Medium
I have been using Légère reeds since the first generation, for more than ten years. At that time, I especially liked the original brass-colored reeds. Later, when the reeds changed to the white/silver version, there were some significant changes. The tip opening sometimes felt larger and sometimes smaller, and gradually I found them more difficult to control.
In particular, the middle register E became unstable and tended to flip easily, requiring much more pressure from the embouchure. The pitch was also often too low, which made it challenging for orchestral playing.
Recently, I tried the new gold and green versions. I can clearly see that a great deal of effort has been put into research and development, and I think these new models represent a significant improvement. The intonation is much better, and the problem of the pitch being too low has been greatly reduced.
However, in my experience, both of the new models still require more physical effort than a good natural cane reed. As an orchestral player, intonation is extremely important, but efficiency and endurance are equally important. With these new synthetic reeds, whether I play at a softer dynamic or a louder dynamic, my embouchure becomes tired very quickly. After only a short time of playing, I feel significant fatigue in my lips.
When I play a well-made natural cane reed, especially a good bassoon reed made from quality cane, I do not experience this problem. It allows me to play with much less physical effort and maintain endurance during long orchestral performances.
I wonder if it would be possible to revisit the design concept of the original brass-colored first-generation Légère reed. That model felt more natural and easier to play. There was also a period when Légère produced a batch of reeds with a smaller tip opening, and I found those quite successful as well.
Over time, however, the tip openings seemed to become larger, and eventually I found them almost impossible to use in an orchestral setting because they required too much embouchure pressure.
After testing the newest gold and green models in orchestra rehearsals, I found that the tone quality is very good, and the intonation has improved greatly. My main concern is still the amount of effort required. They make my embouchure fatigue much faster than a good cane reed.
These are only my personal observations as a professional bassoon player. I truly appreciate the work and innovation that Légère has put into developing these reeds, and I hope my feedback can be useful for future improvements.
Thank you very much.
