164 6 THE WOODWIND CHOIR (REED AEROPHONES) ‘The story ofthe orchestra resembles an old family chronicle, or more exactly, the story ofthe rivalry between a large number of families. Eventually, they unite fora common aim and the establishment of regular affairs ofstate.* Composed of largely heterogeneous instruments, the woodwind choir is per- haps the most quarrelsome ofall the families within the orchestra. It is difficult for wind instruments to tune with one another, and only the finest players can accomplish any kind of balance or blend of their colorful and diverse timbres, Even the word woodwinds does not accurately describe this family. Although ail the major instruments in the group, with the exception of the saxophones, ‘were, at one time, actually made of wood, this is no longer the case. Flutes are now made of all kinds of metals, even gold, silver, and platinum; the cheaper clarinets are made of plastic. The saxophones, being a relatively recent invention (nineteenth century), have always been made of brass, but we will classify them under the rubric “woodwinds” since they are related to the group in so many ‘ways. It is interesting to note, however, that a classic text like Cecil Forsyth’s (Orchestration (1914) discusses of the saxophone in the brass instrument chapter. CONSTRUCTION Before delving into the details of construction and categorization of woodwind instruments, we will look very briefly at the principles on which they function, Without getting too much into acoustical details, one can state that a body of air will vibrate when set in motion because it possesses both elasticity and iner- tia. The vibrating string communicates only a very small amount of sound. In ‘order to project greater volume, that sound must be amplified by passing through some sort of soundbox. A conical or cylindrical tube does not require this kind of amplification because the vibrating air column within it communi cates the sound at a desired amplitude directly through an opening in the tube. It is, therefore, imperative that one know the mode of producing sound for each of the woodwinds—that is, through what kind of tube the air column passes ‘once it s set in motion—in order to understand each instrument's timbre, range, registral strength, amplitude, agility, and articulation possibilities, “Paul Boker, The Orcas (New Yorks W. W. Norton, 1969, p15THE WOODWIND CHOIR (REED AEROPHONES) 165 ‘The tube bas to have holes, or openings, cut according to exact mathematiea} requirements in order to produce all the semitones between the fundamental tone and the first overtone (the octave above). However, the holes are too far apart for the hand to cover them. An early primitive mechanism compensated somewhat for this inadequacy, bat no veal advance in the construction of wood- —* wind instruments was made until the nineteenth century. Theobald Boehm (0794-1881) invented a mechanical system of interlocking keys and levers, read- ily worked by the fingers, that made it relatively simple to reach all the notes on ‘wind instruments. The Boehm system has been continually perfected; virtually any skips, tills, or tremolos can performed on any woodwind instrument today. CLASSIFYING WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS Itis possible to classify the woodwind choir in atleast five ways: 1. by families 2 by the kind ofreed used (single or double) 3. by the shape ofthe pipe 4. by the interval the instrument overblows 5. by whether or nt the istramentransposes Classification by Families 1, The flute family*: piccolo, ute, alto fute, bass ute 2. The obve family: oboe, obve d‘amore, English horn, heckelphone, bassoon, contrabassoon 3. The clarinet family: C, D, Bs, Bt, and A clarinets, alto clarinet (E3), bass clar- {net (generally in Bb, sometimes in EV), contrabass clarinet (Bb or BI), basset hom 4. The saxophone family: sopranino (usually in EF transposed up a minor 3rd), soprano (B), alto, (ES), tenor (Bb), baritone (ES), and bass saxophones (BH) Classification by Reeds In any discussion of reed or nonreed wind instruments, of prioe importance is the embouchure, a word that refers to