Peter Whitehead.
Junior Bassoon Recital
Organ Hall I 2 March 2015 I 7:30pm
Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (1981)
I. Prelude
II. Browning
Ill. Lament
Alexander Tom - piano

john Steinmetz
(1951-)

Contrary to what the title would suggest, this "sonata" is not in sonata form. Steinmetz
instead describes it as "music to be sounded, music for invoking different emotional states."
The first movement of this piece is meant to be an emotional statement of feelings. It
explores the tonal fluidity that can be achieved between the instrument and the musician.
(Steinmetz, 1981) It is as ifthe bassoon is the performer's voice, singing through unbroken
glissandos. The second movement is a setting for the English Renaissance tune called
"Browning". It constantly repeats the main melody, elaboratil).g on that idea. The
composition of this movement imitates the Renaissance group of performing instruments
called a consort. In the characteristic compositional style of Steinmetz, the third movement
is not cheery, but rather mournful, as the name would suggest. He describes the musical
character of this movement as "spacious and unhurried, yet brimming with emotion."
(Steinmetz, 1981) One could describe it portraying not a sad emotion, but rather. a
bittersweet thought or a fond reminiscing of time gone by.
INTERMISSION

Giovanni Antonio Bertoli

Sonata Prima (1645)

(1605-1669)

Jenny Ostrowski - organ
Giovanni Bertoli was a virtuoso bassoonist and composer from Italy who lived most of his
life in and around Venice. His Sonata Prima is the oldest known published bassoon work
from a collection called Compositioni musicali. The sonata is formally embryonic, meaning
that the structure of Bertoli's composition is based of off developing and evolving motives.
The tonal structure of this sonata is quadripartite, revolving around successive shifting
from tonic, to dominant, to the relative major, and the sub-dominant. In addition to a
unique form, this piece requires a different performance approach. Since this piece was
most probably written for dulcian, the precursor to the bassoon, modern bassoon tone
must be changed to have a historically accurate performance. Tone must be wider and
more unrefined.1\dditionally, the dynamic range of the dulcian was not as nuanced as the
modern bassoon, consequently, dynamics in Sonata Prima are stepped, changing not
gradually but suddenly, and removing all gradual diminuendos or crescendos.

ARIZONA

STATE

UNIVERSITY

School of Music

Johann Baptist Wanhal

Concerto for 2 Bassoons in F Major
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante grazioso

(1739-1813)

III. Allegro
Alex Toenniges - bassoon
Tommy Chan - piano
Johann Baptist Wanhaul was a Czech composer of the 18th century who, throughout his life,
was most active in Vienna. The classical style in which this is written is close to that of
Haydn, borrowing the pleasantness robustness of Haydn's compositional style and
sparingly pairing it with nuanced characteristics of the Italian voluptuousness heard in
Mozart. The first movement takes up more than half. of the total time from the piece, filled
with sparkling arpeggios, trills, and turns. Throughout the piece, it is not a battle between
two bassoons, but more accurately described as a playful romp between two equally
written soloists. The entire piece is characterized as a back and forth between two
bassoons, creating a conversation and challenging the two soloists to carefully and
attentively listen to each other. The slowness of the Andante grazioso is not for mournful
affections but rather a reflective and poignantly thoughtful tempo. It is this subtly that
draws out the emotional content of the movement, as both bassoons play more together
with only the odd conversational passage. The final Allegro movement is a wrapping up of
the playful and spritely theme seen in the first movement. With an energetic finale between
the two bassoons, the piece ends on an emotional high note.

ARIZONA

STATE

UNIVERSITY

School of Music