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1. History: Bassoon, is a type of woodwind instrument. It comes from Italian (fagotto) and its original meaning is "a bundle of firewood" - very vivid. The first bassoon was made by И. Schreiber of Berlin in 1616. The modern bassoon was modified in 1876 by J.A. Hecker based on the new structural principles of the bassoon that appeared in Germany at that time. The earliest score using bassoon appeared in 1629. A. Vivaldi wrote a large number of bassoon concertos and ensembles. W.A. Mozart and C.M. von Weber both wrote famous bassoon concertos. P. Hindemith also wrote sonatas for bassoon. The tube is nearly 5 meters long, bent into 4 or 5 sections, with the bell mouth facing downwards. The lower end of the pipe body is equipped with support columns and placed on the ground. Its best range is the lowest octave range, and its tone is rich and charming. Because the reed is wider and has a slower pronunciation, it is not suitable for playing too fast staccato and alternating tones. The bassoon is used in the interludes in the first and second acts of Bizet's opera "Carmen".。（01， 02）
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2. Structure: The bassoon is divided into six main parts, including the reed (mostly made of specially processed reeds) (6), which extends upward; the bass joint (or long joint) (5), which connects the bell and the butt (4) , located at the base of the instrument and folding in on itself; the wing joint (or tenor joint) (3), which extends from the butt to the chest; and the bend (2), a curved metal tube that connects the wing joint to the reed (1 ) The hole of the bassoon is conical, like the holes of the oboe and saxophone, and the two adjacent holes of the butt joint are connected at the bottom of the instrument by a U-shaped metal connector. The bore and soundhole are precision machined for proper tuning. Playing is facilitated by closing the distance between the widely spaced holes through a complex keywork system that extends nearly the entire length of the instrument. The total height of the bassoon extends to 1.34 metres. There are also short-range bassoons made for younger or petite players. Modern beginner's bassoons are usually made from maple, a medium-hard type such as sycamore maple and sugar maple. Cheaper models are also made from materials such as polypropylene and hard rubber and are primarily intended for students and outdoor use. Metal bassoons have been made in the past, but not by any major manufacturer since 1889 |
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3. Features: The bassoon tone has a strong nasal sound, and the lowest range bB1~F is particularly old. Both legato and staccato are extremely flexible, and fast staccato is particularly humorous and often has a humorous effect. Therefore, the bassoon is called the "harlequin" in the band. The timbre in the bass area is gloomy and solemn, the timbre in the mid-range is soft, sweet and full, and the treble is dramatic, suitable for expressing serious and dull emotions, as well as expressing humorous tastes and creating the image of a clown. The bassoon (lower octave) is the lowest bass among the woodwind family. Its timbre sounds very dark, and it can be called the "agent" of the dark forces in the orchestra.
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| Example of bassoon's sound（See here） |
| Bassoon playing range （A1） B?1–E5 （A?5) |
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| Bassoon part: excerpted from the first movement of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony |
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| Bassoon Solo |
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| Four Bassoon Ensemble |
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4. Examples of Morricone's music
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