The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the
bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences.
Differences from the bassoon
The
reed
Reed or Reeds may refer to:
Science, technology, biology, and medicine
* Reed bird (disambiguation)
* Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times
* Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales
* ...
is considerably larger than the bassoon's, at in total length (and in width) compared with for most bassoon reeds. The large blades allow ample vibration that produces the low register of the instrument. The contrabassoon reed is similar to an average bassoon's in that scraping the reed affects both the
intonation and response of the instrument.
Contrabassoons feature a slightly simplified version of bassoon keywork, though all open toneholes on bassoon have necessarily been replaced with keys and pads due to the physical distances. In the lower
register
Register or registration may refer to:
Arts entertainment, and media Music
* Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc.
* ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller
* Registration (organ), th ...
, its
fingerings are nearly identical to bassoon. However, the octave mechanism used to play in the middle register works differently than on bassoon, and the upper register fingerings are often completely unrelated.
The instrument is twice as long as the bassoon, curves around on itself twice and, due to its weight and shape, is supported by an
endpin
The endpin is the component of a cello or double bass that makes contact with the floor to support the instrument's weight. It is made of metal, carbon fiber, or, occasionally, wood, and is typically extensible from the bottom of the instrument, s ...
rather than a seat strap. Additional support is sometimes provided by a strap around the player's neck. A wider hand position is also required, as the primary finger keys are widely spaced. The contrabassoon has a
water key
A water key is a valve or tap used to allow the drainage of accumulated fluid from wind instruments. It is otherwise known as a water valve or spit valve. They are most often located where gravity assists the fluid collection, in such valved ins ...
to expel condensation and a tuning slide for gross pitch adjustments. The instrument comes in a few pieces (plus
bocal); some models cannot be disassembled without a screwdriver. Sometimes, the bell can be detached, and instruments with a low A
extension
Extension, extend or extended may refer to:
Mathematics
Logic or set theory
* Axiom of extensionality
* Extensible cardinal
* Extension (model theory)
* Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate
* E ...
often come in two parts.
Range, notation and tone
The contrabassoon is a very deep-sounding woodwind instrument that plays in the same
sub-bass
Sub-bass sounds are the deep, low-register pitches below approximately 70 Hz (C2 in scientific pitch notation) and extending downward to include the lowest frequency humans can hear, approximately 20 Hz (E0).
In this range, human hear ...
register as the
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
,
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...
, or
contrabass clarinet
The contrabass clarinet (also pedal clarinet, after the pedals of pipe organs) and contra-alto clarinet are the two largest members of the clarinet family that are in common usage. Modern contrabass clarinets are transposing instruments pitc ...
. It has a sounding range beginning at B
0 (or A
0, on some instruments) and extending up over three octaves to D
4, though the highest
fourth is rarely scored for.
Donald Erb
Donald Erb (January 17, 1927 – August 12, 2008) was an American composer best known for large orchestral works such as Concerto for Brass and Orchestra and ''Ritual Observances''.
Early years
Erb was born in Youngstown, Ohio, graduate ...
and
Kalevi Aho
Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer.
Early years
Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelag ...
write even higher in their concertos for the instrument (to A
4 and C
5, respectively), but this is extraordinary and well beyond the expectations of the typical instrument or player. Contrabassoon parts are notated an octave above sounding pitch, and most often use
bass clef. Like bassoon, extended high-register passages may use
tenor clef
A clef (from French: 'key') is a musical symbol used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical stave. Placing a clef on a stave assigns a particular pitch to one of the five lines, which defines the pit ...
, though this is rarely necessary due to the rarity of such passages. The use of
treble clef
A clef (from French: 'key') is a musical symbol used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical stave. Placing a clef on a stave assigns a particular pitch to one of the five lines, which defines the pit ...
is even less common, and is only necessary for the most ambitious solo repertoire.
