(Editor's note: The first article of this history was printed in IDRS Journal No. 4, 1976, pages 2-7. It includes - - 1. An outline of the late Mr. Intravaia's four-part plan of studying all available information about the construction of reeds for early bassoons, measuring any specimen period reeds or modern copies made to the same specifications (when known), making examples of the various types of reeds for older bassoons, and recording the sounds of period bassoons and modern reproductions of these instruments being played with the model reeds. - - 2. My plan to carry on the work of Mr. Intravaia as well as I can, by expanding on the information he compiled and by following the remaining parts of his outline to conclusion. To this end, I requested - and here repeat my request - that all interested parties are welcome to participate in this project by directing to me any of the following: information about early bassoon reeds, articles, documents, photographs of specimen reeds (with measurements whenever possible--metric system only, please), actual specimen reeds from dates no later than 1910 or so, modern replica bassoon reeds, and any suggestions you have about the usefulness of the project - 3. Drawings of nine early bassoon reeds by William Waterhouse of London. - - 4. A listing of the 16 sources of reference to this subject collected by Lawrence Intravaia and sent to me by his wife, Tony.
In this second article, I am printing for the first time an annotated English translation of two early articles dealing with cane and bassoon reed making. It is my intention to underline important details of the various sources in terms of modern reed making - both for reeds intended for period bassoons or their reproductions and for 20th century bassoons (when the information is useful).
At the conclusion of this portion of the history, I will summarize the most important methods and present a practical method for constructing replicated reeds for older bassoons today.)
This volume, a copy of which can be found at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., includes many subjects besides music, including religion, mythology, and mathematics. The descriptions of musical instruments are brief, but fortunately there is included a drawing of both an oboe reed of the time and a bassoon reed (reproduced below, actual size).
" L'Anche. (The Reed.) The reed is made with a piece of roseau (Arundo Donax, reed cane) which has grown very high and whose joints are far apart. We cut the cane at the joints: we split it lengthwise down the middle: we take out a pithy substance which is on the inside. Then we crack (or score) the cane across on the bark side at its mid-point, without unjoining it: we fold it: we join the two ends which we then bind together over a small iron mandrel: we finish by cutting and separating completely across the two halves at the tip; we trim these halves to the ends, and the reed is finished."
I am including a note which follows, because it is a very early reference to the reason for having a staple or tube for the end of the oboe reed but not for the bassoon reed or the crumhorn reed:
" Nota. Since the reed of the oboe is placed into and sunk into a hole which is at the top of its headpiece, to accomplish this we roll onto the iron mandrel, before binding, a little blade of copper onto which we tie the bottom of the reed, where it remains in order that it does not flatten out when we sink it into the hole which is not done for the reed of the bassoon (B) or that of the crumhorn, because their bocal enters into the butt of the reed."
In Garsault's description of the tube-forming of a bassoon reed, he does not mention the putting on of the rings, but his drawing shows the two rings commonly used at this period. There is no ring under the string binding.
According to my copy of an Illustrated Dictionary of French Musicians (Editions Seghers. Paris. 1961) Jean Benjamin de Laborde was born and died in Paris (1734-1794), was a student of Rameau (and Dauvergne), was the composer of many popular operas, songs, and chamber music, and as a musicologist became very well-known for his "Essai" on old and new music. In this large work, covering many current musical points as well as descriptions of all the orchestral instruments, the article on bassoon is particularly long and interesting. Just as Grove's Dictionary today relies on experts in each discipline for its many articles, Laborde is believed to have had the aid of musician friends who contributed to his treatise. The article on bassoon was probably authored by Pierre Cugnier (according to Becker, p. 356). Laborde himself was, unfortunately, a victim of the guillotine.
At the end of the tenor joint we adjust the bocal, which is a curved tube of brass or silver and which (we see) is at the top of this joint. We place the larger part of the bocal into the opening at the top of the tenor joint which is ornamented with a metal band, like all the other places where parts fit together.
At the end of the bocal we add the reed, which is composed of two blades of cane (roseau), joined one above the other on a mandrel of iron the size of the bocal.
We put the reed on the bocal at the same point where it rested on the mandrel when the reed was formed. In the middle of the reed has been placed a ligature of thread ("ou de laison") which serves to hold the reed blades together and to give the necessary vibration.
Although the length of the bassoon is fixed at eight feet, less a fourth ("reduits a quatre"), you must however observe that as the length of the instrument is more or less lengthened it makes the pitch higher or lower, (giving the) pitch which is actually used in all kinds of music, particularly at the Concerts Spirituel - being a much higher pitch, a lot higher than the pitch used at the beginning of the bassoon's existence. It is necessary to reduce the length of the instrument in proportion to the pitch actually being used. . . . It is possible to change the pitch of the bassoon, higher or lower as you choose, by using a shorter tenor joint, a (shorter) bocal and also a reed which is shorter. . . .
There are three important things to examine about this instrument (the bassoon):
(Note: Maple wood is suggested as the best compromise as a medium hard wood for the best tone for bassoons of this period. Ebony and Palisander are considered too hard, and other woods are said to give too feeble a sound.)
The reed is as important as the wood of the bassoon in the production of the sound. Although this part in the appearance is the smallest of the instrument, it is however one of the most essential. There are rules established which determine the proportions which a reed must have to be of the right quality to match the bassoon's tone in its entirety. But in spite of all the precision with which we have tried for a long time to put these rules into effect, we cannot rely on the established principles of this subject. It often happens that the best constructed reed made according to all the proportions is still no good at all; and one that is less well-made will play just fine, or at least be usable. Since the reed is made from cane , the quality of sound it produces depends on the quality of your cane. Therefore it is impossible to give an invariable rule. All we can do is to keep trying with different types of cane until one is found which gives the desired sound.
You must observe that the reed is neither too strong nor too weak. A too strong reed tires the lips, takes a bigger volume of wind and requires a stronger lip pressure - it also produces a sound which is hard and is rarely beautiful. A reed that would be too weak would give a sound also too feeble and meager, a sound deprived of the roundness which is so ideal for the bassoon, and therefore would be disagreeable. You must choose the best between these two extremes.
Also pay attention that the reed blades are neither too long nor too short --one or the other makes the bassoon false. The longest must be at most 32 lignes (71.5 mm), and the shortest cannot be less than 28 or lignes, (66 mm). We can judge even better in testing the reed on the instrument, rather than by the above proportions.
(Note: The article deals further with points of embouchure and includes this drawing of the angle at which the reed is to be turned,
In order that it not be entirely closed, which would happen if one held it completely flat between the lips, and would result in the wind no longer having a passage, one must hold it a little obliquely, in such a way that one of the sides of the reed blades touches the upper lip and the other the lower lip, about in the manner which the following oval represents.
By means of this position, the wind passes freely into the instrument in a sufficient quantity to produce all the tones of its range.
Speaking of the bassoon's range in 1780 (Mozart was still alive and lived until 1791), there is a fingering chart included for a bassoon with thirteen tone holes: 5 keys. The range starts at low B-flat (includes a B1 natural!) and follows chromatically without exception all the way to high f''! This article also discusses double tonguing (Du coup de langue) briefly, so it can be assumed that some bassoonists employed this technique in Mozart's time. Small wonder!)