All conscientious musicians should be active in developing new repertoire. We should be commissioning new music while also digging into music archives to discover untapped wealth. In addition to new and old music, a third, rarely pursued area, is the transcription. Granted, it is much better to have the luxury to only play music composed specifically for a particular instrument, but what bassoon player has not gained, both in musicianship and technique, from the Bach Cello Suites or the Sonatas for viola da gamba? If we expand our outlook beyond music for the solo instrumentalist, we can find works that can be modified for the bassoon in new and unusual ways. Bach arranged at least nine concertos by Vivaldi, changing the instrumentation, and music, to suit his purposes. Closer to home, Weber adapted the Andante and Hungarian Rondo from viola to bassoon, and Ferdinand David did the reverse with his Concertino, Op. 12. The precedent for transcription exists, let us utilize it to our advantage.
As a bassoonist I have always enjoyed playing music for three bassoons since this ensemble, with its rich tonal possibilities, is extremely effective. The trios by Weissenborn and Bergt are excellent examples of this genre, but what exists for the serious trio that would like to perform with an orchestra or band? One can commission a new composition for three soloists and accompanying ensemble, but this option is not always available, and the creative process does take time. One such solution is the transformation the Vivaldi Concerto in G Minor, P. 411, for two cellos, into a concerto for three bassoons.
Bassoon players have always been aware that the Vivaldi Concerto in G Minor could be played on the bassoon. However, a straight performance off of the original cello parts is somewhat unsatisfactory. The score requires some judicious editing to adapt the music from strings to winds without sacrificing any of the composer's momentum, but this is readily accomplished. The concerto becomes a lovely showpiece for two bassoons and strings, and it helps to fill a gap in bassoon literature.
Yet, the Vivaldi concerto provides additional opportunities for the enterprising musician. Examination of the score reveals that a single cello in the continuo always accompanies the two solo cellos. If we regard this line as a third solo line, which it is, then three bassoons can play this composition.
The concerto could be played as it stands, with adjustments here and there to make it more suitable for the winds. Furthermore, it is possible to maintain the orchestral accompaniment intact, with only minor changes in the continuo, to avoid overlap with the "third soloist." But why stop here, if we have gone this far? If one upholds the status quo, the third solo line is rather static and uninteresting, when compared to the two upper lines. The monotony can be relieved by breaking up the solo melodic lines between the three instruments and thus create interesting antiphonal effects. Example one (Mvt. I, measures 80-85) shows Vivaldi's original version; example two, my suggested alteration. Only in a few passages is it necessary to add to the continuo line to gain equity among the three parts, and this can be accomplished by filling in Vivaldi's chordal outlines. Pursuing the same idea, a few changes should be made in order to rearrange those measures in the original that are more germane to string technique. In these instances it is better to "recompose," a matter of simplification rather than change. Example three (Mvt. III, measures 23-29) demonstrates interlocking cello lines, while example four shows my solution. I chose to replace the double stops and rapid string crossings with a rhythmic intensification and a "strengthening" of the chords.
Although it is a fairly simple task to alter the concerto for performance with strings, there is no reason that this work could not be transcribed for bassoons and band, this is what I have done. Any competent musician should be able to rescore from strings to winds, but it is not my intention to dwell on orchestration problems here. If the concerto is played with strings, then a harpsichord is a must, but in the transcription for band, this keyboard instrument sounds out of place. Even in the slow middle movement, the bassoons can handsomely sustain the harmonic and melodic momentum without support.
For the teacher or student who wishes to do something similar using a setting with wind ensemble and doesn't want to undergo the effort involved in a large-scale transcription, why not examine another option? Any concert that features three bassoons and band is an occasion of great audience interest, why not provide everyone with a good time? How about Bassooner's (Bugler's) Holiday by Leroy Anderson? Music written for an instrument pitched in B-flat can be played easily on the bassoon. Add two flats, read it in tenor clef, and make sure to produce the proper adjustments for the accidentals. This particular piece, loved by concert audiences everywhere, is a good showpiece for three bassoon players, and the difficulty level is at the intermediate stage. The work is an excellent study in both ensemble and solo playing for the younger student who may not be ready for a solo debut in concert performing. By this method of transformation, bassoonists can adapt comparable ensemble pieces, until the day comes when composers will provide us with our own music to play. New and unique performance possibilities abound, limited only by our imaginations.
(I would like to thank Maurice Stith and the Cornell University Wind Ensemble for playing my transcription of the Vivaldi Concerto in G Minor on May 1, 1983, at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York; Ron Bukoff, Rick Bottcher, and Fred Cohen, bassoons. And yes, we did play a shortened version of Bassooner's Holiday, with an original cadenza for the three bassoons by Fred Cohen. R.B.)
Ron Bukoff is a professional bassoonist in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Associate Conductor of the Cornell University Bands, and is completing a Ph.D. in musicology at Cornell with a dissertation on Charles Ives. He is a former student of Ray Nowlin and Kay Brightman of Southern California.
1. Antonio Vivaldi, Opere, Vol. 61, ed. by G. F. Malipiero (Milan: Ricordi, 1949).