With this issue of The Double Reed it gives me the heartiest pleasure to welcome as a specialist editor L. Hugh Cooper, Bassoon Professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, co-author of Essentials of Bassoon Technique (German System), and formerly bassoonist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. I know of no other bassoonist in the world who has given the subject of fingering possibilities for our instrument such a thorough and analytical exploration.
Some months ago in a letter received from John Steinmetz of California an idea was proposed which Mr. Cooper and I feel in its implementation will assist student and professional bassoonists in a more practical way.
What we ask of all readers is: 1) submissions from a greater number of players (we dislike seeing just a few names of players with their individual fingering ideas -- if we hear from a greater number of thinking players we are likely to discover new possibilities which have not come to mind before); AND the submission of specific problems (i.e. "How does one finger and prepare for the difficult solo rising to high f" in Jean Françaix's "Divertissement pour petite Orchestre," slow movement?"-- or "How can one assuredly play the high e" forte attack in a running passage of movement III in Arnold Schoenberg's "Kammersimfonie 2"?, etc.). When discussing such problems with English players, their frequent reply is to, "follow Plan Zed!" (that is, to practice for hours with normal fingerings on the notes in question until they finally yield a perfect result).
But we also know from experience that there is in many cases a fine alternative fingering for a difficult passage or group of notes which brings off that passage with all necessary ingredients: a) perfect intonation, b) correct blending tone color and c) a calmer, less fearful approach. We URGE you to sift from among your playing experiences both for problem passages and for successful ways to overcome the difficulties.
Submissions may be sent directly to Mr. Cooper at:
The
University of Michigan School of Music
Ann Arbor
Michigan 48109 U.S.A.
Anthony Shanker - San Bernardino, California
Trills: Two for a-flat/b-flat and one for f'/g'.
Note: to start the above trills on upper note begin trills with normal fingerings.
Stefanie Przybylska - New York, New York
The difficult trill on the third note of the opening statement of W.A. Mozart's wind Sinfonie Concertante. Most of the fingerings for the e-flat in the bass staff which include (left hand 1, 2 and left thumb c#) produce an over-nasal tone quality, but this one gives a more normal quality which matches the other notes in the passage.
Note that the trill begins on the upper neighbor.
Gerald Corey - Ottawa, Canada
Two shakes found in Benjamin Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Two mechanically simpler solutions for the above. (L.H. Cooper)
L. Hugh Cooper - Ann Arbor, Michigan
A stable uncomplicated fingering for the high a'-flat and b'flat trill in Stravinsky's Octet
ERRATA: The high e'' fingering form L. Hugh Cooper, presented in To the Worlds Bassoonists, Vol. VII, No. 3, 1977, should have included the right thumb B-flat key. e.g.
On bassoons without high e'' keys this fingering usually represents a more vialbe choice for the Ravel G Major Piano Concerto than the old long German fingering. Note that the left thumb leaves the high d'' and/or c'' keys before the note change.