The finest bassoons in use today, German system and French system, are beautiful instruments capable of remarkable musical effects and technical feats of virtuosity. Both bassoons are solid examples of the careful artistic development of all the orchestral woodwinds from the time of Lully's court orchestra to 1977.
As anyone might expect, familiar with my great admiration for both systems of bassoon and practical playing experience on both, I am not among those bassoonists who feel that our present day instruments are clumsy and should be shelved for a revolutionary new and improved instrument. I am, however, interested in all meaningful progress towards an evolutionary improvement of the bassoon, be it German, French or whatever.
It is reassuring to be aware of ongoing research and experimentation in many places: Maurice Allard continues to work directly with the Buffet-Crampon firm to develop the French instrument (bore, tone hole design, new bocals, highest register vent key experiments, etc.) - which has been improving remarkably even in the last two or three years. Professor Cuciureanu in Rumania has evidently done intensive redesigning of key work and tone hole placement on the German bassoon - we keenly anticipate hearing examples of his instrument and learning more about it soon. Dr. Arthur Benade, I.D.R.S. member and musical-acoustical scientist from Cleveland, Ohio (years of study with both German and French systems, with special emphasis on the unique problem of the bassoon's backwards acting register key, the 'whisper key'. All other woodwinds having register keys are designed so the key opens as the upper register is reached and is then held in the open position. With the bassoon this procedure is reversed: the vent key is held closed during most of the low register. Then it is released (to open) in the middle register, after which time the bocal hole and any of three other separate vent holes are employed to assist the forming of the middle register notes.) Giles Brindley of London is now working on a third instrument in his series of 'logical bassoons' (logic computer and electrically-assisted German-type bassoons). The new instrument will have a normal round section bore (the first two are of square section for easier assembly) which should give a more bassoon-like appearance and perhaps will give an even-better tone quality.
There is of course the ongoing steady work at each of the several fine bassoon makers of the world, to constantly improve the models currently in production towards the highest artistic goals.
But for today, this week's concerts, and for our pupils now and in the near future: what small improvements are needed and may be quite possible to make a bassoonist's life a little easier? A few, I believe. Not superfluous technical gimmickry, but really practical and useful additions to the current Heckel system and French system bassoons.
1. A standardized alternate whisper key touch for the left small finger. (Figure 1)
2. A left thumb touch for the low C# (not to close the low C key), placed beside the thumb touch for low C - to effect the low C# /D# trill and to ease certain passages shifting between low C,# and D#. (Figure 2)
3. A standard small extension plate fitted to the side of the low C key (immediately adjacent to the end of the low D key) - to permit playing of the low C with the thumb on this extension plate, leaving the tip of the thumb free to depress the low B1-flat key (for low C in 'ppp'). This plate should not be so large as to prevent closing of low D with the back of the thumb and using the tip of the thumb to depress the low B1-flat key (for low D in 'ppp'!. (Figure 3)
Discussion of Figure 1: The small finger whisper key is useful in three distinct ways-
The small finger whisper key touch has been available as an option for many years from both Heckel and FOX. Hans Moennig made a beautiful slender one for my Heckel #7373 when it was new in the 30's, and it still works perfectly and silently. I urge all German system bassoon makers to add this useful key as a standard and necessary part of the basic design.
Discussion of Figure 2: Bassoons designed by R.W. Mac Gibbon of Milwaukee (see 'To The World's Bassoonists', Vol. VI, No. 1) and by William Polisi of New York have included in their basic design the simplest form of key to effect the trill C#/D# in the lowest register. The Mac Gibbon instrument couples this touch to the low C key and causes that key to close whenever the low C# key is opened (either with the regular left small finger key or with the special touch for left thumb). This is a real disadvantage to any player wanting to open the low C# key (only) for venting purposes (e.g., to darken low E or low A and others). For this reason I suggest the adding of a thumb touch for low C# placed beside the thumb touch for low C but not connected to it. I have used the shape of Mr. Mac Gibbon's key in my drawing because I find this key to be perfectly designed for comfort and a complement to the traditional shapes of the neighboring keys. Some might argue that this key is not really essential because the low C#/D# trill is a known 'impossible trill'. I would agree that most composers respect this tenet - but if we can easily make possible a reasonable trill for these two notes, I see no reason to avoid the change because orchestration books tell us that a bassoon cannot make this trill. Additionally, and more importantly, the fitting of this thumb touch for low C# will make certain passages smoother when the low D# and C# must be alternated rather quickly (e.g., 2nd bassoon passage in the March movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony).
