The bassoon is the lowest sounding member of the woodwind family and is perhaps the most versatile. Its double reed gives it a rich, slightly buzzing quality in the lowest notes and a sweet nasal sound higher up. Bassoons can be extremely expressive as solo instruments and their warm vibrato enables them to sound remarkably human, a little like a resonant baritone singer. They are also great for creating punchy rhythmic lines and as bass instruments they help provide support for the whole orchestra. ...[more]
Listen to bassoon and contrabassoon sounds
Listen to these audio clips to hear the sound of the bassoon and contrabassoon when heard in the orchestra. Enlarge the image to the left to see a photo comparing the two instruments.
clip 1 -
Meyrick plays one of the most famous bassoon solos: the opening of The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky - this exploits the high register of the instrument.
clip 2 -
A bassoon solo over strings from symphony No 5 by Sibelius.
clip 3 -
Four bassoons and a contrabassoon play together - sandwiched between two huge crescendos on timpani and bass drum - from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.
