Phil, Brent, David, and Julie

The Bassoons Attack

Dressed up for Michael Daugherty's "Hell's Angels"

From a Sneak Preview:

The Mother Goose Suite features one of the few solos for the contrabassoon, in the movement entitled "Conversations of Beauty and the Beast". I'll bet you can guess which one is the "silky voiced clarinet" and which one is the "ungainly contrabassoon". (To quote the BSO's Overture Magazine program notes about this piece). As the BSO's contrabassoonist for 23 years, I take exception to that characterization, but I understand it. The contrabassoon is one of the lowest sounding instruments in the orchestra: my lowest note is the same as the lowest note on the piano (so low that most people can't actually distinguish an actual pitch, but only a rumble). It most often plays a supporting role, providing a foundation to the woodwind section, or reinforcing the cellos and basses. When it is given a solo role, it is usually for special programmatic purposes, sometimes of a rather gruesome nature: In Richard Strauss' opera Salome, the big contrabassoon solo occurs when John the Baptist is beheaded. In Beethoven's opera Fidelio, the contrabassoon solo illustrates Don Florestan being forced to dig his own grave! Ravel is one of the few composers who appreciated the contrabassoon's melodic possibilities (even if I am the still the beast).

David Coombs

A few links about the contrabassoon:

From the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids website
From Wikepedia