Awakening Goliath: A Study and Analysis of the Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra ( Eine kleine Fagottmusik ) [1985] by Gunther Schuller

Gunther Schuller\u27s bassoon concerto, subtitled Eine kleine Fagottmusik (a little basson music), was written for the late Kenneth Pasmanick in 1984-85 and premiered by Pasmanick and the National Symphony Orchestra on May 16, 1985. The work received its only commercial recording in 1994 in Germany; the reviews ranged from glowing to hideous. After several journal articles describing the piece appeared in the mid 1990\u27s, the work disappeared in to hibernation by 1996. In the pages, Iawaken this potential goliath of the bassoon world and explore the piece in terms of form, analysis, technique, and changes that were made between the 1985 version and the commercial recording. The piece is primarily atonal and there are massive technical demands. This piece bridges two generations of bassoon music and includes one of the few segments of true jazz improvisation in ite Blues movement. In short, Gunther Schuller blends extraordinary compositional technique with quietly beautiful atonality to produce a satisfying piece that could easily stand with any work in the bassoonist\u27s repertoire presently available