Bassoon
Note from the composer: Welcome bassoonists! This is definitely a section of my catalogue I would love to develop further - if you can’t find what you’re looking for here, let’s chat about a new piece! In the meantime, I’m always happy to recommend works by other living composers.
Unaccompanied Solo Works
COMING SOON: The Elfin Cow
Duration: 6’00”
Commissioner: Tyné Rieck
Bassoonist Tyné Rieck has commissioned a new work for solo unaccompanied bassoon that was just completed in spring 2024.
More information will be coming soon about this work!
Pricing
More information soon!
Accompanied Solo Works
Efflorescence for oboe doubling bassoon + string quartet (2021)
This work will be recorded in 2024, but you can check out the premiere performance here in the meantime! (headphones recommended due to quiet noise level)
This work is in three movements:
1. Herbs (4’15”)
2. Cycads (3’15”)
3. Succulents (5’00”)
Duration: 12’30”
Commissioner: Colton Sprenkle (Website)
Commissioned by Colton Sprenkle as part of the Spring Forward commissioning series, this three-movement work is inspired by different plant forms. In the first movement, Herbs, a large variety of colors and textures are explored - capitalizing on both the oboe's lyrical expressiveness and the bassoon's surprising facility. The end of the movement highlights the bassoon's upper register - seamlessly moving into Cycads. This breezy second movement gusts and billows in a spirited sequence of trill-like figures and scalar passages, set against a series of lusher, melodic moments. The final movement, Succulents, offers nearly as many colors and textures as its namesake - percussive knocks, extreme registers, dynamic contrasts, and raw energy throughout permeate this final movement. The result is a complete showcase for both soloist and string quartet, sure to capture the imagination of any listener.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $35
Per movement, digital: $12
PDF includes a full score and solo parts for each performer, formatted for page turns.
Duos and Trios with Bassoon
Freaks of Nature for clarinet in Bb, horn in F, and bassoon (2023)
This work is in three movements:
1. Firefoot and Ironclad - Volcano Snail (2’30”)
2. Lanky Serenade - Huntsman Spider (2’00”)
3. Gliding Giant - Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox (2’00”)
Duration: 6’30”
Commissioner: Natalie Groom (Website | YouTube)
Commissioned by Natalie Groom as part of the Neighbor Tones project, Freaks of Nature is a love letter to three endangered species. While a bit unnerving at first glance, each of these creatures have such unique and charming features. In Firefoot and Ironclad, the amazing Volcano Snail served as inspiration; a strong melody in the French horn sounds over burbling textures before giving way to a gentler section in which each instrument gets a chance to shine with the melody before returning to the playful burble of the opening. The Lanky Serenade inspired by the Huntsman Spider (which uses its vibrating body to attract mates!) features the clarinet in a crawling melody before a vibrant, lilting section uses the ensemble as one large instrument. Gliding Giant pays homage to the gentle nature of the massive mega bat (a frugivore named the Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox, which can grow to an impressive 60 inches)! Large flapping gestures, soaring melodies, ascending triplets, and a rocking lullaby section give way to a final climb before soaring dramatically downward. While this short work is approachable for most college players, even the most seasoned performers will have a fun challenge bringing these fantastic freaks to life!
Pricing
Full score, digital: $15
Per movement, digital: $7
PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C), as well as solo parts for each performer, formatted for page turns.
Volcano snail - so cute!!
Flicker for oboe, english horn, and bassoon (2021)
Lewis Painter, oboe
Alexandra Nadvoretskaya, English horn
Caeleigh Alexander, bassoon
Duration: 8’15”
Commissioner: Kinder High School for the Performing Arts (HSPVA)
Flicker was commissioned by the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas as part of the Spring Forward project series in 2021. Inspired by the movements of a candle flame, the work is a true showcase for both the individual players as well as the ensemble—lines blend and blur together, sometimes leaping across the ensemble. Sudden stops open the texture for extended solo moments at one moment while other voices flit and flicker beneath in other sections. The result is a playful, continuous ebb and flow of energy, sure to provide a fun and unique challenge for student and professional ensembles alike.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $25
PDF includes a full score (transposed and/or in C) and solo parts for each performer, formatted for page turns.
Commissions from Quarantine: 26. Passionate Dialogue for bassoon and trombone (2020)
This work has not yet been recorded - a MIDI rendering is available upon request.
Duration: 3’30”
Commissioner: Anonymous
Beginning with a simple, ascending melody, Passionate Dialogue soon develops into a lush call-and-response between bassoon and trombone—featuring both instruments as warm, lyrically expressive soloists. This simple work is a great addition to any public recital or concert in need of a short, mellow, and expressive work.
Chamber Ensemble Works with Bassoon
Mountain Dances for oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, and harp (2013. rev. 2021)
This work is in three movements:
1. Thin Aire (5’30”)
2. Bearceuse (3’45”)
3. Sun(ata) Burnt (4’15”)
Duration: 13’30”
Mountain Dances was written in the summer of 2013 in Estes Park, Colorado. Inspired by the lush forests, towering peaks, brilliant sunshine, and even the occasional bear spotting, the suite encompasses a wide variety of moods, colors, and textures. In Thin Aire, the bouncing rhythms and intricate voicings work to create a perpetually swirling soundscape that is simultaneously light and lush. In Bearceuse, both bear and lullaby appear in the piano's extreme registration and the reeds' lyrical and singing melodies. Sun(ata) Burnt sizzles, burbles, and shimmers in colorful sustains, playful mixed meter grooves, and sweeping melodies that weave between the instruments. The result is a showcase piece for the entire ensemble—roaming, tumbling, and dancing their way through the wilderness.
Pricing
Full score, digital: $35
Per movement, digital: $15
PDF includes a piano score and individual parts for each player formatted for page turns.
Looking for more?
You may also find more works for bassoon in the Large Mixed Ensemble section of The Library—or reach out to me directly! If I don’t have what you’re looking for, I’m always happy to reccomend other living composers who might have just the thing!