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Re: bassoon system

Author: NorbertTheParrot
Date: 2008-06-17 17:10

The division between French and German varieties exists for most wind instruments, not just clarinet and bassoon....

The familiar piston-valve trumpet is a French/American design. German orchestras generally use trumpets with rotary valves. The difference in sound arises not just from the type of valve, but also from its positioning; German trumpets have the valves much closer to the mouthpiece than piston-valve trumpets do.

The horn exists in radically different French and German varieties. It is for this reason that most horn players dislike the term "French horn" - to a horn player, a French horn is an instrument with (usually three) piston valves, whereas the vast majority of players prefer the German instrument with (usually four) rotary valves.

The trombone also has French/American and German varieties, though the difference is less obvious to the eye.

It is interesting that, where the world has chosen the German instrument, even the French have followed suit; French horns (in the strict sense) and French bassoons are rare beasts. Where the world has chosen the French instrument, the Germans have refused to follow suit, but retain their characteristic clarinets, trumpets and trombones.

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