the method of blowing into the instrument to set the air column in motion either directly (utes) or by the reed mechanism ‘or mouthpiece (all other woodwinds). The pitch variation—or intonation—is dependent on the embouchure, since itis largely controlled by the lips. The pitch can also be slightly modified by manipulating the mouthpiece joint, or at times the other joints, thereby changing the length of the instrument. Pulling “The recorder consort (called the Nageolt family)—aopranino, sopra, alt, tenor, bast— ‘mot used in the moder sYmphony orchesta166 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION SINGLE REED: CLARINET DousLe REED: DOUBLE REED! MOUTHPIECE AND REED ‘OB0E BASSOON ‘out the mouthpiece (or head joint on the flute) slightly lengthens the instrument and therefore lowers the pitch; pushing it in raises the pitch a bit 1, Nonreed woodwinds: all flutes (plus recorders) 2. Single reeds: all clarinets and saxophanes 43, Double reeds: obve, oboe d’amore, English horn, heckelphone, bassoon, and contrabassoon Classification by the Shape of the Pipe 1. Cylindrical tube (essentially, a straight pipe): flutes and clarinetst ‘a. Even though the flute is closed at one end, the embouchure hole is so near the closed end that it is called an open cylindrical pipe. . The clarinet is called a closed cylindrical tube because its mouthpiece closes the tube at one end, 2. Conical tubes (the pipe is larger at one end than at the other): oboes, English hors, bassoons, and saxophones Classification by Overblowing (Overblowing is the woodwind equivalent of touching a node on a string at the halfway mark, producing the first harmonic, On the wind instrument, this is ac- complished by blowing with more force, thereby compelling the vibrating air column to split fractionally. 1. All conical pipe instraments and flutes overblow the octave 2. Allclarinets overblow the twelfth ~Acoustisans quibble about classifying the Oute and clarinet as pre cylindrical shapes, for neither realy i. The fut s actually a eylindro-conical pipe, but for our purposes, the simpler Alefiton vel sulice‘THE WooDwinn CHOIR (REED AEROPHONES) 167 Classification by Transposition 1. Nontransposing woodwinds: ute, oboe, and bassoon 2. Transposing woodwinds '&. Instruments that never change their interval of transposition * Piccolo + Bass flute + Contrabassoon ‘+ Obve d’amore in A (transposes like the A clarinet) + English horn inF (transposes like the French hor in F) + Alto lutein G + Alto clarinet in Es (transposes like the alto saxophone in B) + Bass clarinet in Bs + Contrabass carinetin Bb + Soprano saxophone in Bb (transposes like the Br clarinet) + Alto saxophone in Eb + Tenor saxophone in BXtransposes like the bass clarinet in BY) + Baritone saxophone in Bb (transposes like the contrabass clarinet in B) + Bass saxophone in Bs b. Instruments that change their interval of transposition: + Clarinet + Bass clarinet ‘Since there is more than one variety of these two instrument, the soare and part must be clearly marked as to which clarinet or bass clarinet should be used in a particular passage or piece. THE PRINCIPLE OF TRANSPOSITION ‘A transposing instrument produces pitches that sound different from what is rotated in the score. It is up to the compeser or orchestrator to transpose the part so that the player can simply read it off the page, fingering it naturally on the instrument but producing the pitches that the music demands. It is therefore important to distinguish between the written pitch, the note one sees on a page, and the sounding oF concert pitch, the resulting pitch emanat- Ing from a transposing instrument. (The key in which the entire orchestra is playing is called the concert key.) The following exarnple shows the difference between written and sounding pitches on the Bband A clarinets, EXAMPLE 6-1. Written Pitch and Concert Pitch eS Oe omnis $3 ee GS168 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION In the melody in Example 6-2, the composer writes the same notes for both the Band A clarinets, realizing that the two phrases will sound at different pitch levels (see Example 6.3) since