Marcel Tabuteau First-Hand

MT era oboe

With Other Musicians

September 1922. at the Berkshire Festival of Chamber Music
September 1922. This photo taken at the Berkshire Festival of Chamber Music includes: Arthur Lora, flute—Metropolitan Opera; Georges Grisez, clarinet—Philadelphia Orchestra; Anselme Fortier, double bass—New York Philharmonic; Marcel Tabuteau, oboe—Philadelphia Orchestra; August Mesnard, bassoon—New York Symphony Orchestra; George Wendler, horn—Boston Symphony Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy, Fritz Kreisler, and Marcel Tabuteau
Eugene Ormandy, Fritz Kreisler, and Marcel Tabuteau at a Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsal in 1942. Photo by Adrian Siegel
Tabuteau with cellist Gregor Piatigorsky
Tabuteau with cellist Gregor Piatigorsky. From the Curtis Institute Archives
Marcel Tabuteau and Arturo Toscanini during a rehearsal
Marcel Tabuteau and Arturo Toscanini during a rehearsal

Below is a 1943 photograph by Adrian Siegel of Arturo Toscanini in the apartment of concertmaster, Alexander Hilsberg, at the time of a Toscanini guest appearance with the Orchestra. This is a variation of Siegel’s photo that appeared in Concerto for Camera.

Arturo Toscanini in the apartment of concertmaster, Alexander Hilsberg, at the time of a Toscanini guest appearance with the Orchestra
Back row (l -r): Hilsberg; Ormandy; Toscanini; Tabuteau; Charles O’Connell, then head of the artist and repertoire department of the RCA Victor Red Seal label. Front row (l-r): Walter Toscanini (Toscanini’s son), Sol Caston, principal trumpet; Kincaid. “My grandmother, Therese (Marcel’s niece), always laughingly said that Marcel told her that Ormandy did everything he could to suppress this take because he is half-obscured and consequently little recognizable. Very surely, Marcel took a wicked pleasure in keeping a copy of this one!” Guy Baumier
Variant of the photo above, where Ormandy can be seen
Variant of the photo above, where Ormandy can be seen
Closeup of Toscanini and Tabuteau
Closeup of Toscanini and Tabuteau
In Tabuteau’s apartment at the Drake, 1945
In Tabuteau’s apartment at the Drake, 1945: Standing, L to R: Samuel Lifschey, principal viola, PO; William Kincaid, Harl McDonald, manager, PO; unidentified sailor; Albert Tipton, asst. 1st flute, PO (then in the U.S. Navy). L-R front row: Louise and Marcel Tabuteau with Doris and Pierre Monteaux. Photo by Adrian Siegel
Joseph Robinson with Marcel Tabuteau in Nice during the spring of 1963
Joseph Robinson with Marcel Tabuteau in Nice during the spring of 1963. Photo courtesy Joe Robinson
Marcel Tabuteau with Wayne Rapier in Nice during the early 1960s. Photo courtesy Toni Rapier
Marcel Tabuteau & Marc Mostovoy, Nice, France; 1962
Marcel Tabuteau & Marc Mostovoy, Nice, France; 1962. Photo by Louise Tabuteau. Posing on Tabuteau’s terrace [Mme. Tabuteau was having difficulty with the camera when taking this rather ‘foggy’ photo. Marcel’s perplexed expression says it all!]
Flutist Elaine Shaffer with the Tabuteaus on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice (February 1965)
Flutist Elaine Shaffer with the Tabuteaus on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice (February 1965). Photo by Efrem Kurtz Courtesy of Beverly Shaffer Gast
Variant of the photo above
Variant of the photo above

Sections

Much of the material on this website is being presented with kind permission of the copyright owners. Any use and/or duplication of certain materials must be approved by the copyright owners. Therefore, you must seek permission at msmostovoy@comcast.net before using or duplicating any material to ascertain whether it is presently under copyright. Certain excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given as per the instructions you will receive from your inquiry. If this website has inadvertently posted material without the proper attribution or authorization, to remedy, please contact msmostovoy@comcast.net.

What's New!

An audio interview with Joan Browne (Champie), a private Tabuteau student in the early 1950s.

A photograph of the music stand that was in Tabuteau’s private studio in Philadelphia.

An autographed photo of Marcel Tabuteau inscribed to Vladimir Sokoloff.

An autographed photo of Marcel Tabuteau inscribed to Joan Browne Champie.

With the passing of Wilbur Isaac Hilles in August 2023 and now Martha Scherer-Alfee in February 2024, no oboe students of Marcel Tabuteau at the Curtis Institute are still living.

A letter sent to the Curtis Institute by Laila Storch’s mother about Tabuteau not teaching at Curtis—and the reply.