Album

This collection of four modern concertos for bassoon may appeal to teachers and students of the instrument, but few others will be drawn to this album by Sergio Azzolini and the Kammerakademie Potsdam. Not that the soloist or the orchestra are in any way at fault; to the contrary, the performances are all top-notch, and Azzolini is clearly a tremendously skilled bassoonist with a marvelous tone; and the accompaniment he receives is well-balanced and wonderfully shaded. The problem seems to lie instead with the composers, who have found in the bassoon few expressive options, and essentially written utility pieces with little to recommend them beyond practical use. Paul Hindemith's bone-dry Concerto for trumpet, bassoon and string orchestra (1949-1952) is the most obvious piece of Gebrauchsmusik, but Heitor Villa-Lobos' chortling Ciranda das sete notas (1933) is only marginally more colorful and engaging. André Jolivet's Concerto for bassoon, harp, piano and string orchestra (1954) is unpredictable and quirky, but it seems to meander and lose its center, particularly in the bassoon's weak role within the trio. Sofiya Gubaydulina's Concerto for bassoon and low strings (1975) is dark and brooding, and definitely the most striking in exploiting the bassoon's sinister bottom register; but this ominous work is perhaps of most interest to Gubaydulina's devoted followers, and may be less appealing to a general audience. Capriccio's sound is excellent.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1
Heitor Villa-Lobos Composer Ciranda das sete notas ('Dance in Seven Notes'), for bassoon and strings, A.325 Work Sergio Azzolini Bassoon, Kammerakademie Potsdam Orchestra, Maurice Bourgue Conductor
1	Ciranda das sete notas ('Dance in Seven Notes'), for bassoon and strings, A.325	11:30			$1.99
Paul Hindemith Composer Concerto, for trumpet, bassoon, and string orchestra Work 16:24 Mathias Höfs Trumpet, Sergio Azzolini Bassoon, Kammerakademie Potsdam Orchestra, Maurice Bourgue Conductor
2	1.Allegro spiritoso	6:28			$0.99
3	2.Molto Adagio. Allegro pesante	8:18			$1.49
4	3.Vivace	1:38			$0.99
André Jolivet Composer Concerto for Bassoon, String Orchestra, Harp and Piano Work 14:11 Tomoko Takahashi Piano, Vida Izadi Harp, Sergio Azzolini Bassoon, Kammerakademie Potsdam Orchestra, Maurice Bourgue Conductor
5	1a.Recitativo	2:56			$0.99
6	1b.Allegro Gioviale	4:09			$0.99
7	2a.Largo cantabile	3:43			$0.99
8	2b.Fugato	3:23			$0.99
Sofia Gubaidulina Composer Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon & low strings Work 27:29 Sergio Azzolini Bassoon, Kammerakademie Potsdam Orchestra, Maurice Bourgue Conductor
9	1.Quarter note = 84	10:26			$1.99
10	2.Quarter note = 60	3:24			$0.99
11	3.Fünf. Eighth note = 60	5:34			$0.99
12	4.Rubato, mesto. Quarter note = 60	4:03			$0.99
13	5.Half note = 72	4:02			$0.99