Tonally, it sounds similar to the bassoon, but at all parts of its compass is distinctly different in tone from it. There is a "thinning" of the sound in extreme high register, as in all double reeds, but unlike oboe and bassoon which become more penetrative and "intense" in this register, the contrabassoon's sound becomes less audibly substantial and is easily drowned out. Conversely, contrabassoon also has a booming quality, similar to organ pedals, in its lowest register; enabling it to produce powerful contrabass tones when desired (aided by the flared bell, which the bassoon does not have). The contrabassoon can also produce a "buzz" or "rattle", particularly when loud and in its low register, which gives the sound an edged quality. This effect can be mitigated greatly by changes to the reed design, but it can be a desirable quality for some players, as it adds to the sinister or monstrous quality which some contrabassoon writing seeks to affect, and causes the contrabassoon sound to be more prominent in musical textures.
History
Precursors
Precursors to the contrabassoon are documented as early as 1590 in Austria and Germany, at a time when the growing popularity of doubling the bass line led to the development of lower-pitched dulcians. Examples of these low-pitched dulcians include the octavebass, the quintfaggot, and the quartfaggot.
There is evidence that a contrafagott was used in Frankfurt in 1626.
Baroque precursors to the contrabassoon developed in France in the 1680s, and later in England in the 1690s, independent of the dulcian developments in Austria and Germany during the previous century.
Baroque era – present
![Contrabassoon in C 1825–33](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Contrabassoon_in_C_1825%E2%80%9333.png)
The contrabassoon was developed, especially in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, in the mid-18th century; the oldest surviving instrument, which came in four parts and has only three keys, was built in 1714.
Raimondo Inconis
Raimondo Inconis (born Mars 27, 1959 in San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia) is an Italian bassoonist, contrabassoonist and Professor of Bassoon. He is widely regarded as one of the preeminent contrabassoon players and pedagogues of the 20th and ea ...
''INCONIS, IL CONTROFAGOTTO, Storia e Tecnica'' - ed. Ricordi (19842004) ER 3008 / ISMN
The International Standard Music Number or ISMN (ISO 10957) is a thirteen-character alphanumeric identifier for printed music developed by ISO.
Overview
The original proposal for an ISMN was made by the UK Branch of IAML (International Associa ...
979-0-041-83008-7 It was around that time that the contrabassoon began gaining acceptance in church music. Some notable early uses of the contrabassoon during this period include in J.S. Bach's ''St. John's Passion'' (1749 and 1739-1749 versions), and G.F. Handel's ''L'Allegro'' (1740) and ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'' (1749).
Until the late 19th century, the instrument typically had a weak tone and poor intonation. For this reason, the contrabass woodwind parts often were scored for, and contrabassoon parts were often played on a
serpent
Serpent or The Serpent may refer to:
* Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes
Mythology and religion
* Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature
* Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts
* Serp ...
,
contrabass sarrusophone
The contrabass sarrusophone is the deepest of the family of sarrusophones, and was made in three sizes. The EE version was the only sarrusophone that was ever mass-produced in the United States. It was made by companies such as Gautrot, Couesnon, ...
or, less frequently,
reed contrabass, until improvements by
Heckel in the late 19th century secured the contrabassoon's place as the standard
double reed contrabass.
For more than a century, between 1880 and 2000, Heckel’s design remained relatively unchanged. Chip Owen, at the American company Fox, began manufacturing an instrument in 1971 with some improvements. Generally, during the 20th century changes to the instrument were limited to an upper vent key near the bocal socket, a tuning slide, and a few key linkages to facilitate technical passages. In 2000, Heckel announced a completely new keywork for its instrument and Fox introduced its own new key system based on input from
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...
contrabassoonist Arlan Fast. Both companies' improvements allow for improved technical facility as well as greater range in the high register.
Benedikt Eppelsheim
Benedikt Eppelsheim is a German instrument maker of extreme high- and low-voiced woodwind instruments. He is the inventor and exclusive manufacturer of the '' soprillo'', a piccolo saxophone an octave above the B♭ soprano saxophone, as well as ...
developed the
Contraforte
The contraforte (german: Kontraforte) is a proprietary instrument with a range similar to the contrabassoon produced by Benedikt Eppelsheim and Guntram Wolf. It is intended to have improved dynamics and intonation over the distinctive but som ...