the two instruments transpose at different inter- vals. Notice also that the composer has provided a long rest forthe clarinetist to ‘change instruments. EXAMPLE 6-2. Written Pitches, If the composer had wanted the clarinetist to play both phrases on the same Clarinet, the music would have to be notated as in Example 6-4. EXAMPLE 6-4. Whiten Part Before the mechanical systems on these instruments were perfected, instru- ‘ments at different transpositions were used to avoid the need of playing too ‘many accidentals. Today, switching clarinets, especially within a single work, is, quite rare. Copland, however, alternates between the Bh and A clarinets in Appalachian Spring. ‘The basic rule for all transposing instruments is that the written C will sound the pitch (the fundamental) by which the particular instrument is designated, itTHE WOODWIND COIR (REED AEROPHONES) 169 ‘TABLE OF TRANSPOSITIONS Written Pitch Sounding Pitch Bh Clarinet BiSoprano saxophone AClarinet sSopranino saxophone EbClarinet Clarinet F English horn F Basset hom G Alto fute Bi Alto darinet Alto saxophone Bh Tenor saxophone ‘BhBass clarinet* EsBaritone saxophone Bb Contrabass clarinet BbBass saxophone Piccolo Contrabassoon a major 2nd below the written pitch ‘aminor 3rd below the written pitch, ‘a minor 3rd above the ‘written pitch a major 2nd above the weitten pitch, 1 perfect Sth below the written pitch a perfect 4th below the written pitch ‘a major 6th below the written pitch, major 9th below the written pitch a major 13th below the written pitch ‘two octaves and a ‘major 2nd below the the written pitch anoctave above the ‘written pitch ‘anoctave below the ‘written piteh “ifthe bass caine is written inthe bass let, sounds only a major 2d below the notated pltch. If by chanee, one encounters a bass davinel in A itis tefl to know that it sounds 3 Ininor 10h below the notated pitch if written in the treble Cf, or minor 3d below if writen inthe base cet.170 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION In order to sound C major, the signature: for an instrument in Bt must be D major. for an instrument in A must be Es major. for an instrument in EF must be A major. for an instrument in D must be Bb major. for an instrument in F must be G major. Almost all non-octave-transposing woodwinds transpose down, the excep tions being the piccolo clarinets in D and Eb and the sopranino sax in Fn addi- tion, all instruments designated tenor, baritone, or bass automatically add an ‘octave—or two octaves in some cases—to their transposition, if they are notated in the treble clef ‘The decision to use a clarinet in A, Bb, D, or Ebis usually based on the key of the work. Works in flat keys usually call for B clarinets and Eb piccolo clarinets; those in sharp keys are best served by A clarinets and D piccolo clarinets. Since tonal schemes today are no longer rigid or predictable, this consideration is less important, which frees the composer to use either set of instruments. The larger (A, D) clarinets have a slightly more luscious sound, but the difference is not greatly discernible. Indeed, the irrelevance of the key relationship has existed since the advent of highly chromatic writing inthe latter haf ofthe nineteenth century. English horns, saxophones, alto and bass flutes, and piccolos and con- trabassoons, always transpose to the same interval. PLAYING TECHNIQUES Intensity and volume vary with each woodwind instrument, depending on the range and particular register in which the passage appears. Intonation, dynam- ics, and in some instances articulation, trills, and technical versatility are much harder to control in extreme registers than in the middle ranges ofall ofthe in- struments; this is truer of the highest register than of the lowest. For example, the flute and piccolo are very weak in volume in their lowest octave, whereas the oboe and bassoon should not be called on to perform pianissimo in the lower fifth of their range. On the other hand, the clarinet uniquely possesses the full ‘dynamic spectrum in all its registers, from top to bottom. Vibrato Just as the string tone is enriched by the use of vibrato, so