The Bassoon
Wind | Woodwind | Double Reed Aerophone
Listen to the Bassoon
Bassoon and the Contra Bassoon are my biggest love. I had the most wonderful time studying at school and music college, and I went on to play with some of the most prestigious players and ensembles in the world. The Bassoon makes a wonderful deep, mellow sound. A big sound from a big instrument, an incredible three-metre-long tube, it's doubled over though, so that it is manageable. It can often be a handful but it’s well worth it.
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The Bassoon has the lowest pitch in the woodwind family and an enormous range of three octaves. You could think of the Bassoon as a bass oboe, having a double reed and a conical bore.
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A vital part of the orchestra since the 1700s, nearly all orchestral scores feature the Bassoon. Mozart wrote a bassoon concerto, as did Vivaldi, and Telemann wrote two Bassoon Sonatas.
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One of the most well known Bassoon parts is "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Grieg's Peer Gynt suite. Followed by the fabulous Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas.
Notable pieces that feature the Bassoon:
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Bassoon Concerto
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Edvard Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King
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Paul Dukas – The Sorcerer's Apprentice
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Camille Saint-Saëns – Sonata for Bassoon and Piano
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Heitor Villa-Lobos – Ciranda das sete notas
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Paquito D'Rivera – Lauro for bassoon
(Five Venezuelan Waltzes for Solo Bassoon) -
Ludwig Milde – Fifty Concert Studies, Opus 26
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Jeff Scott – Elegy for Innocence for Bassoon & Piano
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If you are thinking about learning to play an instrument, or you’ve decided, but aren’t sure which one, let me help you choose. We can chat, and you can have a go at different instruments, to see which one would suit you best. If you leave your email, or ask your mum and dad to, I will get back to you, or your parents, with more information.