, a "redesigned contrabassoon", in collaboration with
Guntram Wolf
Guntram Wolf (25 March 1935, Kronach – 4 February 2013, Kronach) was a maker of modern and historical woodwind instruments in Kronach, Germany.
His productions
He specialized in the modern Heckel (German) system bassoon and was one of the bett ...
in the early 2000s.
Current use
Most major orchestras use one contrabassoonist, either as a primary player or a bassoonist who
doubles, as do a large number of
symphonic band
A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion fami ...
s.
The contrabassoon is a supplementary orchestral instrument and is most frequently found in larger symphonic works, often
doubling the
bass trombone or
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
at the octave. Frequent exponents of such scoring were
Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...
and
Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
, as well as
Richard Strauss, and
Dmitri Shostakovich. The first composer to write a separate contrabassoon part in a symphony was
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
, in his
Fifth Symphony (1808) (it can also be heard providing the bass line in the brief "
Janissary
A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orhan ...
band" section of the fourth movement of his
Symphony No. 9, just prior to the tenor solo), although
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
,
Handel (in his ''
Music for the Royal Fireworks
The ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'' ( HWV 351) is a suite in D major for wind instruments composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 under contract of George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. The ...
''),
Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
(e.g., in both of his oratorios ''
The Creation'' and ''
The Seasons'', where the part for the contrabassoon and the bass trombone are mostly, but not always, identical), and
Mozart had occasionally used it in other genres (e.g., in the
''Coronation Mass''). Composers have often used the contrabassoon to comical or sinister effect by taking advantage of its seeming "clumsiness" and its sepulchral rattle, respectively. A clear example of this can be heard in
Paul Dukas
Paul Abraham Dukas ( or ; 1 October 1865 – 17 May 1935) was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical, having abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions. His b ...
' ''
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas.
Story
The poem begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving ...
'' (originally scored for contrabass
sarrusophone
The sarrusophones are a family of metal double reed conical bore woodwind instruments patented and first manufactured by Pierre-Louis Gautrot in 1856. Gautrot named the sarrusophone after French bandmaster Pierre-Auguste Sarrus (1813–1876), ...
).
Igor Stravinsky's ''
The Rite of Spring
, image = Roerich Rite of Spring.jpg
, image_size = 350px
, caption = Concept design for act 1, part of Nicholas Roerich's designs for Diaghilev's 1913 production of '
, composer = Igor Stravinsky
, based_on ...
'' is one of the few orchestral works that requires two contrabassoons.
As a featured instrument, the contrabassoon can be heard in several works, most notably
Maurice Ravel's ''
Mother Goose Suite'', and at the opening of ''
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
This is a list of concertos and concertante works for piano left-hand and orchestra.
The first piano solo was an arrangement by Johannes Brahms of the Chaconne from Johann Sebastian Bach's Partita for Violin No. 2, BWV 1004, published in 1878. ...
''.
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
gave the contrabassoon multiple solos in ''
The Planets
''The Planets'', Op. 32, is a seven- movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is name ...
'', primarily in "Mercury, the Winged Messenger" and "Uranus, the Magician".
Solo literature is somewhat lacking, although some modern composers such as
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician.
Biography and works
Early years
Schuller was born in Queens, New York City ...
,
Donald Erb
Donald Erb (January 17, 1927 – August 12, 2008) was an American composer best known for large orchestral works such as Concerto for Brass and Orchestra and ''Ritual Observances''.
Early years
Erb was born in Youngstown, Ohio, graduate ...
,
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of ...
,
John Woolrich
John Woolrich ( ; born 1954 in Cirencester) is an English composer.
Biography
Woolrich has founded a group (the Composers Ensemble), a festival (Hoxton New Music Days), and has been composer in association with the Orchestra of St John's and th ...
,
Kalevi Aho
Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer.