is the woodwind and, for that matter, the brass instrument's tone. On wind instruments, vibrato is, produced by starting a rapid pulsation of the air column in one of four different ‘ways: (1) by movement of the lips and jaw (normal for clarinet and saxophone, seldom for oboe and bassoon); 2) by movement of the throat muscles (some~ times for flute); (3) by movernent of the abdominal muscles (normal for oboe and bassoon); or (4) by a combination of movements of the throat and abdomi- nal muscles (normal for flute). The first way is the most difficult to achieve effec-‘THE WOODWIND CHOIR (REED AEROPHONES) 171 ‘ively, fr it may upset the embouchure; therefore, whenever possible the other methods are preferred. ‘A composer or orchestrator does not have tn specify the use of vibrato in a score; a professional wind player will naturally color a pitch with vibrato to make it rich and round. The width ofthe vibrato is a matter of style and good taste and can be modified by a professional player. Ifa composer wishes to have ‘0 vibrato in a certain passage, he or she must indicate this by marking the score senza vibrato, naw vibrato, or as Copland does, “white tone.” When the player isto return to a normal way of playing (with vibrato) the indication can 2ibrato or “normal” (normale) should appear. Here is a famous “white tone” passage from Copland’s Appalachian Spring [EXAMPLE 6.5, Copland, Appalachian Spring, mm, 1-4 1, Verysomty d= 06) Articulation, Tonguing, and Phrasing Asticulation on woodwinds is effected by tonguing. A tone on a woodwind in- Strument i tated when the tongue touches the rof of the most and imme- diately pulls back, as if one were saying the syllable “tub.” (There are instances, depending on the instrument, register, and dynamic, in which the syllable “duis used instead) The tones stopped, either by returning the tongue tits ‘xiginal postion, kiting the sce ofthe reed with it, oF by cutting of the supply of breath. When there are no slurs marked inthe msc, the notes ae tongued ot articulated separately. When slurs are present, the player performs all the Pitches within the slur in one breath—tike the string player on one bow—and tongues only the fist note. (A wind player is able to play many more nots in one breath than a string player can play on one bow, due tothe limitations of bow length) This n-ane-breath articulation is called legato playing, though not all in-one-breath playing on wind instruments is necessarily legato. Differences in articulation can produce quite different ee. Fr instance, the legato playing called for by the slurring in Example 6-66 would sound mach smoother than the more sprightly, mostly tongued version that Beethoven actu- ally wrote xample 6-0).172 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION [Sera] XAMPLE 0 Beethoven Symphony No.8, frst movement, mun 1-4 ‘There are several variations in straight tonguing, all of which are notated in a particular way. Staccato When a dotis placed above or below a notehead, the player will articulate a very short, staccato note, with a natural separation between notes. EXAMPLE 67. Staccato Tonguing Soft Tonguing In some instances, slurs are placed over repeated notes that have dots or dashes, calling for “soft tonguing.” With dots over the notes under the slur, the articulation is slightly “harder” than when dashes separate the notes. The effect is similar to slurred staccato and louré on strings, played on one bow. Here they are performed in one breath. EXAMPLE 6-2. Soft Tonguing Double Tonguing In very fast passages, the player will double tongue and, especially in fast triplet passages, will triple tongue. The syllables that are used to articulate dou- ‘various combinations: ble and triple tonguing are “te” and “ke [RET] oterer ee DouleTonguing‘THE WOODWIND CHOIR (REED AEROPHONES) 173 eee oo eae) — f fo t Dynamic “Envelopes” ‘The usual way of releasing atone on a woodwind instrument is to return the tongue toits original position. There isa way of using the tongue to create aspe- dial effect that, although not exclusive to the woodwinds, is best for these instruments. Itconsists of