Heckel has at least two mechanisms available for the low C#/D# trill. They are better in tonal purity than the trill made as described above, but they have the disadvantage of a very sophisticated and complex mechanism which is hard to keep in perfect adjustment. Although in the C#/D# trill, the note D# is somewhat cloudy in tone with the simple thumb touch for low C# I am recommending, there will never be any mechanical adjustment required with this key. I would like this key to be added as a standard key also. But if makers do not consider it important enough an addition, the thumb touch can be added by any good artist bassoon repairer.
Discussion of Figure 3: Several bassoons have traditionally included an extra thumb touch for the low C, connected to the arm of the low C key and in line with the rounded end of the low D key Kohlert and Mollenhauer for example). I have always been under the impression that this key was intended for players who like to take the low C 'lazily", avoiding the added stretch of the thumb after low D if the following notes do not descend below low C. If this key is made somewhat narrower, as indicated in Figure 3, a much more musical improvement can result: sometimes we have to play the lowest notes really softer than nature (conical bore double reed woodwind) prefers. Low B1 flat requires a mute, Low B1 can be progressively damped and quieted by partly depressing the low B1-flat key by degrees (the Polisi bassoon has an adjustable stop to effect this partial closure in a consistent manner), low C may be muffled with the addition of the low B1 key - and low C can be made "super quiet" if the low B1-flat key is depressed. But it is quite awkward to do this using the side of the thumb on the narrow arm of the low C key (to depress both D and C keys) then closing low B1-flat with the tip of the thumb. This technique becomes very easy if a small extension plate is added to the arm of the low C key. Because low D can also be muffled by closing the D key with the back of the thumb and using the tip of the thumb to depress the low B1-flat key, it is important that the added extension plate not be made so wide that the low D technique is thwarted. I sincerely urge all makers of Heckel-system bassoons to add this small extension plate to all models as a standard part of the mechanism.
Finally, to sum up my thoughts on small improvements possible with the present Heckel-system bassoons, there is one mechanism often included in deluxe models which I think should be removed, namely the a-flat/b-flat trill mechanism requiring an additional tone hole on the boot joint. Here are my reasons: (i) the key is used very seldom, and a reasonable trill can be made by taking normal a-flat, adding low C#, and trilling the right hand middle finger. (ii) The mechanism creates extra weight and bulk - the rarely-used tone hole adds unnecessary length to the bore of the instrument (Hans Moennig would say that the extra pad on that tone hole is just one more place for a leak to occur). (iii) Heckel has designed at least one mechanism for the a-flat/b-flat trill which may be engaged only when required and which does not require an additional tone hole. The Mac Gibbon bassoon also has a trill mechanism of the same type which functions perfectly. I recommend that Heckel-system bassoon manufacturers follow this line of thought in the future to avoid the unnecessary extra tone hole. And there is at least one set of rollers which I am sure hardly any bassoonist ever uses: the rollers between low F# and alternate A-flat keys (right thumb). Let's ask that they be omitted in future, because they just sit there causing two more rattles and serving no musical purpose !
