Richard Lottridge--University of Wisconsin Bassoon Prof.,

10/75. On a mixed ensembles faculty concert at the University, Franz Danzi's Trio in F. Op. 24, for violin, horn and bassoon (in 6 movements), and Duetto Concertante for viola and bassoon by Michal Spisak. Both fine pieces.

Leonard Sharrow--Bassoon Professor at Indiana University, formerly solo bassoonist of the Chicago Symphony and the NBC Symphony.

9/75. At Louisville, Kentucky, University of Kentucky. The premiere performance of a new chamber concerto written for Mr. Sharrow by Dan Welcher, (first bassoonist of the Louisville Orchestra). Mr. Sharrow also performed the Welcher Concerto da Camera at the University of Indiana and recorded the work for Crystal Records of California (also recorded was the Ray Luke Bassoon Concerto). Mr. Sharrow remarks of the Welcher Concerto: "It is an excellent work and a major addition to the bassoon repertoire. It is scored for (in addition to the solo bassoon) string quartet, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, horn, piano and percussion (one player/eight or so instruments). It will be published soon by Elkan-Vogel."

Bernadette Zirkuli (pictured)--New York City Opera and free lance bassoonist, member of the New York Bassoon Quartet which performed brilliantly at the August, 1975, IDRS Annual Meeting at Evanston.

10/75. A full bassoon recital at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York. Donald Henahan of the New York Times reacted very favorably. Program included: Vivaldi Concerto in E Minor, F. VIII, No. 6 (with 12-piece chamber orchestra!), Montages, Partita for Solo Bassoon by Hugh Aitken, Beethoven's Trio in G for flute, bassoon and piano, Sonata in C Major of Johann F. Fasch, Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 for flute and bassoon (John Wion flute in this and the Beethoven), and finally Otmar Nussio 's Nine Variations on a Pergolesi Arietta.

Jesse Read--Solo Bassoonist of the Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Symphony Orchestra. >

11/75. A performance of the Concerto for Bassoon of Murray Adaskin (Canadian composer), with the Victoria Symphony, Kurt Rapf, guest conductor. A review of the performance (Audrey Johnson, Victoria Times) mentions: "Read is revealed as a sensitive and exceptional artist. . ." Of the concerto, "(It) is utterly charming throughout the three . . . movements. It is to be hoped that the concerto will remain in the repertoire, to be heard again at some not too distant time."

The 3 B's (Basses, Bassoons and Beer)--a midnight concert of "light" bassoon and bass goings on by our imaginative California friends, John Steinmetz and four other bassoonists ("The Little Bridges Bicentennial Bassoon League") and "I Contrabassi di Claremont," five double bassists. Sixteen compositions were performed; of special interest: Quartet for Bassoons by Barney Childs (1956,1958), an opening set of Canzonas of G. Gabrieli arranged for all the basses/bassoons, and the world premiere of "Fish Phase," for two contrabassoons and goldfish by John Steinmetz. The program notes are exemplary: "Phase music, a relatively new genre, deals with musical phrases displaced in time, with a melody or rhythm that is played in unison and then "out of phase" with itself. "Fish Phase" is unlike any previous phase pieces not only because of its unusual instrumentation, but also because of its post-Webern compression, for while compositions in this style are generally long and purposefully monotonous, "Fish Phase" represents an attempt to achieve the same boring effect in a short work. The verbatim repetitions common to phase music are absent here, so the listener has only one chance to hear each melodorhythmic combination pattern. Composed for the present performers, Steve Braunstein and Leslie Lashinsky, who found themselves in the presence of two contrabassoons without the rest of the "Sacre" that usually accompanies them, "Fish Phase" places incredibly few demands on the players. Borrowing from Webern the practice of registral invariance, the piece is rigorously restricted to three notes, and it is remarkable that from such limited melodo-harmonic materials comes such a paucity of musical ideation. Making no exception to the rule that all contemporary pieces should contain quotations from older works, the music begins with a reference to the one-note contrabassoon solo from Stravinsky's "Petrouchka," and this germinative idea grows to infect the entire work, expanding gradually into a phase phrase which has its roots in rock and roll baritone sax playing; no sooner does the melody reach maturity than it begins to disappear, eating itself alive as it; were, until once again only one note remains--a different pitch this time, for variety's sake."

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