The Young Bassoonist. 3 volumes, Bassoon and Piano, arranged by Sidney Lawton, Oxford University Press has recently released three volumes of graded arrangements for bassoon and piano titled The Young Bassoonist. The work has been done by Sidney Lawton, and is a valuable service for those who work with young students.
Mr. Lawton has used hymns, carols, folk songs, and music from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras. He has arranged his choices with careful attention to range, technical difficulty, and rhythmic challenge. The three volumes form a natural complement to the Weissenborn Method, and are a fine addition to the library of the beginning bassoonist.
The piano parts also are well done, and are in fact, so simple that the out-of-practice parent will find them generally within reach. This collection should prove very popular with junior and senior high school teachers, and definitely belongs in the library of all bassoon teachers.
Lerici Variations for Bassoon and Piano, Novello Editions (Theodore Presser).
In a more advanced vein, Novello, through its U.S. agent, Theodore Presser Co., has released Lerici Variations for bassoon and piano by Brian Kelly. The work consists of a theme with five variations, March, Scherzo, Waltz, Elegy and Invention. It is a work of modest difficulty for both instruments, and appears to have been written with the commendable intention of illustrating basic compositional technics to the young performer.
The range extends to B1. Rhythmic and technical problems are few throughout. The piece would be a logical addition to the repertory of the serious high school students; and, with an accompaniment that is rather easy, would serve well in solo festivals.
Three Romances, Op. 94 for Bassoon and Piano by Robert Schumann, arranged by David Rachor ($5.95). Rachor Woodwinds, 1007 S. Washington St. Bloomington, Indiana 47401.
The famous Schumann Romances, originally for oboe, are nobly transcribed here for bassoon by David Rachor as the first publication by Rachor Woodwinds. David, an excellent bassoonist himself, is an Indiana graduate, a student of Mordechai Rechtman, Sidney Rosenberg, and Roger Birnstingl, as well as a very fine woodwind repairman. This work fills avoid of truly romantic pieces for the bassoon, and the transcription is very true to the original. It is transposed down a whole step, however, to better facilitate the range and tessitura of the bassoon. This generally works quite well. There are only a few spots where everything gets too " muddy " sounding because of the transposition. I highly recommend this arrangement for your bassoon library.
Sonata Robusto for Bassoon and Piano by James Cohn, X.L.N.T. Music, 38-62 240th St., Little Neck, New York 11363.
This is an excellent new work for the contemporary bassoon literature. Both the piano and bassoon parts are technically challenging (the bassoon often climbs up to high Eb1.), but both are musically rewarding. The composer's style is neo-classical in a Prokofiev-like vein; but this is not to detract from Cohn's own originality and individualism. I am enthused enough about this work to plan on scheduling and performing it myself. I highly recommend it to you. I do not know its price and it is not yet engraved, but the manuscript, though somewhat intricate, is still readable.
Sonata Romantica for Bassoon and Piano by James Cohn. Liben Music Publisher, Cincinnati, Ohio.
This second, earlier work by James Cohn is less successful than his Sonata Robusta. It was originally written for double bass and piano, but has been re-worked by the composer himself. Musically it is attractive, but decidedly less characteristically "bassoonish" in nature than the later sonata. Except for its occasional extremes in range, (up to high D) it could probably be played by a mature high school bassoonist. The piano part contains the original double bass part, and there are some serious discrepancies between the bassoon and piano plus doublebass parts in the last movement. This is further complicated by the fact that the bass and piano parts don't even line up on the score of the last page. Overall the work has merit, perhaps for both student use and for the time when one is looking for a more conservative modern work to program. I don't know the price of the work.
Concerto in C for Bassoon and Orchestra by Ernst Eichner (1740-1777). Piano realization by T. Donley Thomas. Medici Music Press (Grade 5-6: $15.00) BA 12.
This is a very handsome and tuneful Classical Concerto by an itinerant bassoon virtuoso/composer of Mozart's time. The three movements are of moderate length and very melodic. The technical demands are not excessive but still show the instrument off well. The piano reduction is adequate but not often adapted well for the keyboard, as exemplified by the parallel thirds in 32nd notes in bar 51 and 53 of the fast movement and the needless repetition of the 16th notes F in bar 60 and E in bar 61:
A sensitive pianist, however, used to piano transcriptions of orchestral works, will normally work around such shortcomings. In summary this is a good edition with few errors and can be recommended. It's price, however, ($ 15.00) seems a bit excessive to me.
Sonata Allegro for Bassoon and Piano, Opus 7 by T. Donley Thomas (Grade 4-5: ($6.00) BA 13. Medici Music Press.
This is another neo-classical work of moderate difficulty. The range is only to Ab, probably in deference to its adaptability for cello, baritone, or trombone as well as bassoon. It is fairly short in length and perhaps more a grade 3-4 than 4-5 in difficulty.
Six Sonatas for Bassoon and Continuo by Luigi Merci (ca. 1694-ca. 1750) Edited and realized by George Longazo. In 2 volumes (Grade 4-5: $9.00 each) BA 10, Medici Press.
This is the second set of Merci Sonatas to be published following shortly on the heels of the edition by William Schink (Roncorp Publications) reviewed in the last Double Reed. It is interesting to compare the two. The Longazo is completely engraved whereas only the bassoon part is engraved in the Schink -- the continuo part is in manuscript. The Longazo realizations contain nice introductions followed by very easy accompaniments but the Schink realizations are more imaginative throughout. I found myself reacting more musically to the Schink realizations as we played through both sets. The Longazo might, however, sound better on harpsichord. We played them only on the piano. There are a few mistakes in the Longazo edition, but I found none in the Schink. In summary, both editions are good with points going to the Longazo for the engraving and easier keyboard parts, and to the Schink for more musical accompaniments and fewer (if any) errors in the parts.
Divertimento in C for Oboe and Cello (Bassoon) by Giovanni Battista Cirra (1724-1808) (Grade 4: $6.00) RR01
Divertimento in F for Oboe and Cello (Bassoon) by Alesandro Besozzi (1702-1775) (Grade 3-4: $10.00) RR03
Divertimento in E for Oboe and Cello (Bassoon) by Willem Kennis (1717-1789) (Grade 3-4: $6.00) RR02
All edited by T. Donley Thomas, 1982, and published by Medici Music Press, P.O. Box 1623, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301.
These three easy, but enjoyable pieces are handsomely printed by the Medici Press in clear readable manuscript. They are well within the grasp of talented high school students, with the cello/bassoon part somewhat easier than the oboe parts. The editing is generally acceptable by being fairly conservative. Some of the articulations lack a sense of naturalness, but they can easily be corrected. The Besozzi is the strongest of the three musically. The Cirra is curiously more Baroque in style than Classic despite his birth and death dates. All in all these three works are a valuable addition to a meagre repertoire of duos for oboe and bassoon.
Twelve Duets, KV 487, W.A. Mozart. Transcribed and Edited by Ronald C. Dishinger, 1982. Medici Music Press (Grade 4: $8.00) TBA 1.
These short, easy duos by Mozart are a delight for sightreading or for high school student use. The range never exceeds high "a". The editorial articulations and ornaments are all very well done. They fit the music both tastefully and stylistically. I recommend a set for every bassoon teacher's music stand as a delightful way to finish off a lesson with a talented student.