Bassoon

About the Sound and Character

The sound of the bassoon in the lower register is thick, buzzing, and dense; in the middle it is muted and noble; and in the upper register it is tense and poignant. Stravinsky used a high bassoon solo in The Rite of Spring to evoke the awakening of the ancient earth.

Structure and Features

A long wooden tube (about 2.5 meters) folded in half in a U-shape for comfortable handling by the musician. Attached to it is a curved metal tube (bocal) holding a double reed.

Genres

• Symphony orchestra and wind ensembles
• Academic chamber music
• Musical fairy tales and illustrative orchestral pieces (e.g., Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf)