Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T13:17:33.921Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Double-Bassoon: Its Origin and Evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

Lyndesay G. Langwill
Get access

Extract

The earliest printed account of the Bassoon occurs in Ludovico Zacconi's Prattica di Musica, first published in Venice in 1592. As this book is rare and no facsimile edition or translation has appeared, the following extract1 is of interest and contains the earliest allusion to a Bassoon of deeper pitch than the type instrument:—

The Fagotta chorista (i.e. Chorist Bassoon) goes from the octave of C fa ut of the bass to the B fa b mi above. They call it Fagotto chorista because there is of it another which is not of its pitch, but a little higher or a little deeper.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Musical Association , Volume 69 , 1942 , pp. 1 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Musical Association, 1942

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Libro Quarto, cap. LVI, p. 218.Google Scholar

2 Kindly communicated by the Rev. Canon F. W. Galpin, Litt.D., F.L.S.Google Scholar

3 Catalogue of Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, No. 226–229. Copies in Brussels Conservatoire Museum, Nos. 946–949.Google Scholar

4 Sachs, Handbuch der Musikinstrumentenkunde, p. 323.Google Scholar

5 Heckel, Der Fagott, p. 17.Google Scholar

6 Depicted and described in Professor Julius Schlosser's Catalogue of the Collection there (1920), Nos. 198 (H. 4ft. sins.) and No. 199 (H. 4ft. 4ins.). Vide Mus. Times, April, 1937, p. 307, article “The Curtal (1550–1750),” by Lyndesay G. Langwill.Google Scholar

7 Schlosser, op. cit. ante, p. 82.Google Scholar

8 Terry, Bach's Orchestra (1932), p. 114.Google Scholar

9 Lavoix, Histoire de l'Instrumentation (Paris, 1878), pp. 258–9.Google Scholar

10 Grove Dictionary of Music, 1st and 2nd Edit., 1877–89 and 1900 s.v. Double Bassoon; art. by Dr. W. H. Stone; also Encyclo. Brit., 11th Edit., s.v. Contrafagotto; art. by Miss K. Schlesinger.Google Scholar

11 Kinsky, Kleiner Katalog, p. 160. No. 1361. Cp. facsimile by Heckel in his museum, illustrated in Der Fagott, p. 7, where it is stated that the lowest note is Contra Ab.Google Scholar

12 Museum Carolino Augusteum, Salzburg, No. 209. Illust., Tafel III. The naming of the keys is open to some doubt.Google Scholar

13 Burney, Account of the Musical Performances in Westminster Abbey … in Commemoration of Handel, London, 1785, p. 7.Google Scholar

14 Lavoix, op. cit. ante, p. 269.Google Scholar

15 Galpin, Old English Instruments of Music (1910), p. 169.Google Scholar

16 Vide Musical Times, July, 1935: “J. F. Lampe: A Forgotten Contemporary of Handel,” by L. G. Langwill.Google Scholar

17 Day, Catalogue of the Royal Military Exhibition (1891), p. 81. Fig. 1 frontispiece to these Proceedings.Google Scholar

18 Op. cit. ante, p. 169.Google Scholar

19 Parke, Musical Memoirs (1784–1830), Vol. I, p. 42.Google Scholar

20 John Crosse, Account of the Grand Musical Festival held in September 1823 in York Minster, (York, 1825), pp. 174–5.Google Scholar

21 Rev. D. Lysons, &c., Origin and Progress of the Meeting of the Three Choirs. (Gloucester, 1895), p. 69.Google Scholar

22 Ibid., p. 83.Google Scholar

23 Article in Tome XXIV of the Bulletin of the Cercle archéologique de Malines, “Les Tuerlinckx, luthiers à Malines.”Google Scholar

24 Mahillon, Catalogue of the Musée of the Brussels Conservatoire, No. 2628.Google Scholar

25 Op. cit. ante, p. 110.Google Scholar

26 Op. cit. ante, p. 138.Google Scholar

27 Cp. Van der Straeten, La Musique aux Pays-Bas, Tome 5, p. 181.Google Scholar

28 Op. cit. ante, p. 165.Google Scholar

29 Illust. facing p. 64.Google Scholar

30 Manuel général de Musique militaire (Paris, 1848), Plate XIII, No. 9.Google Scholar

31 Berlioz, Memoirs (English translation), London 1884, Vol. II, p. 79.Google Scholar

32 Die Kaiserliche Hofmusikkapelle zu Wien von 1543–1867 (Vienna, 1869), p. 32.Google Scholar

33 Cours d'Instrumentation (Paris, 1837), p. 5.Google Scholar

34 The Life of L. van Beethoven, by Alex. W. Thayer, edited by H. E. Krehbiel, New York, 1921, vol. II, chap. XIV, p. 268.Google Scholar

35 Gassner, Diligent und Ripienist (1844) quoted in Schunemann, Geschichte des Dirigierens (1913), facing p. 310.Google Scholar

36 Castil-Blaze, L'Académie impériale de musique (Paris, 1855), Vol. II, p. 372.Google Scholar

37 Orchestration, 2nd edit, 1935, p. 249.Google Scholar

38 The Orchestra, 2nd edit, 1897, p. 144.Google Scholar

39 & 41 Lavignac, Encyclo. de la musique (Paris, 1927) s.v. Basson, p. 1563.Google Scholar

