The future of the French bassoon: changing perception through innovation.

Abstract

Over the past 150 years the French bassoon has experienced great fluctuations in popularity and innovation, but is now at a turning point due to advancements based on recent research and development by musicians and instrument makers alike. A number of contributing factors have allowed the French bassoon to rediscover its place as a significant option to a new generation of bassoonists. The primary reasons for this renewed interest are five-fold: advances in instrument manufacture resulting in increased accessibility; a shift in tone production among professional French bassoonists; unprecedented access to recordings, past and present, of the French bassoon via the internet; a growing interest in performing French works on the instrument for which they were written; an interest by major orchestras to invest in the Ducasse system; and the influence of active French bassoonists promoting their instrument. Newly developed bassoons, made by Parisian bassoon maker Yannick Ducasse, have been engineered for more flexibility in tone production, allowing musicians to blend effectively with other instruments. My research highlights these new innovations, provides historical context, and allows for a first-hand account of how accessible the French bassoon has become.