2021 Musicological Society of Australia Western Australia Chapter Conference

Description

Fagott Ad Libitum: The role of the bassoon in the early symphonies of Mozart 1764-1774.
This study investigates the use of the bassoon in the continuo of the early classical symphony using the early symphonies of Mozart as a lens. The inclusion of the bassoon in the continuo band offers a timbral richness affording an enhanced the audience experience.
There are inconstancies in modern performance practice with historically informed performance ensembles as well as modern symphony and chamber orchestras regarding the participation of the bassoon when no independent part is provided. This may be due to the limited (or incorrect?) information provided by editions such and Breitkopf and Härtel in the Nineteenth Century and the Neue Mozart Ausgabe (NMA) in the Twentieth Century as well as the lacuna of information on this topic in the primary and secondary sources.

The research includes an investigation of musicians and audiences during Mozart’s lifetime. Extant scores, orchestral performing sets, contemporary accounts of performances, the workloads of bassoonists, orchestral lists of players and an Eighteenth century understanding of taste will shed light on this subject from a broader perspective.

Period	1 Dec 2021
Event type	Conference
Location	Perth, Australia, Western AustraliaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	Regional