Interesting new music for bassoon, both in solo and ensemble, is being published by Margun Music (167 Dudley Road, Newton Centre, Massachusetts 02159), Roncorp (P.O. Box 727, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08003) and Carp Music (153 Seaman Avenue, New York, New York 10034, telephone [212] 567-2934). Margun has released the Sonata Concertante for Bassoon and Piano by Nikos Skalkottas (with a critical preface by Gunther Schuller). This is a significant work, 28 minutes in length, by this important but neglected composer. First popularized by William Waterhouse and recorded by Arthur Grossman, the Sonata has been described by Sol Schoenbach as a "... major work of the 20th Century... a great addition to a meagre repertoire." (Margun has also released the Concertino for Oboe and Piano by the same composer). From Roncorp has come a new edition of a Concerto by Leopold Aimon (1799-1866) for Bassoon and Orchestra (edited for piano reduction) by William Schink. And finally Carp Music has released a whole series of works for bassoon ensemble, woodwind quintet, quintet and piano, as well as oboe, clarinet, and bassoon trios. These have been arranged primarily by David Carp. (Some of these works are reviewed elsewhere in this issue.) It might be valuable to get on the mailing list of these companies.
There is also a new oboe and bassoon magazine: Oboe-Fagott.- "Das Magazin fur Doppelrohrblattblaser" being published by Hans Kreul GMBH, Schwarzlocher Strasse 80, D-7400 Tubingen, West Germany). The first issue appeared in December 1984, and plans are to publish three or four times per year. The magazine, written in German, contains dates for performance seminars and competitions, news of double reed events both in Germany and abroad, tips on instrument making and maintenance from the makers, as well as portraits and interviews of well known artists. Interested subscribers can write to the above address.
From Phil Kolker of the Baltimore Symphony comes word that the Kleine Suite fur Drei Fagott und Kontrafagott by Victor Bruns has now been published as Opus 55 along with another Suite, Opus 68, by Breitkopf and Hartel, Leipzig (Score - PB 3966, Parts - EB 7619). The Opus 55 was performed by Phil and other members of the Baltimore Symphony bassoon section at the 1982 IDRS Convention at Towson, Maryland.
Phil also recommends a nice bassoon and string trio piece by Bruns called Konzertante Musik, Op. 58, also published by Breitkopf (EB7617, and PB 3943). (Ed.)
From Victoria bassoonist Jesse Read comes word of his various musical activities. Besides his teaching position at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Jesse has been principal bassoon at the Carmel, California, Bach Festival since 1980 (where he has performed both the Mozart Concerto and the Vivaldi "La Notte"). In 1982-83, he was on leave in Utrecht, Holland, where he was guest professor of bassoon and chamber music and acting principal bassoon of the North Holland Philharmonic, Haarlem. He also recorded the Vanhal Concerto for 2 Bassoons with English bassoonist, Chris Bestley, for the Dutch National Radio, accompanied by the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, and performed and recorded the Mozart and Beethoven piano Quintets on original instruments in Holland, using the famous H. Grenzer bassoon (with ivory keys!) from the Geementemuseum in the Hague. Since returning to Canada, Jesse has recently recorded in performance the Hertel Amin Concerto and the recently discovered C Major Concerto by the Czech baroque composer Antonio Laube with the CBC Chamber Orchestra, Vancouver. He was also acting principal bassoonist for the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra in residence at the Edmonton, Alberta, Tri-Bach Festival and toured the eastern U.S. with the group in April. The review of his first solo recording appears elsewhere in this issue.
And speaking of the Mozart Concerto, apparently Harry Searing of Bloomfield, New Jersey, has thirty-two different recordings of K191! Can anyone top that?!
From IDRS founding member Maxine Shimer comes the sad news of the death of her husband Preston, Jr., on January 28, 1985, in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania at the age of 85. The IDRS joins Maxine in mourning the loss of this fine man and generous supporter of our organization.
The world premiere of the new contrabassoon Concerto by Donald Erb took place in Houston, Texas, featuring Gregg Henegar as soloist with the Houston Symphony conducted by Sergiu Comissiona last March 15, 16 and 25th. The work was commissioned by the orchestra and was completed May 10, 1984. It is approximately thirteen minutes in length. The soloist is called upon to play as high as G-sharp4 in the work. Soloist Gregg Henegar has been with the HSO since 1975. He is a student of Sanford Berry, Russ Bedford, and George Goslee. He has also recently written a book: Modern Exercises for the Contrabassoon, which will be published this spring.
From Michael Nagy comes word of the possible publication of a Catalogue of the Historical Instrument Exhibit from the Graz Congress. Michael reports that it will probably be published by Doblinger. Organologists in the Society, as well as members who were fortunate enough to see the exhibit in Graz last August and other members interested in historical woodwinds, will want to have a copy of this illustrated catalogue. The price will be about $7.00. I will keep readers posted concerning its publication and availability.
I'll close this news report with two literary quotes regarding the bassoon. The first was brought to my attention by R. Tritton of London. It is from a review of The Enemy Within, the Trial of Alger Hiss from the Friday, August 24,1984 issue of The Guardian and was written by Nancy Banks-Smith. In complaining about the over-emphasis given to background music in the production she evidently used the bassoon as her scapegoat.
"My only complaint is that no-one shot the bassoon. It was impossible for anyone to pick up a telephone without getting a blast from the bassoon. 'It's two o'clock for gard's sake,' protests a henchman, roused by the young Richard Nixon. Why, one wonders, did he not add 'And for Gard's sake, Dick, stop blowing that thing down the [expletive deleted] phone?' "
Fortunately the bassoon fares better in this next quotation. From a June 17, 1972, article in the New Yorker magazine by W. M. Maxwell, Pritchett: A Cab at the Door comes the following: "To resort to a parlor game: If Mr. V. S. Pritchett were an instrument in a symphony orchestra what instrument would that be? The answer is the bassoon. As a rule it is off to one side and not in the front rows, which are hugged by the strings. It and the lyric-soprano voice seem made for each other, husband and wife, but for some reason this fact has largely gone unnoticed by composers. The bassoon cannot, even in the hands of a virtuoso, stand apart from or above what it is asked to play, like the violin, say, or the English horn, but to the ear bent on hearing it, the pleasure it gives is very deep and satisfying.
Ronald Klimko, Bassoon Editor