This piece was written in 2023 for Airan Wright and was premiered on April 15, 2023. It is a single-movement work for electric bassoon and orchestra. The instrumentation of the orchestra is flute (doubling on piccolo), oboe (doubling on English horn), clarinet (doubling on bass clarinet), horn, percussion, and strings. The effects choices are left to the performer, which means that a prospective performer can use the effects they already have available. The piece can be obtained by contacting the composer at their website.
As this piece does not prescribe any specific effects, the performer can use whatever effects they have. In the premiere performance, Airan Wright used octaves, delays, distortions, and autowahs in various combinations. In order to balance with the orchestra, it may be beneficial to use two amps so that the whole audience can hear the amplified sound of the bassoon.
The setup for this piece is shown below.
This piece has some technical difficulties, but it would be doable for most advanced undergraduate students. As the electronics are left to the performer, they can be as involved or simple as the performer desires. This makes this piece a great option for a first piece with effects pedals as long as the technical demands are not too difficult.
This piece has a very accessible feel and would likely be well received by any audience. It is not in the avant-garde style, or that of popular music, but rather a more classically oriented piece with an electric bassoon soloist.
©2024 by Benjamin Bradshaw
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