Bassoon Repertoire

Bassoon Repertoire/Bibliography

Bellow is a listing of standard repertoire for the bassoon divided into four general difficulty levels with the undergraduate college music major in mind (divisions between levels being gray).  This is to serve as a guide in helping you choose repertoire.  You are expected to progress to more difficult literature throughout your course of study, playing some (but not necessarily only) works from level 4 by the time you are a senior.  While you are not expected to study all works on this list as an undergraduate, you should begin to become familiar with all of the works through the use of recordings and score examination.  I have also included a bibliography of standard concerti, etude books, chamber music, repertoire divided by historical period, and literature on the bassoon. 

Level 1

• Bach. Selected Cello Suites
• Besozzi. Sonata (Oxford University Press or William Waterhouse)
• Boismortier. Sonatas and Suite (Musica Rara)
• Bourdeau. Premiere Solo
• Galliard. Six Sonatas (Bassoon Heritage Society)
• Head. Three Fantastic Pieces.
• Ibert. Carignane. (International)
• Jacob. Four Sketches
• Kozeluch. Concerto
• Marcello. Sonata in e minor (originally for Cello)
• L. Merci. Sonatas
• Osborne. Rhapsody (Edition Peters)
• Pierne. Solo de Concert
• B. Phillips. Concertpiece (Carl Fischer)
• Senaille. Introduction and Allegro Spiritoso
• Telemann. Sonata in f minor (International and Amadeus)
• Vivaldi. Concerti, a minor, F major (Recordi and John Miller)
• Weissenborn. Capriccio

Level 2

• J.C. Bach. Concerto
• Bozza. Recitive, Sicilienne et Rondo (Alphonse Leduc)
• David. Cocnertino
• Devienne. Six Sonatas (Musica Rara)
• Fasch. Sonata
• Hindemith. Sonate (B. Schott's Shone)
• L.Milde: Tarantella, Op. 20
• Miroshnikov. Scherzo in g minor
• Presser. Suite
• Vivaldi. Concerto, e minor, Bb major
• Wolf-Ferrari. Concertino
• Weber Concerto (Cundy-Bettoney and Universal)

Level 3

• Arnold. Fantasy
• K. Bond. Concerto
• E.Bozza: Shiva
• Cascarino. Sonata
• E.Denisov: Sonata for Bassoon Solo
• Dutilleux. Sarabande et Cortege
• Etler. Sonata (Schirmer)
• Hummel Concerto (International)
• Hurlstone. Sonata
• G. Jacob. Concerto (Galaxy Music)
• G. Jacob. Partita
• Mignone. 16 Waltzes
• Mozart. Concerto (International)
• Saint-Saens. Sonata (Durand et Cie)
• Tansman. Sonatine.
• Tansman. Suite
• Waterson: Souvenir de Donizetti
• Weber. Andante and Hungarian Rondo (International)

Level 4

• Adler. Canto
• M.Allard: Paganini (24th Caprice)
• P.Dubois: Sonatina et Tango
• Duttileux. Sarabande et Cortege
• Francaix. Divertissement (Schott)
• S.Gubaidulina: Concerto for Bassoon and low strings
• JeanJean. Concerto (Music Masters)
• Nussio. Variations
• G. Pearle. 3 Inventions
• Skolkottas. Sonata Concertante
• Solomon. Etudes to Spring
• Steinmetz. Sonata
• Tomasi. Concerto
• Villa-Lobos. Cirande das Sete Notas (Southern Music Co.)
• Welcher. Concerto
• J.Williams: Concerto
• Yun. Monolog fur Fagott

Standard Chamber Music featuring Bassoon
(a very incomplete list)

• Beethoven. Trio for Flute, Bassoon and Piano
• Bozza. Duettino
• Bruns, Konzertante Musik (bsn & string trio)
• Courette. La Pheonix (bassoon quartet)
• Devienne, Quartets for Bassoon and Strings Op. 73 1,2, and 3
• Francaix, Divertissement (Bsn. & String Quintet)
• Garfield, Quartet (Bsn & String Trio)
• Mozart. Bassoon and Cello Sonata
• Heiden, Serenade (bsn & string trio)
• Hindemith, Stucke (bsn & cello)
• Krommer, Quartet (bsn & string trio)
• Poulenc. Trio for Bassoon, Oboe and Piano
• Villa-Lobos. Bachianis Brazileiras #6

