Bassoon
Music historians generally consider the dulcian to be the forerunner of the modern bassoon. This hairpin-shaped instrument with a long, folded bore and a single key developed in the first half of the 16th century. It remained in use until the 17th century despite sharing many characteristics with its successor. The origins of the dulcian are obscure, but by the mid-16th century it was available in as many as eight different sizes. A full consort of dulcians was a rarity; its primary function seems to have been to provide the bass in the typical wind band of the time. Otherwise, dulcian technique was rather primitive, with eight finger holes and two keys. Circumstantial evidence indicates that the baroque bassoon was a newly invented instrument, rather than a simple modification of the old dulcian. The man most likely responsible for developing the true bassoon was Martin Hotteterre around 1650s. He conceived the bassoon in four sections: bell, bass joint, boot and wing joint. An arrangement that allowed greater accuracy in machining the bore compared to the one-piece dulcian. He also extended the compass down to B by adding two keys. Sometime around 1700, a fourth key (G sharp) was added. A fifth key, for the low E, was added during the first half of the 18th century.
The bassoon disassembles into six main pieces, including the reed. The bell extends upward while the bass joint connects the bell and the boot. The boot folds over on itself at the bottom of the instrument. The wing joint extends from boot to bocal. The bocal is a crooked metal tube that attaches the wing joint to a reed. The bore of the bassoon is conical, like that of the oboe and the saxophone. Both bore and tone holes are precision-machined, and each instrument is finished by hand for proper tuning. The walls of the bassoon are thicker at various points along the bore. Here, the tone holes are drilled at an angle to the axis of the bore. This reduces the distance between the holes on the exterior. It ensures coverage by the fingers of the average adult hand. Playing is facilitated by closing the distance between the widely spaced holes with a complex system of key work. The overall height of the bassoon stretches to four feet tall. But the total sounding length is eight feet considering that the tube is doubled back on itself. There are also short-reach bassoons made for the benefit of young or petite players. A modern beginner's bassoon is generally made of maple.
The art of reed-making has been practiced for several hundred years. Some of the earliest known reeds having been made for the dulcian, a predecessor of the bassoon. Current methods of reed-making consist of a set of basic methods. However, individual bassoonists' playing styles vary greatly and thus require that reeds be customized to best suit their respective bassoonist. Advanced players usually make their own reeds to this end. Modern bassoon reeds, made of Arundo donax cane, are often made by the players themselves. Reeds begin with a length of tube cane that is split into three or four pieces using a tool called a cane splitter. The cane is then trimmed and gouged to the desired thickness, leaving the bark attached. After soaking, the gouged cane is cut to the proper shape and milled to the desired thickness. This can be done by hand with a file; more frequently it is done with a machine or tool designed for the purpose. On the bark portion, the reed maker binds on one, two, or three coils or loops of brass wire to aid in the final forming process. The bound reed blank is then wrapped with thick cotton or linen thread to protect it. A conical steel mandrel is quickly inserted in between the blades. Using a special pair of pliers, the reed maker presses down the cane, making it conform to the shape of the mandrel.
Prior to 1760, the early ancestor of the bassoon was the dulcian. It was used to reinforce the bass line in wind ensembles called consorts. However, its use in concert orchestras was sporadic until the late 17th century when double reeds began to make their way into standard instrumentation. Increasing use of the dulcian as a basso continuo instrument meant that it began to be included in opera orchestras. Works such as those by Reinhard Keiser and Jean-Baptiste Lully featured the instrument. Antonio Vivaldi brought it to prominence by featuring it in thirty-nine concerti. While the bassoon was still often used to give clarity to the bassline due to its sonorous low register, the capabilities of wind instruments grew as technology advanced during the Classical era. Joseph Haydn took advantage of this in his Symphony No. 45. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote three Duos for Clarinet and Bassoon. W.A. Mozart utilized all aspects of the bassoon's expressiveness with its contrasts in register, staccato playing, and expressive sound. His Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major is often considered one of the most important works in all of the bassoon's repertoire. Giuseppe Verdi used the instrument's lyrical, singing voice to evoke emotion in pieces such as his Messa da Requiem.
