The Bassoon's Essential Role in the Evolution of the Wind Octet: The Serenade in Eb Major K. 375 by Mozart and the Octet for Winds by Stravinsky

Abstract

The purpose of this study is in one part to observe the evolution of the wind octet genre and another to research the evolution of the bassoon's role in this ensemble. Specifically the essential role of the two bassoons are revealed by showing that they are the only pair of instruments that remain intact in the wind octet ensemble from the time of Mozart to the time of Stravinsky. Because of this, they provide the wind octet it's characteristic sound. To illustrate these points, two significant wind octets were examined in detail: The Serenade in Eb, K. 375 (1782) by Mozart and the Octet for Winds (1923/revised 1952) by Stravinsky. Despite the long time span between these two works, and the obvious changes in instrumentation, the Octet for Winds by Stravinsky could be called an evolved version of the earlier traditional wind octet. The research within illustrates how the writing for the bassoons changed and stayed the same as related to range, articulation, technical demands, interaction and blending, idiomatic features and role between the years of 1782 and 1923. Other octets that fall between these dates were examined to demonstrate this evolution. Also, in order to have a better understanding of the Serenade by Mozart and Octet for winds by Stravinsky, their symphonic works were analyzed to determine how each composer wrote for the bassoon in other genres and this is compared to the use of the bassoon in their octets.