There have been a wealth of new bassoon and bassoon-related recordings out this past year. Some of them are reviewed below. Of the ones not reviewed but still noted are: BASSOONIANA: Arthur Grossman, Bruce Grainger, and Terry Ewell, Bassoons, (Musical Heritage Society, MHS 4919, $5.45 or $8.50 for nonmembers), which contains performances of the Weissenborn Trio, the Dubois Sonatina, the Bozza Duettino and the Ronnes Trio,- and the debut recording of James Jeter, Bassoon, (Crystal Records, 2235 Willida Lane, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284, $8.98 plus $1.00 postage) which features works by Wolf-Ferrari, Gliere, Tchaikovsky, Glinka, and Weber.
W.A. Mozart, Concerto in B-flat (K. 191)
(1756-1791)
J.B. Vanhall, Concerto in C (1739-1813)
John Miller, Bassoon
St. Mary's Chamber Players
Neville Marriner, Conductor
(Pro Arte Digital DMM/P or Chromium dioxide cassette PCD 195, $10.98 and $1.50 postage. Pro Arte records, 14025 twenty-third Ave. North, Minneapolis, MN 55441 - (612) 559-4166.) This brand new recording by John Miller is a fabulous pressing of an equally fabulous performance. Everything is there - the quality of musicianship that can be anticipated from one of America's finest bassoonists, accompaniment by an excellent ensemble under Marriner's capable baton, and a flawless cutting in luscious digital sound. This record deserves to be in the collection of every woodwind player. It is definitely a notch above most recordings of Mozart. Besides this, one is also given a beautiful performance of the lesser known Vanhall Concerto to boot! It merits my highest recommendation. it's a real "double" for your money.
Innova: New Music from Minnesota
1) Stanislaw Skrowaczewski: Trio for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano. Joseph Longo, clarinet; John Miller, bassoon, Paul Schoenfield, piano.
2) Paul Feder: Dialogue for Flute and Guitar. Adele Lorraine, flute; Jeffrey Van, guitar.
3) Carleton Macy: Spring Music and Autumn Music, Christine Dahl, piano.
Minnesota Composers Forum, 289 East 5th St., St. Paul, MN 55101.
Since 1973 the Minnesota Composer's Forum has been working for the benefit of composers in Minnesota and in the United States. This recording , made possible by a grant from the McKnight Foundation, presents performances of new music by three composers closely associated to Minnesota; Stanislav Skrowaczewski, former conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra; Paul Fetler, Professor of Composition and Theory at the University of Minnesota; and Carleton Macy, Professor of Theory at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Skrowaczewski Trio (see also Interesting Performances from A to Z) is a new work that features expressive virtuosic writing for both the wind instruments as well as the piano. It's style is modern but very dramatic, expressive but far from severe. It is played to perfection here by the Longo/Miller/Schoenfield team. One cannot imagine a better performance. The composition, too, is a fine addition to contemporary wind literature. It is in three movements, but is only a little over 16 minutes long. The pressing is also very well done. If you want to perform this piece, and I recommend it highly for your consideration, then you will have two reasons for getting this recording: to enjoy a fine piece of contemporary music exquisitely played and to use its performance as a model for one's own interpretation of the work.
Francois Devienne, Six Sonatas for Bassoon and Basso Continuo, Op. 24
Jesse Read, bassoon; Glen Wilson, fortepiano
(J. C. Neupert after Stein and Konicke, CA 1790.) Digital recording by Etcetera Records BV, Keizersgracht 518, 1017 EK, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jesse Read, Victoria, B.C., bassoonist, has succeeded in not only discovering this lovely set of bassoon sonatas by Devienne (dating from about 1790) but has also provided them with a superior recording as well. With lovely tone and style he manages every musical phrase with a masterfully delicate and light touch. This Is first rate bassoon playing. If one is to fault the recording at all it is in the accompaniment on the fortepiano. The sound of a replica of a 1790 Stein and Konicke fortepiano doesn't blend as well with the beautiful "modern" sonority of Jesse and his bassoon. Despite the fact that the accompaniment is very well played, its resonance is so less-than- "modern" by comparison that it is too much of a distraction from the otherwise beautiful playing, and it provides a bit of a dilemma to the overall quality of the recording. But excellent playing it still is. I'd recommend it highly just so that you could hear Jesse Read spin off those beautiful passages with such ease and delicacy. The digital pressing is also of the highest order.
Something New: The unique sounds of Jazz Bassoon
Richard Lottridge, Bassoon and Contrabassoon
Joan Wildman, Piano; Richard Davis, Bass; Claire Arenius, Drums; James Latimer, Percussion; Les Thimmig, Bass Clarinet. University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Music Recording, UW 102.
Sure...one has heard jazz bassoon before--but jazz contrabassoon? UW-Madison bassoonist, Dick Lottridge, temas up here with some fine jazz musicians to provide a truly unique and warm musical experience. Side one provides three original works by Lottridge himslef, one of which is a marvelous showpiece for the contra. As one of the world's finest contra players, (Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner) Lottridge really sparkles here. Side Two consists of two original works by jazz pianist/composer Joan Wildman, also equally inspiring. Bravo to Lorrtidge and Company for a fist-rate recording.
My final review is of a cassette by Liu Oi, from the People's Republic of China, set to me by Bernard Garfield. The tape, identified only as HL-231, 1983, China Record Co., consists of original works by Chinese composers and the Variations for Unaccompanied Bassoon by Christopher Weait. The playing is very well done both technically and musically. The Weait piece contains a lot of discrepancies from my copy of the score. At one point Liu Oi adds some material to show off his range (up to high G!) and some multiphonics as well, but here again the piece is very carefully prepared and well performed throughout. The quality of the tape is uneven (it has that dead "studio" quality) but one cannot help but be impressed with the warm lyrical quality of Mr. Liu Oi's sound. The pianist too, though remaining unidentified, performs with fine style and technique throughout. I wish I could tell you where to purchase this tape but I/m afraid it simply may not be available in the West! Nonetheless it is wonderful to realize the truly international language of our instrument. Thank you, Mr. Oi, for a first rate recording. (Reviews by Ronald Klimko.)
Jan Dismas Zelenka: Sonate a due Hautbois et bassoon con Due Bassi Obligati, Vol I.
Paul Dombrecht and Ku Ebbinge, oboes
Danny Bond, bassoon
Richte van der Meer, violoncello; Robert Kohnen, harpsichord; Accent 8226 (AGLA p.v.b.a., Eikstraat 31, B-1673 Beert, Belgium; U. S. distribution through AudioSource, Foster City California).
Interest in the previously-neglected Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka has taken off in recent years, with new recordings and performances (even "Zelenka Marathons") cropping up everywhere. This new disc featuring Sonatas Nos. 4 and 5 will come as a revelation to anyone used to the diamond-hard brilliance and bottom-heavy drive of the set by Holliger, Thuneman, et al., and is clearly superior to the trail-blazing-but -roughhewn earlier efforts of the Concentus Musicus, Wien.
The team of Dombrecht, Ebbinge, and Bond play their baroque instruments with technical assurance and natural phrasing, which is a relief after all the squawks, intonation problems, and weak sound one hears all too often in performance on "original" instruments. These people simply do not sound as if they are playing on museum pieces. Making use of the original material from the National Library of Saxony in Dresden (you can put your Schoenbaum edition in cold storage) and the flattering acoustics of the Chapelle Royale in Brussels, these five musicians have produced a remarkable redording. Let us hope that volume two is coming soon.
(Review by Philip Gottling, Paris.)