Music for Bassoon & Piano
The Bassoon is one of my favorite wind instruments. And so is chamber music for a group of winds, in which the Bassoon is so important because it provides the Bass part and the unique sound of the instrument. Beethoven used the Bassoon so wonderfully in the Pastoral Symphony, to let us hear how country folks celebrate their joy…
And for Bassoon player Rodion Tolmachev, this is his debut CD. At the age of twenty two he became the principal bassoonist at the famous Marinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. His playing is distinguished by expressive tonal color, and breathtaking virtuosity.
He has chosen a varied program for this debut recording, including works by Bozza, Boutry, Dubois, Francaix, Bernaud and Saint-Saëns.
Selections include:
Bernaud:
- Hallucinations for bassoon and piano
Bitsch:
- Concertino (1948)
Boutry:
- Interferénces I for bassoon & piano
Bozza:
- Nocturne – Danse (1967)
- Récit, sicilienne et rondo
Dubois, P:
- Sonatine-Tango
Françaix:
- Pieces (2) for bassoon and piano
Saint-Saëns:
- Bassoon Sonata in G major, Op. 168
Tansman:
- Sonatina for bassoon and piano
Performed by Rodion Tolmachev (bassoon) and Midori Kitagawa (piano)
Here is Aleksandr Popov performing Saint-Saens Sonata for Bassoon and Piano
As I wrote above, I just love music for winds; so here’s an encore:
Mozart quintet for piano and winds, KV452
Tags: Rodion Tolmachev, Bassoon, Piano