Sunday, November 17, 2013

A BURGEONING APPRECIATION FOR HOTTETERRE'S CAPABLE INSTRUMENT

The strangest line I heard in the last several days: "I couldn't play my bassoon, because....." Which was in an advertisement for a shingles treatment.
All I can say is I'm truly sorry for her! I also cannot play my bassoon, for the same simple reason I can no longer drive at night.
Missing equipment.
No bassoon.
No car.


It seems like all the great bassoon players are women. I don't know about you, but I find that strangely exciting. It's always invigorating when women take up an instrument. Polished wood, able fingers.....
It makes me want to offer someone a cheeseplate.


[I'm actually well up on cheese, and could probably put together a nice selection for a musician: Red Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Paese, Red Windsor, Stilton, Gruyère, Emmental, Norwegian Jarlsberg, Liptauer, Lancashire, White Stilton, Danish Blue, Double Gloucester, Cheshire, Dorset Blue Vinney, Brie, Roquefort, Pont l'Evêque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carré de l'Est, Boursin, Bresse-Bleu, Perle de Champagne, Camembert; Gouda, Edam, Caithness, Smoked Austrian, Sage Derby, Wensleydale; Greek Feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Mozzarella, PipoCrem', Fynbo, Czechoslovakian sheep's milk cheese, Cheddar; Ilchester, Limburger..... ]


The last time I mentioned a cheeseplate on this blog was in connection with good habits like rare beef, asparagus, sherry, Béarnaise sauce, pommes frites, and pipe-smoking.
A female bassoonist would probably appreciate all those.


There are presently two dominant forms of bassoon: the Buffet system and the Heckel system. The first one is French, the second German.
Switching between systems requires extensive retraining.


I had no idea that the bassoon was so complicated.
This requires more than just a cheeseplate.
It's an excellent plate of cheese.
But I feel inadequate.



Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon. Bassoon.


I'm so sorry, I just really, really like saying the word 'bassoon'.

All cheese shops should have a bassoonist on staff.

Bugger rembetiko, the bassoon rules.

It's the new paradigm.

Bassoon.



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