The orchestral texture of Benjamin Britten's opera Albert Herring is thin, with the score calling for string quintet, woodwind quintet (with some players doubling on other instruments) and percussion. Therefore, each instrumentalist's part is invariably exposed and frequently an outright solo. The bassoonist may find himself in an awkward position owing to the difficulty if not the seeming impossibility of his part. The bassoonist in the pit will find a hard "lick" on almost every page. I dare say that even the most facile sight-reader would be uncomfortable at the initial rehearsal. It is not my intention to discuss the wisdom of the composer but to aid the performer in fulfilling the composer's wishes.
Part of the difficulty lies in the wide range required. The opening page of the opera, an introduction in a fast 6/8, 9/8 tempo, provides the best example. (I will refer to the Boosey and Hawkes rental part.) An attacked high Eb eighth note is written, and just nine measures later there are repeated low Db's at the pianissimo level. Obviously, the most flexible of reeds is demanded. Passages of the introduction are also rhythmically difficult, since the third eighth of a three note group is often tied over to the first of the next group, and occasionally hemiola is inserted into this already displaced pattern.
Real trouble for the bassoonist begins with the introduction to the second act. The tempo is fast, quarter note equaling M.M. 144. The dynamic level is pianissimo for the most part with some brief swells to fortissimo. There are slurred sixteenth notes which alternate between two pitches, often a third apart; a sort of measured tremolo. The two pitches change usually every two beats, sometimes every beat. To play the passage with regular fingerings is disastrous. There are often cross fingerings between the two pitches which become unmanageable with repetition, or the two pitches span the break which also gives an unsatisfactory result. Below I have written an extract of the entire passage, and I have notated alternate simple fingerings where the regular (reg.) is not to be used. I am not showing added keys, such as the resonance key (low Eb), whose use may vary with different bassoons. These fingerings work beautifully and easily in this particular passage, given the dynamic level of pianissimo, the rapid tempo, and the even and smooth divisions of the beat required. I might not suggest the same kind of procedure in say a Mozart overture where the sound must project more. After practice and perhaps some embouchure adjustments to get the correct pitch and response, the passages can be mastered.
An outright solo opens the third act. The passage lasts thirty-one measures and covers the entire range of the instrument. It is in 6/8 but is taken in one, about dotted half equaling M.M. 108. A similar passage recurs three more times. The dynamic marking of pianissimo can be ignored since there is percussion accompaniment. The introductory ten measures by the percussion establishes a regular rhythm which demands a precise entrance by the bassoon. The rhythm encountered is not a common one, and the tonguing solution I propose, after much experimentation, is likewise uncommon:
Placing the syllable "Ta" on the initial note insures an accurate entrance. The "Ta-Ka" syllables are placed on the two notes requiring the fastest successive delivery. A harder than usual "Ka" syllable should be used since it occurs on the accented beginning of the measure. One should practice the passage using the three pitches of each bar in a triplet pattern (The third and fourth note of each bar are the same pitch.), then add the tonguing and rhythm, practicing slowly at first.
Mention could also be made of several other difficult passages like the fugal section near the end of the second act which presents technical problems for all members of the ensemble. Most of the problems here and elsewhere, however, can be overcome by diligent practice without resort to special fingerings or unusual tonguing techniques.
