Two contemporary chamber music works that include bassoon by Stanley Petrulis are now published by Dorn Publications. These are: Duet for Oboe and Bassoon (1979), and Quintet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1979). For further information please write directly to the composer: Dr. Stanley Petrulis, Dept. of Music, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809.
Laurence Perkins, who recently gave the premiere performance of the Horovitz Bassoon Concerto, (see "Interesting Performances A to Z") has a new recording out on the Hyperion label. It consists of a collection of music from France and England and has received outstanding critical acclaim from Gramophone magazine.
Bassoonist Judith LeClair and oboist-English hornist Thomas Stacy, both from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, are the featured artists in a new series called: "Play with Me," which is being published by Old Greenwich Printing Company (27 Arcadia Road Rear, Old Greenwich, CT 06870.)
The bassoon work consists of the music for thirteen Mueller bassoon duets of intermediate difficulty and a two-track cassette recording of Ms. LeClair playing the two parts of the duets on separate channels. One can then "play duets" with her by selecting the desired playback channel and playing the other part live. (Or one can simply enjoy her stereo performance by itself!)
Mr. Stacy has similar sets of twelve Mozart duets K. 496A (487) for oboe or English horn.
The music and cassette sell for $12.95. The series, which plans to expand and include other Philharmonic members looks like an excellent teaching aid for young students and just plain fun for anyone else.
Gilbert Audin, new Solo Bassoon of the Paris Opera, replacing Maurice Allard in retirement, has a new recording out of the Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra by Jean Françaix on the Cybelia label (CY650, Disco Shop, 22 Rue de la Republique, 94160 Saint Mande, France.) The Orchestre Kovaldy, conducted by Françaix, provides the accompaniment.
In reviewing the recording for The Clarinet magazine (Vol. 10, No. 3, Spring 1983), Rosario Mazzeo noted, ". . . It gives us an opportunity to hear the beautiful and mellow tone of the French system instrument. "
Finnish bassoonist Juhani Tapaninen has recently recorded the Quintet for Bassoon and String Quartet (1977) by Kalevi Aho. This major work (37 minutes long) was very well received when it was played by the same musicians at the Edinburgh Conference of the IDRS in August 1980. It is coupled with a performance of the Mozart Concerto by Mr. Tapaninen accompanied by the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra. The recording is on Finlandia Records (FA 340). Bassoonist Antero Ojanto reports that the recording is of high technical quality. The following is a description of the Quintet by the composer himself, taken from his notes on the record jacket:
The bassoon is one of those instruments which have been unnecessarily neglected in music literature -- perhaps because of ignorance of the expressive possibilities of this fine instrument. The bassoon can be said to have a dual character. It is the comedian and the clown of the orchestra, yet it is capable of expressing the greatest passion and anguish. The various registers of the bassoon differ greatly from each other -- from the powerful amplitude of the lowest register to the organized wailing of the highest. Technically it is surprisingly agile.
These propensities of the bassoon gave the impetus to my bassoon quintet. The work consists of six continuous movements. The quintet begins as a parody in that the Overture mocks the mannerisms of certain classical overtures and opening movements of concertos. The second movement, Parody, begins with Schubertian accompaniment figures, with the bassoon superimposing a sentimental, romantic melody. Gradually the atmosphere turns more serious and more modern in its tonal style, until the increasingly hectic tempo brings on the virtuosic Scherzo of the third movement. The extremely fast Scherzo culminates in a furious ending which is followed by an extended, elegiac Cadenza. In the fifth movement, the Finale, the world of the work begins to collapse by degrees. The movement contains many quotations from the earlier movements and its humour is more weary and more gripping than the more good-natured and nostalgic humour of the first two movements. The musical disintegration process of the quintet becomes complete in the final slow Epilogue. The musical components break up into ever diminishing fragments until there remain only a few lonely, detached notes, and finally, emptiness. Thus the work would seem to begin from the surface, with a gradual penetration deeper and deeper towards the finality of a disintegrating world.
The quintet poses extremely high demands on the bassoon player as well as on the string quartet. The work is dedicated to Juhani Tapaninen who was the soloist at its first performance in Helsinki in January 1978.
Kalevi Aho
Recent lists of doctoral dissertations related to the bassoon have missed that of Dr. Stanley Petrulis, A Stylistic and Performance Analysis of Three Contemporary Compositions for the Bassoon Which use New Performance Techniques (1976-77). The three works analyzed are: Branches for two bassoons and percussion by Paul Chihara, Aria No. 4 for bassoon and tape by Elliot Schwartz, and Concertazioni for bassoon and orchestra by Bruno Bartolozzi.