1. A second touch for the present B-flat key (right hand ring finger), to be operated by the right thumb.(Figure 4.)
2. A slight increase in the width of the key for low G and the key for low F. This to make more practical a special trill fingering.(Figure 5)
3. Some new thoughts about the keys for the left thumb: low E-flat, low D, low C#, and low B1-flat.(Figure 6.)
Discussion of Figure 4: (i) the Heckel system bassoon has two keys for the B-flat, second line bass staff and an octave higher - the right thumb B-flat key and the right hand alternate B-flat key (unfortunately, the bore and tone hole placement on the boot joint of the modern Heckel-system bassoon have lost for it the former perfect "forked B flat" - and at the same time lost the A-flat/ B-flat trill). The French-system bassoon has no thumb B-flat key but has the key for right hand ring finger (the principal key, used in conjunction with 1, 2, and the low E thumb hole to produce an excellent B flat), and it does retain the classic and excellent "forked B-flat". Still, there are passages which suit neither alternative well and which require much arduous practice for their successful execution. Perhaps the most typical of these occurs at the opening of the Finale to Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No. 4. In alla breve time, the bassoons must play: (! !)
If another touch (for right thumb) were provided to depress the B-flat key on the French bassoon, this passage and many others could be taken more calmly. (ii) There exists already an optional crossover key for the right thumb to duplicate the low F with right thumb only, leaving the right small finger free to operate an F#/G# trill in two different octaves. If this type of key were fitted in a comfortable location near the thumb hole for low E it would depress the B-flat key just as the Buffet F#/G# trill device depresses the low F key - and it would require no extra tone hole or rod through the body of the instrument (only small holes to receive the necessary posts). And in appearance, this key would be correct in style for the Buffet/Crampon bassoon. (iii) This key would also make the French bassoon more comfortable for bassoonists who plan to play it after first learning the Heckel system. (iv) The fingering for B-flat if this key were used would be:
Discussion of Figure 5: Maurice Allard has found an excellent way to make the F#/ G# trill. He fingers both the low G key and the low F key with the ring finger of his right hand (!), then he executes the trill by pressing the A-flat key. I can manage this trill also, but it takes a moment to be sure that my right hand ring finger is fully depressing two keys, an unusual task. Because my finger often slips between the two keys (and my hands are larger than the hands of several of my students), I would suggest a slight increase in width of the two keys. The modification would be very slight to each key, so as to avoid inadvertently depressing both keys when reaching for one or the other singly.
Discussion of Figure 6: This is the most difficult part of my analysis of the practicability for slight improvement of the French-system bassoon. Anthony Baines (in Woodwind Instruments and Their History") considers that the fingerings of the two types of bassoons (German and French) differ "without giving either a decisive advantage". In my opinion, after becoming familiar with the French bassoon for several years now (and many more with the Heckel), there is a distinct advantage with the German bassoon for legato connection of certain low intervals. Basically the problem with the French lay of keys is the requirement of jumping with the thumb over the low C key to reach the low B1-flat. I think that a passage like this would be very frustrating for a French bassoonist:
Without altering the present design or position of the left thumb keys, I think that the only simple modification which would solve the problem would be the attachment of an extension piece from the underside tip of the low B1-flat key around the low C key and beside the low D key. Cecil James of London has had an extension of this type made to bring a second thumb touch for low C# under the low D key and near the low E-flat key (In his fingering, Mr. James improves the tuning of middle c by opening this low C# key. The French players get a similar result by using the right hand B-flat key.)
If we were to consider changing the position of the left thumb keys of the Buffet bassoon, for example to attempt something like the German system of keys or a compromise between the two systems (such as certain Heckel bassoons have, notably those made for Vincent Pezzi, formerly solo bassoonist of the Rochester (N.Y.) Philharmonic), we would face two large problems: (a) the probable requirement that all keys presently operated by the left thumb must remain so even if changed in shape and placement, and (b) the special requirement with the French bassoon that the low B1 tone hole be closed (rather than open as on the German bassoon) except for a few notes, notably low C#, low C, and low B1 ).
My drawing only shows a possible extension from the low B1-flat key to a point near the low D and low E-flat keys. But I would like to ask Buffet-Crampon to consider the problem I have described and comment on their possible solutions to the legato connections for: low E-flat to low B1-flat, and low D to low B1-flat. I will also be happy to forward the suggestions of other bassoonists to Buffet-Crampon for their information.