ABSTRACT
The bassoon was a favorite of the composers of the late Baroque and the Classical eras; Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart all used its wide musical resources to good effect. Because bassoons are handmade, there will be only general consistency between instruments from the same company, and each bassoon should be checked by both the eye and the ear. The bassoon is held in front of the player at an angle that allows the instrument to bisect the body of the player from lower right to upper left. It will nearly rest on the right thigh and pass directly in front of the player’s face, with the left-hand position almost directly in front of the player. The bassoon player seems irresistibly drawn to tip the bassoon down to where the bell touches the top of the music stand, to cross the left leg over the right knee, and to hunch over the instrument.
