-
Bassoonist Monica Ellis, with her quintet, Imani Winds. (Chris Carroll/allianceartistmanagement.com)
It’s an instrument that’s been typecast by pet-food commercials, the movie The Princess Bride, and even composer Joseph Haydn. We learn about the cultural history of the clown of the orchestra, otherwise known as the bassoon, with writer (and bassoonist) Eileen Reynolds and Monica Ellis, bassoonist with the quintet Imani Winds.
Comments [14]
Shostakovitch's Symphony No. 9, mvmt IV
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, mvmt II
Donizetti's Elixir of Love, Una Furtiva Lagrima
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, mvmt IV
Vivaldi's 30+ concertos
Ravel's Bolero
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, opening solo
Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, mvmt II
Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Lullaby
Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, mvmt II
Just a few examples of bassoon used to express affects other than those associated with comedy. I think its comedic role is more of a byproduct of 20th-century cartoons than a cultural phenomenon passed down through the centuries of its existence. The guests here are need to dig deeper into the instruments repertoire.
so, let me get this straight. ben would have been normal if he had never picked up the bassoon?????
Ben, you know you should have hit her back with another joke. Who does she think she is? You were probably just trying to be nice, as usual!
David from W: that's a bass sax, not a bassoon.
Ben, Your mother TOLD YOU you were going play the bassoon, you had NO choice, remember I was there!
I told you to run.
dont forget Rumpole of the Baily on BBC
used a bassoon in the theme music
Smokey Robinson: "Tears of A Clown"...bassoon has the lead line! Clown indeed.
I played it from time to time in my high school band and found it very tiring to finger as the holes were so widely spaced. Do your guests' have big hands? ;)
Tony Kushner describes the instrument as a very sad instrument in the musical "Caroline, or Change." I suppose that is the case because it is so misunderstood.
I love the bassoon, personally (although my favorite orchestral instrumet is actually the contrabassoon). Don't forget what is probably the greatest bassoon solo in the orchestral literature, which isn't funny at all, is the opening of Stravinksy's Rite of Spring!
didn't carl stalling use the bassoon to great effect in his work?
Pure Pleasure Seeker by Moloko has a pretty great bassoon hook.
I've always loved the bassoon, personally (my favorite orchestral instrument is actually the contrabassoon). There's a great but brief solo in the finale of Beethoven's 4th Symphony, although I guess that could be considered slightly comic. Of course, probably the greatest bassoon solo in the orchestral literature isn't funny at all - the opening to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring!
Don't forget the bassoon is featured in one of most beautiful passages in all western music: the gentle leadup of strings playing the "Joy" theme in Beethoven's 9th (with violas, before the Baritone soloist comes in). I can hardly listen to this rather brief portion without getting tears in my eyes...
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.