DAS FAGOTT -- New Bassoon Method in Six Volumes. By Werner Seltmann and Gunter Angerhöfer. Fully described in The Double Reed No. 2, 1978. Three Volumes are now available:
In North America, order from (Alexander Broude, Inc. 225 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. Book One $18.50, Book Four $12.50, Book Five $18.50.) In Europe, Das Fagott may be ordered from four different sources: (VEB Deutscher Verlag fur Musik. Leipzig, Germany D.D.R.); (Editions Barenreiter); (Editions Doblinger); (Breitkopf and Hartel (London) Ltd. 20, Earlham St., London WC2H 9LN).
Program Solos for Bassoon with Piano Accompaniment -- Transcribed and Arranged by Sol Schoenbach, Piano Accompaniments by William Winstead (Dedicated to Enzo Muccetti). Includes works of J.S. Bach, R. Schumann, B. Bartok, Beethoven, L. Cherubini, and G. Verdi. (Theodore Presser Co., Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania).
Twenty Advanced Bassoon Studies -- By Otto Oromszegi of Budapest, Hungary. (Emerson Edition. Ampleforth, Yorks, England). These brief studies, a week's refreshing study for each, cover many types of contemporary musical styles excepting new music techniques. They will be especially useful for university students who have already covered the traditional studies well.
Keith Bissell -- Suite for Bassoon, String Quartet and Percussion (timpani, snare drum, xylophone, wood blocks, gong). Written at the suggestion of Maurice Allard, whom the composer met when he appeared at Toronto's IDRS Conference two summers ago and dedicated to Mr. Allard. Mr. Bissell mentioned in a letter to me that, "No commitments were made other than that I was impressed with his artistry--the wide-ranging lovely sound of the instrument, and intrigued by his suggestion that I should write for this particular combination of forces." Another work by Keith Bissell, written for Christopher Weait of Toronto, is a Serenade for Five Winds for solo bassoon, 2 oboes and 2 horns. Both the Suite and the Serenade are available from the Canadian Music Centre, 1263 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R 2C1.
Wilhelm Heckel -- "Meine Gedanken" Kleines Konzert für Fagott und Klavier (1946). A copy of this rare solo work by the great bassoon maker himself, was sent by Robert Grossman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (former Librarian of the Settlement Music School and recently appointed Assistant Librarian of the Philadelphia Orchestra). This work was part of a collection of bassoon music recently donated to the Settlement Music School by former New York Philharmonic bassoonist Frank Ruggieri. It is in a romantic style, through-composed in several sections -- marked: Serenade, Rejoicing, Idyl, Cadenza and Finale. For information about procuring a copy of this rare composition, I suggest that readers contact Mr. Adolph Gebhard at the Heckel firm in Biebrich, W. Germany.
CONCERTO FOR CONTRABASSOON and Orchestra. Gunther Schuller has written the first concerto ever composed for contrabassoon and orchestra. The world premiere performance will be given by Lewis Lipnick with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C., Mstislav Rostropovich, conducting, on January 16-17-18, 1979, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.