Étienne Ozi (9 December 1754 – 5 October 1813) was a French

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

ist and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. He is known for his

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

s, symphonies concertantes, and pedagogical pieces. His works were influential in the development of the bassoon and remain a staple of the classical bassoon repertoire.La vie musicale en France au temps de la révolution Adélaïde de Place - 1989 "Il y avait aussi Charles-Simon Catel, ancien élève de Gossec ... ancien hautboïste de la garde suisse à Versailles, Antoine Hugot, flûtiste et Étienne Ozi, bassoniste." Ozi's ''Nouvelle Méthode de basson'' (1803) was regarded as one of the first complete instructional materials for the bassoon, which was at the time still seven-keyed, as compared to the far more complex modern instrument. The technical demands of Ozi's literature spurred on its development; instrument maker

Carl Almenräder Carl Almenräder (3 October 1786 – 14 September 1843) was a German bassoonist, inventor and composer. The design of the modern bassoon owes a great deal to Almenräder, who, assisted by the German acoustics researcher Gottfried Weber developed ...

in particular used his compositions to direct further development of the bassoon in his development of the key mechanism. The Méthodes were adopted by the early

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

as a course of study, containing "detailed principles for the study of the bassoon, exercises in all keys with bass accompaniment, twelve sonatas of progressive difficulty, thirty scale variations and forty-two caprices. It also includes instructions on caring for the instrument, and methods of making the reeds." Born in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...

, Ozi received his early musical experience from a military ensemble, but settled in Paris in 1777, where he studied with Georg Wenzel Ritter. His 1779 debut at the

Concert Spirituel The Concert Spirituel ( en, Spiritual Concert) was one of the first public concert series in existence. The concerts began in Paris in 1725 and ended in 1790. Later, concerts or series of concerts of the same name occurred in Paris, Vienna, Londo ...

won the effusive praise of the Parisian press. His 36 appearances over 12 years performing there included 19 performances of his own works.

Works, editions and recordings

* ''Etienne Ozi: Six Grandes Sonates from "Nouvelle Méthode de Basson", Paris 1803'' Danny Bond (bassoon), Richte van der Meer (cello).

Accent Records {{Short description, Belgian record label Accent Records is a Belgian record label started in 1978 by Adelheid and Andreas Glatt, releasing classical music from between 1500 AD and the 20th century, but primarily from the 17th and 18th centuries. ...

References

External links

*
Reed-making of Étienne Ozi
from "Étienne Ozi (1754-1813): Bassoonist, Teacher and Composer", by Harold Eugene Griswold {{DEFAULTSORT:Ozi, Etienne French male classical composers French Classical-period composers 1754 births 1813 deaths French classical bassoonists People from Nîmes 19th-century French male musicians