On the Art of Bassoon Playing: French Sources 1750 - ca. 1800, compiled and distributed by John Hanchet. Beckumsfeld 4, D-4300 Essen 15, W. Ger. Price: $2 or equivalent paper currency, plus postage (airmail extra).
This handy 14-page collection of fingering charts and reed information
will be useful to all players of historical bassoons, especially
those with French instruments. Hanchet analyzes eight fingering
charts (including five by Ozi), reproducing four of them. Of particular
interest are Ozi's 1803 notes on alternate fingerings as well
as Hanchet's own related findings. This booklet will be good for
settling arguments, such as the location of the proverbial "highest
note on the baroque bassoon. " (Diderot d'Alembert's 1751
chart goes up to a1, and DeLa Borde's 1780 chart soars to f2!)
Nonspecialists will be intrigued to note that French bassoons
of the period possessed neither a true low B-natural nor B-flat
but rather a "compromise" key, with the player lipping
the note one way or the other. (D'Alembert suggests this fingering
for low A as well.) The last two pages deal with reed-making,
reproducing designs and measurements from Ozi's 1803 tutor.
Hanchet's translations are fine throughout and his commentary dispassionate with the occasional wry aside (he accuses Ozi of being "cheeky" for referring, in 1803, to Prudent's instruments as "ancient"). Hanchet is also an instrument builder, with copies of bassoons after Scherer and Rust available.