vp, =—=p-— clarinet) Strmuss, in Heldnleben, mun. 124-129 (Eb darinet) Strauss, Don Quizote, Variation I, mm. 2-4 (bass clarinet)INDIVIDUAL WooDWINDS 215 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CLARINET FAMILY Alto Clarinet in E+ Clarinet alto (tr); Clarinet alto (Fa); Altlarinett (eR) ‘The alto clarinet in Bbis seldom, if ever, used in the orchestra, but it has become ‘a more or less regular member of the standard band and wind ensemble. It has the same fingering and mechanical system as the Bb or A clarinets, but only the owest two octaves of its range speak effectively. EXAMPLE 7-70, Range Because its sound is rather unassertive, the alto clarinet is most useful for filing in the harmony and for playing soft solo passages. Good performers on ‘he instrument can play legato a8 well as staccato passages; long, lytical ‘melodies are as easy for them as fast, agile runs. Since so few orchestral scores have made use ofthis instrument, we will give 1 passage from the band and wind ensemble literature: EXAMPLE 7-79. |. Dal, Sinfonietta, second movement, mun. 1-5 Andante con moto (= 62-60) an soty as passe pp tole pr Basset Horn Cormo di basseto(.); Corde basset (F8.); Bassethorn (Ge) ‘The basset hor is sometimes described as the orchestral tenor clarinet. Like the ‘English horn, it always transposes 2 perfect 5th down; it also is certainly not a horn but is socalled probably because ofits sickle shape. The term besset may be Interpreted as a diminutive form of bass. Invented in about 1770 by the Mayrhofers, this instrument is rarely called for in post-Strauss twentieth- century scores. However, basset hors are manufactured today so that the ‘works of the past can be performed on instruments for which they were origi- nally written, EXAMPLE 780, Range a216 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION ‘The bore of the basset horn is somewhat narrower than that of the alto or bass clarinet, producing a distinctive timbre described by one musician as por- traying “unctuous seriousness.” Here is an example of the basset horn in the or- chestral literature: [Gomme] examece 7-81, R Straus, Corie, Soene 2, mm, 2-26 Allegro moderato BE ADDITIONAL PASSAGES FoR STUDY ‘Mozart, Clarinet Concerto, K. £22 (originally written for “basset clarinet”) ‘Mozart, Die Zauberflte, Act I, “O Isis und Osizis” ‘Mozart, Requiem, Agnus Dei, “Dona eis requiem,” mm. 14-17 R.Strause, Der Rosenkacalir, Act | Introduction Stravinsky, Thren (calls for alto clarinet or basset horn) Contrabass Clarinet ‘This clarinet, in Bb or 1, has a range an octave lower than that of the bass clar- inet. In distinction to most clarinets, which are made of wood (except for the bass clarinet and alto clarinet bes), the contrabass clarinet is made of metal and is folded in on itself, thereby looking like a diminutive contrabassoon.* EXAMPLE 7-42. Range ‘The instrument has a very rich sound, especially in its lowest register, but it does not have the apility of the bass clarinet. Since the contrabass clarinet is of rather recent vintage, it does not appear in many orchestral scores, but is used frequently in works for band and wind ensemble. “The contabass clarinet n Bhis often refered to a the contza alto carne, and is usually made of rosewood rater than metal.Here is a passage that uses the Bb contrabass clarinet: INDIVIDUAL WooDwinos 217 EXAMPLE 7.93. G, Schuller, Concerto for Orchestra No.2, second movement, [eearn-@é ‘mum. 113-120) Modesto yy SAXOPHONE, ‘Sassofono (Ir); Saxophon (Gen) ‘Though made of brass and having a conical pipe, the saxophones are inchuded in this chapter for several important reasons: (1 their tone is closer to the clarinet family than to any other; 2) they are played with a mouthpiece and a single reed ‘very much like that of the clarinet; (3) most lar- inetists double on saxaphones because the fin- ‘gering and all other playing techniques are very similar to those ofthe clarinet; and (4) the instra- zmentis used primarily asa member of the wood- ‘wind rather than the brass choir. ‘The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in Paris around 1640, Today there area great vari- ty