Etude Books

• Oubradous Enseignement Complet du Basson
• Milde Scale Studies
• Weissenborn Complete Method for Bassoon
• Milde Concert Studies Vol. I and II
• Orefici Melodic Studies
• K.Pivonka: Little Etudes for Bassoon and Virtuoso Studies
• Jancourt: 26 Melodic Studies
• E.Ozi: 42 Caprices
• U. Bertoni: 12 Studies
• E. Bozza: Daily Studies
• M. Bitsh: Vinct Etudes

Sonatas with Piano

Baroque Sonatas with Piano 

• Bertoli, 3 Sonatas
• Besozzi, Sonata
• Bitsch, Partita, Rondoletto
• Boismortier, 2 Sonatas, 8 short pieces
•  Bordeau, Premier Solo
• Corrette, 6 Sonatas Les Del Solitude
• Galliard, 6 Sonatas
•  Kreutzer, Variationen
• Lenz, Der Alte Querulant Polka, Der Angeber Intermezzo, Der Tanzende Kobold
• Lope, de, Sonata (1791)
• Marcello, Adagio & Allegro, Largo & Allegro, Sonatas in a, C, e, G
•  Merci, 6 Sonatas
•  Merle, Mummers
• Salaverde, Fantasia V in D
• Senaille, Allegro Spiritoso
• Telemann, Sonata in f minor, Sonata in g minor

Classical Sonatas with Piano 

•  Devienne, Sonatas in F and g
• Fasch, Sonata in C
• Kuhlau, Three Fantasias
• Reicha, Sonata in Bb

Romantic Sonatas with Piano 

•  Gliere, Humoresque, Impromptu
• Glinka, Sonata
• Grovlez, Sicilienne et Allegro Giocoso
• Hurlstone, Sonata in F
•  Jacobi, 6 Caprices
• Jancourt, Reverie
• Ozi, Troisieme Sonata
• Pierne, Concertpiece, Prelude de Concert
•  Jeanjean, Prelude et Scherzo

20th Century Sonatas with Piano 

• Boutry, Interferances, Prisme, Prelude
• Bozza, Nocturne-Danse
• Bruns, Sonate #3
• Busser, Piece de Concours, Recit et Theme Varie
• Damase, Aria
• Denisov, Sonata
• Dubois, Serenades
• Dutilleux, Sarabande et Cortege
• Elgar, Romance
• Elliot, 6 Portugese Folk Songs
• Etler, Sonata
• Farago, Variations on a theme of Corelli
• Farkas, Romantic Sonata
• Garfield, 2 Pieces, Poeme, Soliloquy
• Hess, 7 Recital Pieces
• Hesselberg, Scherzino
• Hindemith, Sonata
• Joubert, Cinq Pieces Faciles
• Kalliwoda, Variationen & Rondo
• Kelly, Lerici Variations
•  Lottridge, Jazz Piece
• Luening, Sonata
•  Lyons, Arthritis III for ageing bassoon
• Miroshnikov, Scherzo
• Noel-Gallon, Recitative et Allegro
•  Ridout, Sonata
• Saint Saens, Sonata
•  Schickele, Summer Serenade
• Schwantner, Chronicon
• Tansman, Sonatine, Suite