The least well known of the three, the Bartolozzi, is the most extensively covered. The work makes use of many multiphonics, quarter tones, and other modern devices. Dr. Petrulis will be happy to supply copies on request for the cost of reproduction and postage. (His address is previously listed under "Bassoon Music".)
Bassoonist Richard Lottridge of the University of Wisconsin and the Wingra Quintet was in Alaska last September as featured soloist in the annual tour of the Arctic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Gordon B. Wright. The tour centered around communities in the Bristol Bay area with concerts in Valdez, Illiamna, Dillingham, Togiak, Maknek, New Stuyahok, Kenai Soldtna, Homer, and Fairbanks. Dick played the Weber Concerto and then joined the bassoon section to help out for the remainder of the concert. In writing about the tour Dick described the Bristol Bay area as ". . . like being in another world. "
Bassoonist Daniel Smith has also continued his active career as recitalist and concert soloist both in America and Europe with recent recitals in Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, and Diligentia Hall in the Hague, Netherlands. He has recently completed an all-Vivaldi concerto recording to be released soon and will do another album in March, 1984 with the English Chamber Orchestra in London.
The next International Bassoon Competition will take place in Munich, Germany, September 11- 17, 1984, sponsored by the Bavarian Radio. Those students interested in competing may obtain information by writing to: Internationaler Musikwettbewerb, Bayrischer Rundfunk, D-800 Munchen 2, Rundfunkplatz 1, West Germany.
With the IDRS Bassoon Competition in Graz in August 11-15, it might be possible for some of you to compete in both, (especially since the first prize for the IDRS Competition will be a brand new instrument!)
It is nice to know that The Double Reed is reaching bassoonists all around the world. From Mr. J.W.F. Jurtz of Cape Town, South Africa, comes the following letter and picture:
I was delighted to read the story of the Bubonic Bassoon Quartet in the Spring 1983 issue of The Double Reed, and thought you might be interested to hear how their publications came to our rescue in the early part of this year.
The principal bassoonist of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra (CTSO), Ingo Holland, decided to hold a "grosse Fagott-Abend" at his home, as there were several visiting bassoonists in Cape Town, as well as those normally stationed here.
It was certainly "gross", lasting in fact from 3:00 p.m. to midnight. Unfortunately several Cape Town bassoonists were unable to attend; but in the photograph I enclose, you will see the ten Fagottisten who did assemble: from left to right, Martin Bowen, of the BBC Welsh Orchestra, Cardiff (on a visit to the Cape Performing Arts Board orchestra); Glyn Partridge, CTSO; John Juritz, Physics Professor, but spare-time bassoonist; Richard Morschel, jnr., student; Derek Vaughn- Heapy, 2nd bassoon of the CAPAB orchestra; Stephen Portman, visiting conductor of the CTSO, and a bassoonist; Ingo Holland, principal bassoon, CTSO; Dieter Moschel, principal bassoon, CAPAB orchestra; Nino Senassi (presenting bald patch to us), South African Broadcasting Corporation orchestra, (Johannesburg); Werner Eichler (bisected by my wife's inability to aim the camera properly), Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal orchestra.
After all the standard works had been run through (Carolo, Couperin, Mozart for two bassoons, Bergt for three, Dubensky and Prokofieff for four) it became problematical how to proceed. After a few attempts at replaying these works with massed bassoons (viz. three to a part), I produced a number of the Bubonic Publishing Company's publications, which I happened to have ordered a number of years ago; and the success of the evening was ensured. Even my contrabassoon was able to play its part in the assembly!
And finally from Stuart-Morgan Vance comes a curious bit of information for all the organologist-enthusiasts in the Society. It has generally been accepted that there were only two Cornelius Ward reformed system bassoons ever built. These were both owned by Giuseppe Tamplini, the Italian bassoonist who lived in Ward's home in the 1850s and who worked with Ward in developing a reformed system bassoon based upon principles and ideas similar to those of Adolphe Sax and, at a later date, Theobald Boehm. Presumably these two instruments were taken with Tamplini when he returned to Italy sometime after Ward's death. The only known survivor of the two recently found its way into the bassoon collection of William Waterhouse. But there may be others in existence. For, as Stuart-Morgan Vance writes:
"I'm working up a paper on Carte's Flute Patents of the Mid-XIXth Century for the American Musical Instrument Society: in researching that I found in the back of Carte's Sketch of the Successive Improvements Mode in the Flute an ad. by Rudall, Carte & Co. for various instruments: Boehm clarinets were special order, price on request, 'Ward's Patent bassoons' were listed at -- 26 5/ 0, only -- 5 5/ 0 more than a 17 keyed bassoon at -- 21 (all the latest improvements)! This would seem to suggest that Ward patent bassoons were a stock item!"
Would everyone please check your attic (and that of your grandparents!) to see if you have a Tamplini-Ward reform system bassoon lying around somewhere?!!