Bassoonapocalypse

by Jon Paul Mayse

This piece was written in 2017, and it can be obtained by contacting the composer at his website.

Setup

This piece uses three effects pedals: an octave pedal, a distortion pedal, and a reverb pedal. The score is very detailed about the parameters for each of these effects. In fact, the score suggests that another performer should be controlling the knobs on the pedals during the performance. The pedals originally used were the M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Pedal, Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal, and the DR600 Digital Reverb Pedal. The reverb effect perhaps has the most specificity; the composer outlines the level, tone, time, and mode (gate, hall, room, etc.) for each change in the piece. It is possible that an advanced multieffects pedal could handle all of the pedal changes, but it would need to have multiple presets and have certain parameters adjustable with expression pedals.

The setup for this piece is shown below.

Notation

Difficulty

This piece is quite involved from both the technical and electronic perspectives. The technical aspects of the piece include multiphonics, harmonic trills, tonguing articulation sounds, and transitioning between blowing air and sounding pitches. Overall, the piece is very free, so the performer can take things at their own pace. The electronics are changing almost every measure and greatly increase the overall difficulty of the piece. It probably would be best to have another performer controlling the pedals, which would greatly simplify things for the bassoonist. If the bassoonist wants to do the electronics on their own, it would require a complicated and busy electronics setup in addition to the technical demands of the piece. This piece is probably beyond what an undergraduate student could do, but may be possible for students already used to the extended techniques used in the piece.

Style

Due to the extended techniques in this piece, as well as the effects, this piece would likely be less accessible to most audiences. However, it could be a hit for audiences with a more avant-garde taste.