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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000067.txt from 2006/03
From: ContraReed@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Quiet C#'s on Bassoon
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 18:16:10 -0500
It shouldn't be a problem at all, that note can be played very softly. The
only thing to worry about is if the reed is too soft (or long) and the player
doesn't support (both with breath and lips) the pitch could sag to
C-natural.
A couple of suggestions: if there is time and the player can't get it soft
enough, they could stuff a handkerchief in the bell to soften the tone; OR,
since you're composing the piece, how about cueing into the horn part and see
how it sounds? After all, horns have the luxury of mutes, and that should be
a fairly comfortable pitch for the horn to play.
Richard Spittel
-----Original Message-----
From: PhilFrei@-----.com
To: doublereed@-----.org
Sent: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:24:44 EST
Subject: [DR-L] Re: doublereed Digest 23 Mar 2006 10:01:01 -0000 Issue 951
Hi -
How quietly can one expect a good bassoonist to be able to play a C# below
middle C (second space, bass clef)?
I have a piece (Quartet for Oboe, Clarinet, French horn and Bassoon) I'm
composing where I'd like to make that the last note of a long taper.
I'm thinking I should have the Clarinet that sounds before it (one octave
higher--playing C#-E-C#-E eighth notes, then resting) only diminuendo down
to
"p"
and the bassoon note that follows be "ppp" in order that the bassoon note
not
be louder than the clarinet.
Not sure how realistic this is. If it were on oboe, I guess it would be like
being asked to play an A-flat "ppp" which would be harder to accomplish than
an A, but easier than notes below it. Though, anything "ppp" would be asking
for a note to get stuck in the attack, on oboe. Maybe it's the same for
bassoon?
Thanks,
Phil Freihofner
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