Ask An Expert: Better Know A Bassoon
Our latest Ask An Expert question comes from Wallett Rogers, who wants to know...
Q: ...what bassoons (Heckel, etc.) do your bassoon section players play in concerts?
Okay, now this one requires a bit of explanation before we get to the answer. Unlike string instruments, which are handcrafted by thousands of different expert luthiers around the world, bassoons are produced in something more akin to a factory setting, and nearly all professional bassoonists play on one of only two main "brands" of instrument. According to Chris Marshall, one of our four bassoonists in the Minnesota Orchestra (and the only one ever to have played a starring role in a Prairie Home Companion sketch, I might add,) the granddaddy of professional bassoons is the Heckel, made by a 175-year-old company based in Wiesbaden, Germany. Heckels have a long and distinguished history in the bassoon world, but you'd better know what you're getting into before you start planning a purchase: a new Heckel will run you a cool $50,000 or so.
The main professional-caliber alternative to the Heckel is the Fox bassoon, made by an Indiana company which was started back in 1949 by Hugo Fox, who had just retired from his post as principal bassoon of the Chicago Symphony. Fox wanted to create bassoons that were comparable to Heckels in sound and strength, but somewhat more reasonably priced. (According to Chris, they'll still cost you $30,000 or more for a new model, though, so "reasonable" is obviously a relative term.) For the first couple of decades, Fox wasn't exactly a power in the orchestral world, but gradually, as the quality of their instruments improved, a few high-profile bassoonists were convinced to try out a Fox in a professional setting. One of the first to agree to play on a Fox was Minnesota Orchestra principal John Miller, Jr. John obviously liked what he heard, because he still plays on a Fox to this day, its distinctive black color contrasting with the other bassoons in his section.
As for the rest of the section, co-principal Mark Kelley plays a Heckel, as does the aforementioned Mr. Marshall. Contrabassoonist Norbert Nielubowski plays on a Fox contra, and also owns a Fox bassoon.
Q: ...what bassoons (Heckel, etc.) do your bassoon section players play in concerts?
Okay, now this one requires a bit of explanation before we get to the answer. Unlike string instruments, which are handcrafted by thousands of different expert luthiers around the world, bassoons are produced in something more akin to a factory setting, and nearly all professional bassoonists play on one of only two main "brands" of instrument. According to Chris Marshall, one of our four bassoonists in the Minnesota Orchestra (and the only one ever to have played a starring role in a Prairie Home Companion sketch, I might add,) the granddaddy of professional bassoons is the Heckel, made by a 175-year-old company based in Wiesbaden, Germany. Heckels have a long and distinguished history in the bassoon world, but you'd better know what you're getting into before you start planning a purchase: a new Heckel will run you a cool $50,000 or so.
The main professional-caliber alternative to the Heckel is the Fox bassoon, made by an Indiana company which was started back in 1949 by Hugo Fox, who had just retired from his post as principal bassoon of the Chicago Symphony. Fox wanted to create bassoons that were comparable to Heckels in sound and strength, but somewhat more reasonably priced. (According to Chris, they'll still cost you $30,000 or more for a new model, though, so "reasonable" is obviously a relative term.) For the first couple of decades, Fox wasn't exactly a power in the orchestral world, but gradually, as the quality of their instruments improved, a few high-profile bassoonists were convinced to try out a Fox in a professional setting. One of the first to agree to play on a Fox was Minnesota Orchestra principal John Miller, Jr. John obviously liked what he heard, because he still plays on a Fox to this day, its distinctive black color contrasting with the other bassoons in his section.
As for the rest of the section, co-principal Mark Kelley plays a Heckel, as does the aforementioned Mr. Marshall. Contrabassoonist Norbert Nielubowski plays on a Fox contra, and also owns a Fox bassoon.
Labels: ask an expert, inside the orchestra, musical dorkery
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