Bassoonery

[aeolium]

Prompted by a comment by teamsaint on another thread, I thought it would be worth having a thread devoted to the humble bassoon, that much-loved (by me anyway) but rarely celebrated instrument, so often lurking in the orchestral shadows while others take the limelight. Here's a chance to mention any particular favourites among works or passages featuring the bassoon* whether in solo, chamber or orchestral compositions. For my part I would single out Beethoven's writing for the bassoon in the Eroica symphony and the violin concerto; the Weber concerto; the bassoon part in Mozart's piano and wind quintet; and the bassoon accompaniments in Handel's arias Scherza Infida and Se pieta di me non senti. Also if MBers wish to draw attention to particular bassoon players living or dead, feel free.

* contrabassoon also welcomed

[Simon]

Didn't Ibert write a fun piece for it? I seem to remember hearing something ages ago at a concert!

I like its sound, old faggot that it is!

[Tony Halstead]

My favourite bassoonists are

1) 'Modern' bassoon:

a) 'French system' - Maurice Allard; his recording of the Saint-Saens sonata is sublime.
b) 'Heckel system' - Graham Sheen ( principal, BBCSO).
I once had the good fortune to accompany ( piano) Graham in a BBC recital in which he played - with superlative tone and musicality - the above-mentioned Saint-Saens sonata as well as the Hindemith sonata plus some of his own arrangements.

2) 'Period' bassoon:

In alphabetical order:
Alastair Mitchell - former principal of various London HIPP orchestras;
and
Jeremy Ward - also a former principal of various London HIPP orchestras, and a member of the now sadly defunct 'Hausmusik' ensemble.
if you wish to hear how warmly sonorous, colourful and characterful the 'classical' bassoon can be, listen to Jeremy's recordings of the two bassoon concertos by J.C. Bach.

[AmpH]

This cd of ' bassoonery ' is an enjoyable listen ......

[Tony Halstead]

Yes it is indeed a lovely CD.
What a shame that Laurence doesn't play the 'period' bassoon as I'm sure he would be a great player of it.

[JFLL]

Two of my favourites, quite different in mood, are Weber's Andante and rondo ungarese, op. 35, and Elgar's Romance for bassoon and orchestra, op. 62. There are also some wonderful passages in Mozart's later piano concertos (as for all the wind instruments).

Edit: I've just thought also of Strauss's Duet-concertino for clarinet, bassoon, harp and strings, in his late mellifluous style -- not quite as good as the Oboe Concerto or 2nd Horn Concerto, but very enjoyable in an undemanding way.

[salymap]

I love the sound of the bassoon, either sad or somehow funny to me. I like that Mozart K452 for keyboard and wind very much. Didn't Elgar play the bassoon himself in the amateur orchestra at the asylum?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The opening of Le Sacre; Elgar's depiction of the drunk Falstaff; the Finale of LvB's 4th Symphony (Klemperer's recording was the first time I laughed out loud at a piece by Beethoven when I was about 15); the opening of the slow movement of Brahms 2nd.


etc etc etc

[gurnemanz]

Me and the bassoon - two reminiscences:

1) About 40 years ago I bought a Supraphon LP of Vivaldi wind concertos with Milan Munclinger and Ars Rediviva, (still there in the garage). I remember loving the bassoon concerto. It's on Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/Antonio-Vival.../master/275026

2) A bassoonist from the Gewandhaus Orchestra lived in the flat above my girl friend (now wife) when I was teaching English in Leipzig in the 70s. He liked to practise in the morning, starting quite early. It would form a pleasant accompaniment to whatever we were up to at the time. Years later we met him again after a concert the Gewandhaus gave at the Proms.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Messrs Poulenc and Francaix seem to have favoured the instrument in chamber music, the former in the sextet, trio for oboe, bassoon and piano, and sonata for clarinet and bassoon, the latter in a divertissement for oboe, clarinet and bassoon. With the exception of P's sextet all these works are on CD6 of this splendid set http://www.amazon.co.uk/Icon-Melos-E...4048600&sr=1-1

There's plenty more of William Waterhouse's bassoon in other examples of 'large chamber music' in this box (WAM & LvB piano & wind quintets, LvB Septet, Schubert Octet, Berwald Septet, Nielsen wind quintet, Janacek Mladi and Concertino, Skalkottas Octet etc).

[Roehre]

some of the bassoony works I love:

Beethoven: 3 Duos for clarinet and bassoon WoO 27 (of which the authenticity is under scrutiny, btw), his Romance cantabile for piano, flute, bassoon and strings Hess 13 as well as his Trio for flute, bassoon and piano woO 37.

Saint Saens' bassoon sonata op.168 (a lovely late work of his)

A lovely little trifle of Stravinsky's is his Duet for two basoons, btw (only 2 minutes or so)

[Roehre]

Messrs Poulenc and Francaix seem to have favoured the instrument in chamber music, the former in the sextet, trio for oboe, bassoon and piano, and sonata for clarinet and bassoon, the latter in a divertissement for oboe, clarinet and bassoon. (...)).

Please don't forget Francaix's quintet for bassoon and string quartet.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Please don't forget Francaix's quintet for bassoon and string quartet.

Roehre: I did mean to list it above<missing, late-lamented DOH icon>

Had also forgotten a slightly more esoteric, modern bassoon-fest on my shelves http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gubaidulina-...4055277&sr=1-2 Some very rich, dark brown sounds here, including a sonata for two bassoons and nothing else at all

[vinteuil]

Marvellous playing by Sergio Azzolini on the CDs of bassoon concertos in the Vivaldi edition on the naïve label. They are great fun, never fail to perk me up.

Am also currently enjoying his playing on a recent CD 'Con Spirito' (on the tudor label) of the bassoon concertos etc of Johann Wilhelm Hertel [1727-1789], a composer I hadn't been aware of before.

Committed bassoon lovers might also want to try the CD 'les bassons de l' Opéra', with delights such as a Boismortier sonata arranged for four bassoons; a Rossini sonata arranged for bassoon and contrabassoon; and works by François-René Gebauer and Édouard Flament ...

[aeolium]

a Rossini sonata arranged for bassoon and contrabassoon

I'd like to hear that. I love some of Rossini's writing for wind, and it's not often that the contrabassoon appears in solo guise (it doesn't often even turn up in performances of Mozart's Gran Partita).

Among bassoon players I particularly like the work of William Waterhouse and Graham Sheen, but I'd also put in a word for Gwydion Brooke, one of the RPO's "Royal Family" and Robin O'Neill, principal bassoonist of the Philharmonia (and also chamber musician in ensembles like Endymion and London Winds).