I went through a phase several years ago where I was crazy for the bassoon. I still really enjoy the sound and the ‘vibe’ of it. Today this piece caught my ear. It’s the Bassoon Sonata in C major op. 24 by Francois Devienne (all 3 movements joined together).
Francois Devienne Bassoon Sonata in C major op. 24 
Over the years developing this site my brother has been both my strongest critic, and at the same time my most supportive advocate! We’ve spent a lot of time talking about music and I’ve sent him CD’s and a USB flash drive with the music he likes.
These exchanges comparing our musical tastes came to a head the other day after I sent him the Utube link below. He decided that this genre was his musical manna! – Wind – Just the wind instruments. Quartets, quintets, sextets or a whole bunch at once! (Like Mozart’s piece for 13 wind instruments) The use of exclusively wind instruments has an interesting history. The gist of it seems to be that the patrons of the composers in the 17 and 18 hundreds who weren’t filthy rich! .. some of them could only afford to have a little in-house musical group; and they came to be known as Harmonie. At the same time the article notes that some street musicians of the time played in these ‘wind groups.’
Anyway here in order are: The Utube link to a delightful piece by Beethoven. The Wikipedia article and another much more detailed account of Harmoniemusik. (* The next day: An important update) And finally a Long Play selection of all wind lasting an hour and 12 minutes. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtxbEKM3l9E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonie
A very detailed link about Harmoniemusik
http://www.lipscomb.edu/windbandhistory/RhodesWindBand_04_Classical.htm
* A friend sent me an alternate version for the Mozart Serenade K361 and my brother and I both agree that’s it’s much better. Unfortunately my friend doesn’t know who it is playing! Anyway it will provide a lovely Intro to the long play.
Mozart’s Serenade For Winds K361 third movement
New Wind Instrument Long Play
Playlist: The first 3 movements of Beethoven’s Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 French horns and 2 Bassoons
Wind quartet in E flat major (andante grazioso) by Anton Reicha. Then Reicha‘s Wind quintet #2 in E flat maj. op 88 IV
Then 4 movements from Mozart’s Serenade for 8 wind instruments in E flat maj. KV 375
Followed by Beethoven’s quintet for Oboe, 3 French horns and Bassoon (all 3 movements)
Finally … Mozart’s Serenade K361 “Gran Partita” for 13 wind instruments: third, fourth, fifth and seventh movements.
Francois Devienne 1759 – 1803
My brother heard some bassoon quartets on the radio and requested that some Devienne be put on the site. I wasn’t familiar with him so I went shopping! Here are a few snippets of what’s said about him:
“the elegant tone of Paris at the time… grace and balance – qualities which are associated with Mozart … explaining why Devienne was called the French Mozart.”
I got a bit carried away, and what was going to be a few pieces has turned into a Long Play selection! (nearly 40 minutes) I also realised there is very little flute on the site so welcome some Devienne flute. (he was a flautist)
Devienne Long Play
Trios for flute – Allegro Con Spirito – Trio En Ré Majeur
Symphonie Concertante for Flute and Bassoon /Andante
Bassoon sonata I in C major, Op. 24 All three movements
and Oboe sonata in G major opus 71 all three movements
Eric Satie wrote 3 piano pieces he called Gymnopédie.
This is a transcription of the second Gymnopedie for piano. Transcribed for piano and bassoon.
Catherine Marchese – Emile Naoumoff_02_Deuxieme Gymnopedie
Trying to find out Who transcribed it? – from the original solo piano to piano with bassoon – I googled until weary! … never did find out. Did Satie himself do it? Or the players on this piece? (Catherine Marchese and Emile Naoumoff) Some listener might leave a germain comment clearing this up! – please do if you’re out there.
Anyway it was so nice to be listening to Satie again this afternoon… what the heck – how about some more?! Here are three pieces joined together running approx. 8 minutes. (I love the first one)
Satie collection
1) 5ieme Gnossienne Modere 2) Caresse 3) Cafe-Concert Songs- Je Te Veux
I didn’t know anything about Johann Nepomuk Hummel until my Dentist mentioned him the other day. My dentist is a Classical Music buff and I’d given him a 2 volume CD Set titled: In the Dentist Chair:
(It was all the music I thought folks might like to hear midst the trauma of drilling and vacuuming spit!)
As a result I’ve been on a Hummel Hunt.
At first it was like listening to a student of Mozart (as he was!) – but the more I listened and researched, the more I realised he was an accomplished and important composer in his own right. He’s one of those who went out of fashion shortly after they died, and are making a “Comeback” as I type.
The Great composers he actually ‘hung out’ with, and/or influenced by teaching them is amazing. Then if you add the composers who taught or influenced him … you come up with a Who’s Who of the “Classical to Romantic Bridge Period.”
Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Czerny, Liszt, Schumann, Schubert and the list goes on.
Here’s to a Hummel comeback! Next time you hear of a Hummel concert in your area – GO!
Later – P.S. – just found this on a music site: Historians tell us that pianist and composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel was spoken of in the same breath as Mozart and Beethoven in 1820 — but not for long…
Hummel piano-concerto-no-2-allegro-moderato
Theme and variations introduction Allegro
Bassoon-concerto-romanza-andantino-e-cantbile
I recently discovered the haunting beauty of the Bassoon. My brother hit the nail on the head when he commented that it’s like a high-tech Didgeridoo! (Arguably the oldest musical instrument on earth, since the Australian Aboriginal culture is the oldest living culture)
That deep, rich tonal quality hits somewhere in the heart region. After “discovering” the Bassoon, I next found that Vivaldi had an inordinate love of the instrument; since he composed 37 or 39 Concertos for it (*some scholarly arguments about this; Google it – I can’t be bothered!)
I became obsessed with Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concertos. Surfed the net for all of my paid sources, and kept looking for anyplace where I could download them. One night when I’d spent hours and hours downloading and searching (finding about 28 out of the 37 or 39) I had a dream.
The dream lasted about 15 minutes in dream time and it involved two things.
1) Trying to decide which newspaper I would put this ad in.
2) Composing and re-writing the wording. I finally came up with this ad:
Attractive, interesting older man seeks to trade ALL of Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concertos for intimate (sexual and intellectual) companionship with beautiful young woman.
What a hoot! Here are just three movements that highlight the beauty of the Basoon and Vivaldi’s composing skills.
This first one might be my favourite
RV 498 – Allegro
Con In A RV 498- Allegro
RV 501 La Notte – Fantasmi
vivaldi bassoon concerto b-flat-major-rv-501la-notte-ii-i-fantasmi
RV 501 La Notte – 3rd movement
vivaldi-bassoon concerto in b flat major rv-501 la-notte sonno