The Creation of a Performance Edition and Piano Reduction of Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer's VIII Variations for Bassoon and Orchestra, Op. 40

Abstract

A review of the published music for solo bassoon suggests that there is relatively little solo literature for the instrument that dates from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This document focuses on the creation of a modern performance edition and piano reduction of a recently uncovered work for solo bassoon and orchestra by Johann Dotzauer, VIII Variations for Bassoon and Orchestra, Op. 40 (originally published by Freiderich Hoffmeister Musikverlag in 1817).A comparison of Dotzauer's work with a comparable published work by Anton Reicha, reveals that the two works are similar in their treatment of phrase structure, form, harmonic and melodic language, range, and solo passagework. This comparison has shown that Dotzauer's piece is representative of the type of writing for solo bassoon that skilled composers employed in the early nineteenth century. Through the editing process, errors and inconsistencies found in the newly-uncovered Hoffmeister Edition of VIII Variations such as corrections to pitches and notation, articulation markings, dynamic markings, and other changes have been corrected in a manner that both reflects the integrity of the Hoffmeister Edition and adds clarification for those who will perform the work. VIII Variations for Bassoon and Orchestra, Op. 40 by Johann Dotzauer, is a well-crafted composition for solo bassoon that will help fill a void in the literature for bassoon now that it is more accessible through the creation of a new performance edition and piano arrangement.