Adrian Siegel (1898-1978) was a musician, artist and photographer. He studied cello and oboe at the Curtis Institute of Music, performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra on both instruments. Although cello was his primary instrument, in Siegel’s own words: “I decided to study oboe with Marcel Tabuteau, not only to learn the instrument, but to understand Tabuteau’s remarkable approach to making music.” He studied with Tabuteau both at Curtis and privately in France (1928).
He also became very interested in painting and photography, compiling an impressive photographic record of the Philadelphia Orchestra during the Ormandy era. According to Siegel, almost 300,000 negatives (!) are extant. In 1972, he published a book of photographic portraits, titled Concerto for Camera, featuring selected guest and resident artists who performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra over a 40-year period.
Shown below is the dust jacket cover plus six photographs that include Marcel Tabuteau. All the images are under copyright by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association and may not be reproduced without their permission.
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