Early years
Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelag ...
, and
Daniel Dorff
Daniel Dorff (born March 7, 1956) is an American classical composer.
Biography and career
Dorff was born in New Rochelle, New York, and grew up in Roslyn, New York, graduating from Roslyn High School.A Compact Disc Recording of Three Works f ...
have written concertos for this instrument (see
below).
Stephen Hough
Sir Stephen Andrew Gill Hough (; born 22 November 1961) is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality (his father was born in Australia in 1926).
Biography
Houg ...
has written a trio for piccolo, contrabassoon and piano
Was mit den Tränen geschieht'. Contrabassoon may theoretically play music for bassoon, which has much more solo repertoire, but the sonic and mechanical differences from the bassoon (and bassoon's comparative facility in the high register) mean that bassoon repertoire is not always suited to contra.
Notable solos and soloists
Most major symphony orchestras employ a contrabassoon, and many have programmed concerts featuring their contrabassoonist as soloist. For example,
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of ...
: Urban Legend for Contrabassoon and Orchestra featuring Steven Braunstein,
San Francisco Symphony;
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician.
Biography and works
Early years
Schuller was born in Queens, New York City ...
: Concerto for Contrabassoon featuring Lewis Lipnick,
National Symphony Orchestra;
John Woolrich
John Woolrich ( ; born 1954 in Cirencester) is an English composer.
Biography
Woolrich has founded a group (the Composers Ensemble), a festival (Hoxton New Music Days), and has been composer in association with the Orchestra of St John's and th ...
: Falling Down featuring
Margaret Cookhorn
Margaret Cookhorn is a British classical contrabassoonist and bassoonist. She is Principal Contrabassoon and Bassoon with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, bassoonist with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
and, notably, has pursu ...
, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Erb: Concerto for Contrabassoon featuring Gregg Henegar, London Symphony Orchestra;
Kalevi Aho
Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer.
Early years
Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelag ...
: Concerto for Contrabassoon featuring Lewis Lipnick
Bergen Symphony Orchestra
One of the few contrabassoon soloists in the world is Susan Nigro, who lives and works in and around Chicago. Besides occasional gigs with orchestras and other ensembles (including regular substitute with the Chicago Symphony), her main work is as soloist and recording artist. Many works have been written specifically for her, and she has released several CDs.
Henry Skolnick has performed and toured internationally on the instrument. He commissioned, premiered and recorded ''Aztec Ceremonies'' for contrabassoon by
Graham Waterhouse
Graham Waterhouse (born 2 November 1962) is an English composer and cellist who specializes in chamber music. He has composed a cello concerto, '' Three Pieces for Solo Cello'' and '' Variations for Cello Solo'' for his own instrument, and str ...
.
A rare use of the instrument in
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
was by
Garvin Bushell
Garvin Bushell ''(né'' Garvin Lamont Payne; September 25, 1902 – October 31, 1991) was an American woodwind multi-instrumentalist.
Biography
Bushell was born in Springfield, Ohio, to Alexander Payne, Jr. (1875–1908) and Effie Penn ''( ...
, who sat in as a guest with saxophonist
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
Born and raise ...
during his
1961 recording sessions at the Village Vanguard.
Manufacturers
Current
, there are nine firms which manufacture contrabassoons (in alphabetical order):
*Amati
*Fox
*
Heckel
*Kronwalt (a collaboration between Guntram Wolf and Rudolf Walter)
*Mönnig-Adler
*Mollenhauer (also manufactures contrabassoons under the Schreiber brand)
*Moosmann
*Püchner
*Takeda
Historic
These firms once manufactured contrabassoons, but no longer do so.
* Lignatone (Czechoslovakia)
* Cabart (Paris) stopped after purchase by F. Lorée, Lorée in 1974.
* Buffet Crampon (Paris): Keywork differentiated from the German style somewhat.
References
External links
Online compendium of free information of the contrabassoon
{{Authority control
Bassoons
Contrabass instruments
English musical instruments
Orchestral instruments
Bass (sound)