Double Reed Reviews

by Ronald Klimko

(Editor’s note (Ron): Most of the works reviewed below are available in a nicely produced CD entitled BlackLight by the BlackLight Bassoon Ensemble from Diabolical Genius Records and Publications. If you decide to order any of the works below I would recommend getting the CD as well for nice interpretations of the works. Only the final two works reviewed are not on this CD. Also, all of these editions from Diabolical Genius are beautifully printed in a large, clear musical program, making them very easy to read and interpret – a real plus for essentially contemporary music.)

(DG says, “We aren’t sure what Ron’s grading system is, but we assume it goes from I- (easy) to IV+ (very difficult). When he refers to a specific note, the number he gives after it indicates in which octave above middle C it is - middle C being the third highest C on the bassoon.”)

BlackLight

This is a single movement extended work in a somewhat rhapsodic ABCDA form. The style is neo-classical with a melodic/harmonic structure that is fundamentally extended tonality. The opening theme is a complex rhythmic idea in unison rhythms, which gradually evolves into a lyrical second theme with a bell-tone accompaniment. The C section is once again in unison (but new) rhythms and leads to a development-like D section marked “quasi cadenza.” After a short interruption by the C theme, the quasi cadenza leads gradually to a decisive return of the opening A theme. I like the contrasting drive-followed-by-lyricism elements of this work. Technically it is a Grade III+ with the first and third bassoons getting most of the work. (The low fast tonguing of the third part would require a solid player on that part.) The top bassoon ascends only to high d2, however. It is again the rhythmic variety that conveys the strongest technical demand. This is a nice, about 7+ minute work that I am happy to recommend.

Lionelha

Composer Sean Craypo has written this slow, five-minute work in a lovely lyrical new-romantic style at about a Grade III level. As with his other work, however, this would require three players of roughly equal ability, since, as is the composer’s style, each player in turn gets their share of the important musical material. The form is again rhapsodic, beginning with a strict three-part canon that starts very slow and only gradually picks up rhythmic impetus. The romantic and expressive overall style is really quite attractive and, except for a somewhat too brief and enigmatic ending, I am happy to recommend it for your bassoon ensemble consideration.

Drifting

This is a nice, slow, lyrical-but-only-3-minute long work in an often-imitative neo-romantic style. Sadly, however, it ends much too soon and too abruptly for my taste. The difficulty level is about II+ to III- and the range is only up to b flat2, so it might be used with a student trio to work with them for more romantic expression. I sure wish it were longer, though – maybe one could put a big repeat in it toward the end...

(DG says, “Be my guest!”)

Palpitate

I really like this work! It is short, but very interesting rhythmically, being based on motifs (as one might expect from the title) of often-repeated notes and note patterns. These are uniquely juxtaposed over all three voices with occasional lyrical melodies taking over and forcing the rhythms into an accompanying role. It looks and sounds like a fun piece to play, since it contains elements that are both related to Latin music as well as minimalism. Again the level is no more that III+, but it would require careful practice to get the rhythms clean and correct. Range is no problem, however; first bassoon ascends only to c2. Once more the end is a bit abrupt, but I can forgive the composer because I found the rest of the work so interesting.

Danse Sweet #2

This is an interesting, short, three-movement work written in a neo-classical style of expanded tonality. The total length of the three movements is only about 5’30” – the first two movements are quite brief while the last is a bit more extensive. The first movement, “The Dragon,” is written in mixed meters with 7/8 and 5/8 predominating, creating a fast rhythmic introduction to the clean and clear style of the composer. The second movement, “The Cockrel,” is a slow one in a prodding staccato style with an all-too-brief contrasting lyrical middle section only two measures long. The third movement, “The Rat,” is again an allegro with some elements of ragtime jazz-like ideas interspersed in the thematic material. The ending, however, is quiet and somewhat quizzical after the high activity of the rest of the movement. The difficulty level of the piece is in the III+ range and centers on the rhythmic complexities rather than extremes in range and technical demands. It is overall a nice, interesting work. It would have been nice, however, to see more development of ideas in the first two movements as is present in the third.

Slow

I wasn’t initially impressed with this work at first. I felt it “under-used” the contrabassoon by having it play in its higher register too much of the time. However, at 4+ minutes in length and with its quite slow pace, it made a better impression if it were to be combined with the next piece by Graham Reynolds, where it would make a nice “slow-fast” combination. Alone it is a solid Grade III with the first part ascending only once to a high d2 on the last chord of the work.

Rockin’

This is a real FUN piece! Based on a “rockish” rhythmic ostinato, it really moves. There is also a nice section in the middle in which the rhythms are “hocketed” rapidly back and forth between the bassoons and contra. Here the contra work is excellent, with lots of rhythmic variety in both the contra part and the three bassoon parts as well. Combined with the slow-paced Slow already mentioned, I feel it would make an excellent concert piece. The technical level of this work is still a Grade III to III+, with the range only up to high b2 in the first bassoon (although there is a section from measure 69-72 where the first bassoonist takes the music up an octave on the CD recording of the work, extending the range up to a high d2). I think the combining of these two movements in performance would be more effective, especially for the first piece, which I feel is weaker musically. But, “in unity there is strength” for both movements.

Anthony Burgess - Nocturne and Chorale

This is a nice, essentially conservative work in expanded tonality. The Nocturne is an Andantino in tempo in the key of C Major, and it expressively develops a few motifs throughout in a kind of fantasy form. The Chorale is just that – a chorale a la Bach, with tonal chords on all the cadences, but like Stravinsky’s chorale in Le Histoire du Soldat, the harmonies are stretched and expanded in between these cadence chords. The two works together are about found and a half minutes in length and comprise a fairly easy Grade II+ to III- in difficulty...They could work quite nicely with a young junior high to high school bassoon quartet as a competition or recital piece.

Sean Craypo – Andkatyssa (Alyssa wanted to call this piece ANDKATYSSA but I like my title better)
This work is dedicated to Andrew, Katy and Alyssa (hence the title of the work), who were all students of the composer. It is a very slow, short single movement work only 1 minute and 43 seconds in length. It is written in the g dorian mode and would work well for any ensemble at the Grade II level or better. This first part only ascends to high g1, and all three parts are in the bass clef. The only shortcoming of the work is its brevity. Perhaps one could put a repeat in it and play it twice to expand it.