of saxophones, used very extensively and in multiple numbers in band and jazz band litera- ’ SS oa oe ture but in a limited way in standard orchestral RAYMON RICKER, ALTO repertoize. The saxophone family has never been SAXOPHONE fully accepted into the symphony orchestra, though a great many composers of ‘the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have used saxophones to great advantage, THE SAXOPHONE FAMILY Bisopranosax altosax tenor sax218 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION especially in solo passages. The sound of all saxes is quite distinctive, and tends to overpower other instruments of the symphony orchestra, which may be one reason they have not been used more extensively in this medium. A second rea~ son may be that the manner of playing the instrument and the sound it pro- duced in its early days was considered too primitive. This situation has changed. considerably since the 1920s, and the great virtuosos of today, with their fantas- tic control of every register in each instrument of the family, continue to con- vince composers to incorporate the saxophone in their pieces. Range and Registral Characteristics Most players have dificulty playing very sofly at both ends of the range, most expecially atthe very bottom oft. The register ater the first perfect Sth on each instrument fr almost two octaves up can be controled beautifully, however EXAMPLE 7-04, Range and Transpositions of All Saxophones Allsaes 1 Sopranino snes i (rinoe Sup) == == — sone Ze s (major 2nd down —S—= ) => EbAlto — ss nprthion SSS SS BeTenor — on) SSS EbBaritone 2 : : 00) SS BrBase Geocaves + major 2nd down) Composers have distinguished between two different sounds on the saxo- phone: the jazz sound, which is either quite sweet, sentimental, and fall of brato or very raucous, and the symphonic or classical sound, which tends to contain less vibrato and be more dynamically controlled. Although many com-INDIVIDUAL WoooWINDS 719 ‘posers of the earlier twentieth century have used the saxophone to saggest jazz or popular music, those living today have incorporated the growing variety of playing techniques that have been developed by the great saxophone players. The Saxophone in the Symphony Orchestra ‘Symphonic composers have made most use ofthe ali saxophone (in E), But so- ‘prano, tenor, and baritone are also in evidence in some pieces. In the symphonic or concert band, the saxophone family is usually represented more fully, in one off following complements 1. twoaltos 2, one soprano one tenor ‘one or two altos ‘one baritone fone tenor (one bass) cone baritone (one bass) ‘The eopranino saxophone in Fis very seldom if ever used, but we mention it here because Ravel gave it prominence in hie Rolera, and this instrument also appears in chamber music. Sear 108 Ravel Bl, 2-18 on. 7] Gnpaninoin Fan soprano inBh)220 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION Here are two examples of the saxophone in orchestral music since 1840; other examples from the band and wind ensemble repertoire may be found in Chapters 17 and 19. EXAMPLE 7.08, Bet, L’Arlsenne Suite No.2, second movement, om. 17-20 (alto) B Aooimionat Passacts FoR STUDY Berg Der Wein Violin Concerto Lal alto saxophone) J-A' Carpenter, Skyscrapers (alt, tenor, baritone sexophones) Copland, ane Concerto, me. 254-296 sprang saxophone) CGeshosn, At Aeron oP, men 1-9 after (63), with upbeat alto saxophone) J. Harbison, Romemering Gatsby (soprano saxophone) Hams, Symphony No. tenor saxophone) Khachaturian, Gayne ballet, “Saber Dance,” one measure before sexophone) Masorgsky Ravel, Pictures an Exhibition, “The Old Castle,” mam. 7-14 (alto saxophone) Pendereck St. Lake Passion evo alt saxophones) Prokofie,Liutonan! Ki second movement, im. 1-8 ater saxophone) enorINDIVIDUAL WoODWINDS. 