For many the recorder is an instrument they remember from their childhoods, either learning to play it in primary school, or seeing it unloved in a box of classroom instruments.
Despite this, the recorder is one of history's truly great musical instruments. Ancient in its origins, it was of central significance in the Renaissance and Baroque eras and was the forerunner of modern woodwind instruments. Though it declined in popularity as the flute was invented, composers never entirely stopped writing for it. It also continued to be a useful as a first musical instrument, especially for those aiming to instruments such as the flute or the clarinet. And in the twentieth century it experienced a massive revival as the period performance moment took off, leading in turn to renewed interest from composers.
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Despite there being some great music written for double bass over the last century, including concertos by Sofia Gubaidulina, John Harbison and Einojuhani Rautavaara and others, the double bass, especially compared to the violin and cello, has had comparably few solo works written for it before the twentieth century.
Fortunately, a handful of pioneering composers recognised the expressive depth and unique beauty of this instrument, creating works that remain essential in any bassist’s repertoire. Along with these, many pieces originally written for other instruments adapt beautifully for the double bass. Here, then, we’ve gathered some of the most indispensable pieces every bassist should know—complete with links to sheet music so you can get practising right away!
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Unlike the fraught history of its trumpet cousin, the trombone has not changed much in design since it emerged in the fifteenth century. With such a long and stable history one might expect a rich solo repertoire for the instrument. Unfortunately, until the early romantic period the instrument was mostly used to double other instruments and vocal lines. Things began to to change, however, in the 19th century, with the first trombone concerto written in 1837. And since then there have been some truly great solo works for the instrument. Here are our top ten. Continue reading...
What do you get when you mix a bassoon and a cajon? Pure rhythmic magic! In this performance, bassoonist Matthias Racz plays Get It! by Gene Koczinski and takes the bassoon out of its usual classical context and throws it into a groove-heavy, rock-inspired world, with the cajon providing the perfect percussive punch.
Originally a solo piece for bassoon, Get It! gives the performer a chance to unleash their inner rock star. The bassoonist takes center stage, navigating tricky rhythms with flair, while the cajon creates a driving beat that propels the music forward. This unlikely pairing of instruments results in a fun, energetic dialogue that's as exciting to listen to as it is to play. And piece we think is probably the funkiest bassoon piece every written (-:
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If you’re a clarinetist then, well, congratulations! You've chosen one of the the most versatile and beautiful instruments in the orchestra (or wind band, jazz band, chamber group—it certainly gets around). It is also an instrument with a boatload of great repertoire, from classical through to jazz and klezmer. At the pinnacle of this repertoire lies the concerto, solo works with orchestra designed to highlight the instrument’s best characteristics and the technical abilities of their players. The clarinet has some great ones to choose from—here are our best five. Continue reading...
Musical history is littered with instruments that had brief periods of popularity before superseded by newer instruments. Whilst many of these have now been revived in period instrument recordings of older repertoire others remain largely forgotten. This seems a shame since, as this list shows, they make sounds that are uniquely beguiling. Continue reading...
Why is the tenor oboe called an “English horn”? Are violinists are really playing “little violas”? What links the bassoon and Benito Mussolini? And are viols really vile? The names of the major classical instruments are so familiar that we usually take them for granted, but digging into their origins reveals an intriguing hotchpotch of multicultural influences, from ancient Greece and Rome via medieval Europe through to the present day. Some names reveal surprisingly simple origins; others make no sense whatsoever but offer entertaining glimpses into language’s ability to mistranslate, mislead and sometimes downright mangle the original meaning of things. Continue reading...
"Giant Steps" is a famously challenging jazz track composed by saxophonist John Coltrane. Released on his 1960 album of the same name, the track became famous for its rapid-fire chord changes, where chords that are usually only distantly related rain down in quick succession.
Improvising over the Giant Steps chord progression has became something of a rite of passage for jazz musicians the world over. A challenge to see if you can master one of the trickiest series of chords ever created for the jazz improviser.
But another approach is to see if you can play Coltrane's own solo note-for-note on your own instrument.
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A question often asked by first-time concert goers is—where were the saxophones? The saxophone is one of the most popular instruments. You see them everywhere. So why aren't they part of the standard orchestral line-up?
A common myth is that it doesn't blend with the other instruments. It's loud, abrasive and honky—it just sticks out too much.
But in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The true reason the sax isn't a fully-fledged member of the orchestra is a story full of intrigue, politics and prejudice.
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