May 15, 2016 The History and Evolution of the Bassoon. The ancient history of the bassoon is fairly murky, but ancestors of the bassoon and its kid brother the oboe have been around since the middle ages. Double-reed woodwind instruments called “shawms” were in use in Europe by at least the 12th century, having probably arrived there from the Middle East, where similar instruments had been.
TheThe underwent far-less-radical changes in the hands of Hotteterre than the. The former was simply built in four sections and lengthened to produce B♭′. The date of the bassoon’s introduction into the is uncertain, since the in the bass range was frequently taken for granted, but a French composer, scored specifically for it in 1674. The standard bassoon for most of the 18th century had four keys, but six were common by the end of the century.
The range was a remarkable three octaves, although the top b♭′ was available on few bassoons. As with the curtal, whose sound was mellow, the bassoon was praised for its tone and compared to the human voice, the ultimate in praise.
Such comments testified to its success in playing expressively, and a considerable solo literature, rare among low-pitched instruments, bears further witness to its flexible melodic capabilities. Its service as a wind bass was indispensable. Some small bassoons, notably the tenoroon and the fagottino, were built in the century but remained obscure. More important was the contrabassoon, whose sporadic appearance in scores probably reflected on its rarity more than its usefulness. TheThe Renaissance blended well in but was weak in its upper register and needed modification to meet the demand for an expressive melodic style. The very nature of the instrument, with its lack of lip control, prevented much control, but the Baroque changes nevertheless went far toward producing an expressive instrument.
It is to be remembered that throughout the, the Italian term flauto referred to the recorder; the was normally called transverso or flauto traverso and was so indicated on scores. Although many cases exist, the recorder was the type of flute called for in much of. The redesigned recorder was built in three sections with an inverse conical bore in the middle and foot. Although the full consort sizes and many others were made, the treble recorder (with a bottom written note of f′—i.e., the present-day alto recorder) was the principal instrument used for solos and orchestral performance.The transverse flute was also built in three sections with an inverse conical bore, and this flute, as well as the recorder, spoke better in the upper register. The E♭ key, as mentioned earlier, was soon added to make the instrument completely throughout its range (d′ to b♭‴). Intonation on the flute was nevertheless difficult. The necessary cross-fingerings (closing one or more holes below an open one) caused a somewhat muffled quality.
Consequently, the flute sounded best and its technique was most in the key of D major. Only rarely did Baroque composers of flute venture far from the keys in one, two, or three sharps (i.e., G, D, or A major). To some of those problems and to adapt to the varying pitches at that time, after 1720 the middle section was often divided. Then the flute could be provided with from three to six different lengths for the upper of these sections ( corps de rechange).
In spite of these difficulties, the one-keyed flute had a lovely tone, softer than the modern flute. Keys were soon added to solve difficulties of intonation and tuning. By 1760, some London makers were adding keys for f′, g♯′, and b♭′, eliminating the usual cross-fingerings in the first octave. By the end of the 18th century, the flute had been lengthened and the keys added for c′ and c♯′, thus matching the range of the oboe.
The tone quality of the instrument changed little, and its versatility improved. Early clarinets were made largely in C or B♭, sometimes with an A section to use on the B♭ instrument. Small F clarinets were available for use in bands, but, as with the other woodwinds of the time, a pair of treble clarinets were sufficient for the orchestra.A more important instrument than, say, the tenor oboe was the, which provided an extension of the bore to take the chalumeau range down to c. The untimely of the basset horn in the 19th century has been regretted by many, for modern experimentation has shown it to be vastly superior to the alto clarinet in E♭ commonly used in bands. The orchestralAnother major contribution in the 18th century was the emergence of the (sometimes called french horn) as an orchestral instrument. Early in the century, the tone of the horn was appropriate for its use in signaling during the hunt. By mid-century, the mouthpiece had been altered and the hand inserted in the bell to provide the warm, mellow quality in midrange that Classical composers found so useful.
Consequently, much experimentation to increase its usefulness ensued, resulting in the and in hand stopping. Even with its severe limitations, the horn of the Classical period became an essential colour. TheAfter the mid-18th century, high melodic parts in the appeared less necessary to an that spurned the majestic for a simpler style. Trumpets were built in many keys, but for the most part, trumpets in F replaced those in D and C, and the notes of the fourth octave, which were most difficult on the shorter instrument, were abandoned. In short, the complete clarino style disappeared along with those players of the privileged guild who had learned to master that treacherous range. The F trumpet remained standard in Europe through the 19th century.
Bassoons have 8 feet of tubing and are bent into a “U” shape, which makes them easier to play, according to Makingmusicfun.net. Like the oboe and the English horn, bassoons have conical bores. With conical bores, one end of tubing is wider than tubing at the other end of the instrument. The curved metal tube that makes up the body of the bassoon is called the bocal. At the end of the bocal, a double reed is attached. Double reeds are usually made from cane reed, which is extremely similar to bamboo. HistoryThe first bassoons were called curtals and dulcians, according to Makingmusicfun.net.
Unlike modern bassoons, early bassoons were carved from a single piece of wood and didn’t have any keys. Musicians played early bassoons by using their fingers to cover up holes in the wood. The first bassoon with separate joints was made in the 17th century in France. The modern 17-key bassoon was developed in the 19th century. The first bassoons only had eight finger holes, according to Western Michigan University.The modern bassoon was designed in 1823 by Gottfried Weber and Carl Almenrader, according to Western Michigan University. The design used to make the instrument was called the Heckel System. Carl Almenrader’s sons continued to make improvements to the bassoon through two generations.
By the early 1900s, Heckel’s company was the main company producing bassoons. It produced 4,000 bassoons by the turn of the century. SizeThe bassoon is the largest woodwind instrument aside from the contrabassoon, according to Makingmusicfun.net.
Bassoons are 8 feet long, according to Makingmusicfun.net. Contrabassoons are 16 feet long.
ToneBassoons have a normal range of three octaves, according to Georgia State University. There are four tonal sections. The lowest tonal section ranges from the B-flat below the bass clef to the first line G of the bass clef.
The second tonal section ranges from the first space A of the bass clef to the D above middle C. The third tonal section ranges from the fifth line E of the tenor clef to B-flat. The fourth tonal section starts at the A above the tenor clef staff to the next highest E-flat, according to Virginia Tech. Quick FactsBassoon music is usually written in bass or tenor clef, according to Virginia Tech. Students' bassoons are usually made out of plastic to make them more affordable.
RoleThe bassoon is often referred to as the clown of the orchestra because of its ability to make comical and unique noises, according to Thinkquest.org. The original role of the bassoon was to double the cellos, thus enhancing the bass line. Solos for the bassoon are few and far between.