221 Rachmaninoff, Symplumic Dances, first movement, mm, 105-120 (alto saxophone) ‘Vaughan Williams, Symphony No.6, first movement, mum. 5-10 (tenor saxophone) Walton, Beshazzar’s Fast (alto saxophone) Waxman, Joshua, Renal aria (ith alto saxophone) BASSOON a agoto(i.); Basson (F.);Fagol (Ge) sxSS00N ‘The bassoon, a double-reed instrument with a conical bore, is the bass voice of the wind section. The reed is fitted onto a curved metal mouthpipe called the crook or bocal. The pitch can be adjusted by pulling this mouthpipe out slightly, thus lengthening it, or pushing it ina bit to shorten it. Although the bassoon. BY virtue of its double reed and conical shape, is related to the oboe, its tone is less nasal. Like the oboe, the bassoon performs lyric melodies beautifully and pro- duces attacks and staccato passages as incisively. Range and Registral Characteristics ‘The bassoon is notated in the bass cle, but uses the tenor clef when the ledger lines begin to accumulte (ram about the G above middle C upward) EXAMPLE 7: Range ta SSS ‘THE BASSOON FaMiLy Hf K. Davip VAN HOESEN, bassoon contrabassoon BASSOON22L THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION EXAMPLE 7-08. Registral Characteristics eS ‘hanes Sonar at, “A fw wos sich ae Nie’ woodwind une clr an A blow he lowest Bh, Bassons o> ice his not by placing mull erdbard eben te operend of teeter. As a solo instrument, the bassoon is superb in all its registers, but when ac- ‘companied it has a tendency to get swallowed up by the sound of other instru- ‘ments, especially in its higher registers. The low register is a very strong and noble ‘bass for the woodwind choir, and has also been a favorite register in which to double the cellos and basses. In this latter combination the cello tone predominates, but the doubling bassoon or bassoons give added body to the sound. ‘A versatile and agile instrument, the bassoon has been a favorite solo instru- ‘ment of orchestral composers since the Baroque period. They have exploited its dark, foreboding lower range as well a its pinched, extreme high notes, the lat- ter used most famously by Stravinsky at the beginning of his Le Sacre du prin- temps (see Example 7-94); people at the frst performance of this work mistook the bassoon for a solo saxophone. Other composers have treated the bassoon as the “clown of the orchestra” and have written staccato passages for it that truly sound humorous. Caution must be exercised when writing dynamics for the bassoon. It is ex- tremely difficult to play the notes of the lowest perfect Sth piaissimo; rather, they must be played with a firmer attack in order to speak clearly. The extreme upper perfect Sth also does not project so well as most ofthe lower registers. Ifa ‘bassoon solo is accompanied in this register, the dynamics of the accompanying instruments should be soft enough not to overshadow the soloist. Articulation and Tonguing Single tonguing is the norm for the bassoon and can be executed with remark able speed. Although double and triple tonguing are seldom called for, some performers are able to perform these techniques. Upwant slurs can be played ‘with great rapidity, and large skips are quite easily performed, even between the extreme registers. However, because of the mechanis of the instrument, some downward skips ae very difcul. Trills and Tremolos ‘Trills are most effective on the bassoon, although the following should be avoided because the fingering is too awkward:INDIVIDUAL WOODWINDS 223. EXAMPLE 7-00, Tills to Avoid = = 2 SS a Se ‘Some struments hav spec il ey for hil. For the same reason, void a tits from C? (BS) up, excep, BEE Se err ey. Tenolo ar ot very dima Ue oe wen forthe bassoon they should never ox a pare ath Representative Passages from the Literature Here are some examples of significant bassoon passages from. the orchestral iterature: EXAMPLE 7-94. Mozart, Le Nazze di Figaro, Overture, mm. 1-7 ‘don EXAMPLE 7-92. