P.D.Q. Bach - Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra

P.D.Q. Bach - Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra, S. 8′ Scored w/ Sibelius Ultimate NotePerformer Symphony Orchestra 0:00 - Break allegro 7:23 - Not so fast 12:22 - Rondo alla Turkey Lurkey The Italians call the bassoon fagotto, meaning “bundle of sticks,” because people who try to learn to play it often end up using it for firewood instead. The original manuscript of this concerto bears the inscription Hans Holzmann gewidmet: when it was unearthed in 1974 the assumption seemed natural that Hans Holzmann was a bassoonist with one of the two orchestras in Wein-am-Rhein, but further research led to the discovery that in fact he was a woodcutter who actually played the first performance of this piece on a bundle of sticks. Although it is not difficult on the bassoon, the concerto makes extraordinary demands on a bundle of sticks, and one can only regret that there are no Hans Holzmänner alive today who would enable us to hear the work as P.D.Q. apparently meant it to be heard. (The often-expressed opinion of Dr. Olaf Johansen of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople that “P.D.Q. Bach scores, like children, should be seen and not heard,” is not shared by this editor.) The time I programmed this piece, I couldn't find a bassoonist to play it (able was one thing, willing was quite another), so I really had no choice: I simply had to learn how to play the instrument myself. It wasn't easy becoming proficient on the bassoon in three days, but fortunately, I had the help of a couple of pretty good books. One of them was "Jane Fonda's Bassoon Book", but by far the more useful was Billy Graham's "So You Want to Play the Bassoon". Oh, and since this piece has quite a few visual elements to it, these elements are described in the accompying video. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to this music/song. All rights belong to the owner. No Copyright Infringement Intended.