The modern bassoon exists in two distinct primary forms, the Buffet or French system and the Heckel or German system. Most of the world plays the Heckel system, while the Buffet system is primarily played in France, Belgium, and parts of Latin America. The design of the modern bassoon owes a great deal to the performer, teacher, and composer Carl Almenräder. Assisted by the German acoustic researcher Gottfried Weber, he developed the 17-key bassoon with a range spanning four octaves. Almenräder's improvements to the bassoon began with an 1823 treatise describing ways of improving intonation, response, and technical ease of playing. His employment at Schott gave him the freedom to construct and test instruments according to these new designs. In 1831, Almenräder left Schott to start his own factory with a partner, Johann Adam Heckel. Heckel and two generations of descendants continued to refine the bassoon, and their instruments became the standard. The Buffet system bassoon achieved its basic acoustical properties somewhat earlier than the Heckel. Thereafter, it continued to develop in a more conservative manner. While the early history of the Heckel bassoon included a complete overhaul of the instrument in both acoustics and key work, the development of the Buffet system consisted primarily of incremental improvements to the key work.
Many extended techniques can be performed on the bassoon, such as multiphonics, flutter-tonguing, circular breathing, double tonguing, and harmonics. In the case of the bassoon, flutter-tonguing may be accomplished by gargling in the back of the throat as well as by the conventional method of rolling Rs. Multiphonics on the bassoon are plentiful, and can be achieved by using particular alternative fingerings. They are generally heavily influenced by embouchure position. Also, again using certain fingerings, notes may be produced on the instrument that sound lower pitches than the actual range of the instrument. These notes tend to sound very gravelly and out of tune, but technically sound below the low B. The bassoonist may also produce lower notes than the bottom B by extending the length of bell. This can be achieved by inserting a specially made low A extension into the bell. The idea of using low A was begun by Richard Wagner, who wanted to extend the range of the bassoon. Many passages in his later operas require the low A as well as the B-flat immediately above it. Gustav Mahler required the bassoon to be chromatic down to low A. Richard Strauss calls for the low A in his opera Intermezzo.
The bassoon is infrequently used as a jazz instrument and rarely seen in a jazz ensemble. It first began appearing in the 1920s, when Garvin Bushell began incorporating the bassoon in his performances. Specific calls for its use occurred in Paul Whiteman's group. The unusual octets of Alec Wilder featured the instrument. The next few decades saw the instrument used only sporadically. But the 1960s saw artists such as Yusef Lateef and Chick Corea incorporate bassoon into their recordings. More recently, Illinois Jacquet, Ray Pizzi, Frank Tiberi, and Marshall Allen have both doubled on bassoon in addition to their saxophone performances. Several 1960s pop music hits feature the bassoon. The Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles included the instrument. Jennifer Juniper by Donovan also featured it. From 1974 to 1978, the bassoon was played by Lindsay Cooper in the British avant-garde band Henry Cow. These New Puritans's 2010 album Hidden makes heavy use of the instrument throughout. In 2016, the bassoon was featured on the album Gang Signs and Prayers by UK grime artist Stormzy.
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Common questions
When was the dulcian developed and when did it fall out of use?
The hairpin-shaped instrument known as the dulcian developed in the first half of the 16th century. It remained in use until the 17th century despite sharing many characteristics with its successor.
Who invented the true bassoon around 1650s and how many sections does it have?
Martin Hotteterre is the man most likely responsible for developing the true bassoon around 1650s. He conceived the bassoon in four sections: bell, bass joint, boot and wing joint.
What are the two distinct primary forms of the modern bassoon and where are they played?
The modern bassoon exists in two distinct primary forms, the Buffet or French system and the Heckel or German system. Most of the world plays the Heckel system, while the Buffet system is primarily played in France, Belgium, and parts of Latin America.
Which composer wrote a Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major considered one of the most important works?
W.A. Mozart utilized all aspects of the bassoon's expressiveness with his Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major. His work is often considered one of the most important pieces in all of the bassoon's repertoire.
When did the bassoon first begin appearing in jazz music and which artist started incorporating it?
The bassoon first began appearing in the 1920s when Garvin Bushell began incorporating the instrument in his performances. Specific calls for its use occurred later in Paul Whiteman's group and recordings by artists such as Yusef Lateef and Chick Corea during the 1960s.