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No, 6 frst movement, mim, 1-12 Se <> = Se2A THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION EXAMPLE 7-04. Stravinsky, Le Sacre du printemps, Part, “L’Adoration dela terre,” man. 1-15 I ADDITIONAL Passages FoR stuDY Beethoven, Symphony No.4, fourth movement, mn. 14-187 Hayde, Symphony No. 103 ‘Drum Rol”, second movement, mm. 7-84 Haydn, Symphony No. 104 (“London”), second movement, mm, 17-25 Mable, Symphony No.9, second movement, mn. 8-15, Mozart Symphony No.3 fost movement, am. 111-115 Prokofiev, Peer ath Wola (15), man, 1-6 Ravel, Bolero, mm. 41-48 Rimsky-Korsakov, Stehersade, second movement, at (FJ, mm. 2-7 ‘Tehaikoveky, Symphony No. thitd movement, mi. 197-205 Maitiple Bassoons ‘As with the flutes, oboes, and clarinets, the basic orchestral complement of bas- soons is two. As the symphony orchestra expanded, bassoons in threes and even fours were employed, with the last usually doubling on the contrabassoon. ‘The bassoons in multiples have been used in many ways, from unisons and par- allel interval passages to complex contrapuntal phrases. Here are two passages for two or three bassoons, without contrabassoon: EXAMPLE 7-98. Dukas, L’Apprentisorcier, mum. 72-99INDIVIDUAL WooowiINDs 225 WW avormionm passaces For STUDY Berlioz, Symphonie fntastique fifth movement, mm, 255-277 Bizet, L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2, fourth movernent, mm. 10-16 Debussy, Nocturnes, “Fetes,” gn. 38-35, Mozart, Symphony No. 40, second movement, mm. 68-71 R, Strauss, Don Juan, un. 1-2 ‘Tchaikovsky, Symphony No, 6, fourth movement, mm, 21-36 Wagner, Tristan und Isolde, Act IM, “Mild und leise” mam. 9-12 CONTRABASSOON a Contrafgotto cr) Contreasson (FR); Kontrafegott (Gee) ‘SSirmasssncon Although the oboe and bassoon have no auxiliaries that extend thelr ranges up- ‘ward, both have instruments that extend the range downward. The contrabas- soon, the lowest of the woodwinds, widens the bassoon’s range by an octave. It sounds an actave lower than notated.226 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION Range and Registral Characteristics EXAMPLE 7-07. Range ‘The contrabassoon uses essentially the same techniques as the bassoon, only the articulation on this larger instrument, especially in its lowest register, isa bit ‘more stubborn and resistant, and speaks more slowly. This factor has created an impression of clumsiness, which has often been exploited by composers. In fact, the lowest 12th is its more effective range. When tones are sustained, the contrabassoon acts like a thirty-two-foot organ pipe; the tones have a “buzz” because of the slow vibrations, but they providea solid foundation for a chord or passage, especially when doubling cel- los, basses, and bassoons at the octave. Notes in this lower range take a consid erable amount of breath to produce; therefore, the composer or orchestrator should provide periodic rests throughout the passage. Even though many composers have asked contrabassoon players to play in the instrument's higher (and even in its highest) register, this takes the instru- ‘ment out ofits most characteristic range and makes it just another bassoon, a it- tle weaker and paler than its relatives. Articulation and Tonguing ‘Both legato and staccato passages are effective on the contrabassoon; staccato, however, is difficult to execute quickly since the air column on the instrument is too large and responds too sluggishly, especially atthe lower end of the register. Therefore, itis best to avoid fast, repeated staccato notes. Representative Passages from the Literature ‘There are few contrabassoon solo passages in the orchestral literature, fewer ‘concertos aside from that by Gunther Schuller. Rather, composers tend to blend this instrument in with others, as the second of the following four passages demonstrates: EXAMPLE 7-98. R. Strauss, Salome, Scene 3, 6-27 mm. afteINDIVIDUAL WooDWiNDS 227 1 Andante ae228 THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION EXAMPLE 7-100. Ravel, Ma mére Foye, “Les entretins dela belle eta béte" mun. nes Beethoven, Fidelio, Act Il, Duet between Leonore and Rocco, starting in m. 28 (in ‘unison with muted cellos and basses) Beethoven, Symphony No.9, fourth movement, Alla marci, mm. 1-28 (ee pp. 497-500 in this volume) Bloch, Scheloma, last 5 mm. Brahms, Symphony No.1, fourth movement, mmm. 47-51 H. Gorecki, Beatus ir (two cortrabasscons) Mahler, Symphony No.9, second movement, mm. 35-28 before the end . Schuller, Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra R Strauss, Elekta, at 186 , mm. 1-18 R. Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel, mm. 551-558