Concertos with Orchestra

•  Andriessen, Concertino
• Bach, J.C., Concerto in Bb, Concerto in Eb
•  Bitsch, Concertino
• Bond, Concerto
• Bruns, Concerto #2
• Busser, Concertino
•  Danzi, Concerto in C, Concerto in F
• David, Concertino
•  Elgar, Romance
• Elliot, Concerto
• Fasch, Concerto in C
• Fogg, Concerto in D
• Grafe, Grand Concerto
• Graun, Concerto in Bb
•  Graupner, Concerto in C
• Grondahl, Concerto
• Haydn, M., Concertino per Fagotto
•  Hertel, Concerto in a, Concerto in Bb
•  Hindemith, Concerto for Trumpet, Bassoon and Orchestra
• Hummel, Concerto
• Gordon Jacob, Concerto
• Jacobi, Concertino, Introduction Theme and Variation, Potpourri on Zampa
• Jolivet, Concerto
• Joubert, Concerto
• Kalabis, Concertino
• Kanitz, Concerto
• Kozeluch, Concerto in C
• Lars Erik Larrsen, Concertino
•  Lizio, Concerto in C
• Mayr, Concerto
•  Mozart, Concerto in Bb, K191
• Paganini, Concert-Piece (Bsn, Horn and Piano)
• Pfeiffer, Concerto in Bb
• Philips, Concert Piece
• Pleyel, Concerto in Bb
•  Ridout, Concertino
• Vanhal, Concerto
• Vivaldi, 39 Concertos (especially F, C, E minor, A minor, etc.)
•  Weber, Concerto in F, Hungarian Rondo

Unaccompanied Bassoon

• Arnold, Fantasy
• Braun, Solos (1740)
• Farago, Phantasy on a theme of Paganini
• Gordon Jacob, Partita
• Osborne, Rhapsody
•  Perle, Three Inventions
• Persichetti, Parable

Multiple Bassoons

•  Boismortier, 6 Sonatas for 2 bassoons
• Boutry, Pastorale & Tarantella for 2 bassoons
• Bozza, Divertissements (3 bsns), Duettino,
• Braun, six duets
•  Corrette, Le Phenix (4 bsns)
•  Devienne, 18 easy duets (2 bsn), 6 duos Concertants
• Dubois, Scherzo (4 bsn)
•  Finley, Bassoon Trios
• Guignon, Sonatas (2 bsns)
• Guillemant, 6 Sonatas (2 bsns)
• Haag, Burlesque (2 bsns)
• Hartley, Caprice, Fantasia (3bsns & Contra), Round the Mulberry Bush (3 bsns), Suite (3 bsns)
• Hartmann, 9 Duets
• Hines, Boxcars (2 bsns)
• Hingeston, Four Fantasies (2 bsns)
• Hovhaness, Sonata (2 bsns)
• Hummel, Fagottquartet in Eb
• Hvoslef, Duetti per Fagotti
• Gordon Jacob, Prelude, Fugue & Scherzo (4 bsns)
•  Jacobi, 2 Duets (2 bsns)
• Johnsen, Concerto in F (2 bsns & Piano)
• Josten, Concertante Music (4 bsns)
• Jung, Giuoco A Quattro (3 bsns & Contra)
• Junge, Bravour Waltzer, Ein Fideler Geselle Polka, Fagotissimo Foxtrot, Im Tiefen Keller, Scherzo
• Kelley, Trio Primo (3 bsns)
• Lyons, Rita & the Wolf Stereonata (2 bsns)
• Maxwell, Idyls of Four Goblins (4 bsns)
• Nielsen, 12 Duets (2 bsn), 3 pieces for 3 Bassoons
• Ozi, 17 Duets (2 bsns), 6 Grandi Sonate (2 bsns)
• Pleyel, Rondo in Bb (2 bsns)
• Ridout, Pigs (4 bsns)
•  Salaverde, Canzon #23 (2 bsns), Fantasia V in D
• Schaffrath, Duetto in f, Duetto in g
• Schickele, Reed my Lips, Last Tango in Bayreuth (4 bsns)
• Schop, 4 Allemandes (3 Bsns)
• Schwartz, 3 Duets (2 bsns)
• Shaw, Bipperies (2 bsn), Tripperies (3 bsn), Fripperies (4 bassoons)
• Vanhal, Concerto for Two bassoons and Orchestra

Recommended Reading

• David McGill: Sound in Motion: A Performer's Guide to Greater Musical Expression
• Anthony Baines: Woodwind Instruments and Their History
• Bruno Bartolozzi: New Sounds for Woodwinds
• Gunther Joppig: The Oboe and the Bassoon
• Arthur Weisberg: The Art of Wind Playing
• William Spencer: The Art of Bassoon playing
• William Waterhouse: Bassoon
• Mark Popkin and Loren Glickman and Popkin: Bassoon Reed Making