bassoon theft, many players go to bed with the instrument, embracing it during sleep to be sure it won’t fall into the wrong hands.
Therefore the bassoon has acquired the reputation of a relationship wrecker.
Not necessarily so, but in all too many cases it has been.
It makes no difference to my wish for its return, or my antipathy to anyone who steals, but far too many musicians, in charge of extremely valuable instruments that in many cases do not even belong to them are not taking sufficient precautions with them.
They secure their jewellery and cash, and in the case of (most) gun-owning Americans their guns. It is not rocket science to treat valuable instruments at least as carefully.
Whoever walked off with it probably has no idea what it is , much less what it is worth.
A bassoon case, at least the ones I’ve seen, look like suitcases, or in some instances, cases that hold high end pool cues. I share the suspicion that the thief was deeply disappointed upon discovering his “treasure” (this in contrast to at least some violin thefts which were motivated by regular newspaper stories about how much a Strad sells for).
Unfortunately this ups the likelihood that that disappointed thief just chucks the thing in the river or whatever, but let’s all hope it is just abandoned somewhere and returned to the rightful owner.
On the other hand the genuine value of a Heckel at least bumps the crime up into the felony range and is high enough to potentially interest the local police into taking it seriously. In one highly publicized violin theft here in Milwaukee one of the biggest challenges to the victim was conveying to the police just what the value was of what was taken. If it is just a few thousand bucks it isn’t going to become a high priority.