40 Quoted by C. Sachs in Handbuch der Musikinstrumentenkunde, p. 325.Google Scholar

42 La. Facture instrumentale d l'Exposition universelle de 1889 (Paris, 1890), p. 29 et seq.Google Scholar

43 Encyclopédie de la Musique (Paris, 1927), p. 1564.Google Scholar

44 Brevet d'Invention, No. 16212, dated 9 June, 1856.Google Scholar

45 Pierre, La Facture, pp. 40–7.Google Scholar

46 Chouquet Musée du Conserv. de Paris, Catal. No. 512—bis.Google Scholar

47 Coyon, Méthodes élémentaires de Sarrusophones … Paris, Gautrot (1867), 2 vols., in fo.Google Scholar

48 Carse, Musical Wind Instruments (London, 1939), p. 205.Google Scholar

49 Musikalisches Conversations-Lexikon, Berlin, 1872, s.v. Contrafagott.Google Scholar

50 Pierre, C., La Facture … p. 36, states “in 1855.”Google Scholar

51 Cp. Heyer-Leipzig. Colln. Catal. No. 1404.Google Scholar

52 “Reisebriefe” of W. Wieprecht in Berliner Musikzeitung, Jahrg 1845, Nr. 43.Google Scholar

53 Preuss, Patent Nr. 13043 of 24th October, 1856.Google Scholar

54 Illustrated in C. Sachs' Handbuch der Musikinstrumentenkunde, (Leipzig, 1920), p. 324.Google Scholar

55 Sachs, Real-Lexikon, s.v. Tritonikon; Specimen, Berlin Colin., No. 821.Google Scholar

56 Pierre, La Facture … p. 34.Google Scholar

57 Ibid., … p. 35; also Lavignac, Encyclo. s.v. Basson, p. 1562, fig. 678.Google Scholar

58 Illustration of back and front in Day's Catal. R.M.E. (1890), p. 34.Google Scholar

59 La Facture … p. 36.Google Scholar

60 Les Facteurs d'instruments de musique, Paris, 1893, p. 345.Google Scholar

61 Heyer-Leipzig Coll., No. 1403, & Brussels No. 1003.Google Scholar

62 Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (Leipzig, 1850), p. 154.Google Scholar

63 Stearns Colin., Catal. No. 684, Illust. Plate VI.Google Scholar

64 Berlin Hochschule für Musik Colin., No. 1067, Sachs' Catal., p. 288.Google Scholar

65 Described by Dr. Georg Kinsky in his Kleiner Katalog as of circa 1875, whereas Herr Heckel suggests 1888 (in Der Fagott, p. 23, below illustration (a)).Google Scholar

66 Heyer-Leipzig No. 1405. Kleiner Katalog, p. 161.Google Scholar

67 Morton was born in 1827, and went to Vienna where he was apprenticed to the well-known makers Joseph Uhlmann & Sons. Concluding his apprenticeship in 1847, he returned to London, where he settled in Clapham Park Road, and made excellent oboes, cors anglais, tenoroons, bassoons and contrabassoons. He died 2nd January, 1898.Google Scholar

68 Pierre, La Facture Instrumentale, p. 37, illust. p. 38, and Lavignac Encyclo., s.v. Basson, p. 1562, fig. 679.Google Scholar

69 Pierre, Op. cit. ante, p. 255.Google Scholar

70 Pierre, Op. cit. ante, p. 255.Google Scholar

71 Catal. Roy. Mil. Exhib., No. 173, p. 82.Google Scholar

72 The Savoy Theatre was not opened until 10th October, 1881.Google Scholar

73 Schlosser, J., Sammlung alter Musikinstr. (Vienna, 1920), No. N.E. 532, illust. pi. LIV.Google Scholar

74 Pierre, Op. cit. ante, pp. 38–9.Google Scholar

73 Catal. Roy. Mil. Exhib., No. 171, pp. 81–2 and plate VIII, B.Google Scholar

76 Der Fagott, p. 21.Google Scholar

77 Ibid., p. 16, illust. (a) and (b).Google Scholar

78 Der Fagott, p. 16, illust. c, and Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 1898–9, pp. 340–1, “Zur Geschichte und Statistik des Heckel-Fagotts,” by Wilh. Altenburg.Google Scholar

79 German Patent No. 1131 of 24th October, 1877.Google Scholar

80 Being a translation (by L. O'Reilly for the American Music Journal) of an article by Hermann Starcke in the Deutsche Musik Zeitung.Google Scholar

81 Sachs, Real-Lexikon, s.v. Subkontrafagott.Google Scholar

82 Oxford Companion to Music, s.v. Ear and Hearing.Google Scholar

83 Der Fagott, p. 20.Google Scholar

84 Ibid., p. 21.Google Scholar

85 Lavignac, Encyclopédie, s.v. Basson, p. 1562.Google Scholar

86 Pierre, La Facture, p. 32.Google Scholar

87 Ibid., pp. 33–4, illust. p. 35, and Lavignac, Encyclo., s.v. Basson, p. 1562, fig. 677.Google Scholar

88 Illust. Lavignac, loc. cit. ante, fig. 676.Google Scholar

89 Illust. of both, Lavignac, loc. cit. ante, fig. 680.Google Scholar

90 In an American gramophone recording, the Contrabassoon ha been replaced by the Bass Tuba, but, in the writer's opinion, the tone of the Tuba is too hard and aggressive for the particular passage.Google Scholar

91 The reference to Parke appears in the paper as printed, p. 6–7, ante.Google Scholar

92 See frontispiece, fig. 2.Google Scholar

93 At letter C, p. 97 of the Miniature Full Score; also in the coda, after letter Q, p. 144.Google Scholar

94 “Etudes experimentales sur la resonance des colonnes d'air de forme conique, tronc-conique et cylindrique.” Appendice au Catalogue … du … Musée … du Conservatoire … de Bruxelles, V. C. Mahillon, Vol. III (Ghent, 1900).Google Scholar

95 Cp. p. 14, line 11, ante.Google Scholar

96 Rockstro, R. S., A Treatise on the Flute (London, 1890), p. 147, § 322.Google Scholar