Etudes for the Bassoon: An Annotated Bibliography and Pedagogical Guide

106 Pages·2017·2.09 MB·English

by  Eric Joaquin Fassbender

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
May 2017
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Eric Joaquin Fassbender
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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Fassbender, Eric Joaquin, "Etudes for the Bassoon: An Annotated Bibliography and Pedagogical Guide"
(2017). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2969.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/10985870
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ETUDES FOR THE BASSOON:
AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
AND PEDAGOGICAL GUIDE

By

Eric Joaquin Fassbender

Bachelor of Science – Music
Northern Michigan University
2002

Master of Music
University of Nevada, Reno
2010

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the

Doctor of Musical Arts

School of Music
College of Fine Arts
The Graduate College

University of Nevada, Las Vegas
May 2017
Copyright 2017 Eric Joaquin Fassbender
All Rights Reserved
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Doctoral Project Approval
The Graduate College
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas

April 20, 2017
This doctoral project prepared by
Eric Joaquin Fassbender
entitled
Etudes for the Bassoon: An Annotated Bibliography and Pedagogical Guide
is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts
School of Music

Janis McKay, D.M.A. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D.
Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean

Marina Strum, D.M.A.
Examination Committee Member

Stephen Caplan, D.M.A.
Examination Committee Member

Timothy Hoft, D.M.A.
Examination Committee Member

Paul Werth, Ph.D.
Graduate College Faculty Representative

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Abstract
There are well over one hundred published methods and etude collections written for the
bassoon. However, many bassoon teachers and students are only familiar with a few of them,
primarily those composed by Julius Weissenborn and Ludwig Milde. This is evidenced by the
frequent mentions of these etudes in writings about bassoon literature, repertoire surveys,
university syllabi, articles in the journal of the International Double Reed Society, and more.
While these specific studies remain an invaluable part of the bassoonist’s repertoire, there are
several aspects of bassoon playing they do not address, particularly where post-Romantic
musical styles are concerned. When the need arises to study material outside the purview of these
classic texts, one may have difficulty determining where to seek it. Printed descriptions of the
etude repertoire are few and limited in scope, and there is a notable dearth of recordings of
etudes by accomplished bassoonists.
To remedy this deficiency in the bassoon community’s resources, this document contains
a guide to the pedagogical aspects of bassoon playing which can be addressed through the study
of etudes, a listing of the individual etudes in a collection which address each of these subjects,
and an annotated bibliography of seventy-three etude collections.
The areas of bassoon playing addressed include dexterity, key studies, atonality, large
intervals, extreme ranges, venting, articulation, rhythm, rests, subdivisions, meters, clefs,
ornaments, extended techniques, non-standard notation, and expression. Several of these subjects
are accompanied by a table of etudes, chosen from the seventy-three collections, that address the
technique.
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The annotated bibliography includes information on each collection’s grade of difficulty,
length, and range and clef-reading requirements; a collection’s approach to dexterity,
articulation, rhythm, meter, and expression are also described.

iv
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following people for their support and inspiration:
My family – my parents, Ellen and Basil, and my brother, A.J.;
My teachers – Don Grant, Christy Schillinger, Lindsey Bartlett, Andrea Lenz, Stephen
Caplan, and Janis McKay;
My mentors – Louis Niebur, Don Peachey, John Srutowski, and Neil Tatman;
My friends – Jason Altieri, Dmitri Atapine, Ben Benson, Aimee Fraser, Sean Gifford,
Spyros Heniadis, Jeff Leep, Julianne Lindberg, Marianne Maytan, and Mary Miller;
And especially my wife, Melanie; with her love, anything is possible.

v
Dedication
For my students.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... v
Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... vi
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix
Chapter One .................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1
Current State of Scholarship Regarding the Bassoon Etude Repertoire ..................................... 2
Methods of Discovering the Etude Repertoire ............................................................................ 4
Nature of Etudes and their Sources ............................................................................................. 6
Relevant Prior Research .............................................................................................................. 7
Chapter Two: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 11
Presentation of Findings ............................................................................................................ 11
Limits of this Research .............................................................................................................. 12
Pitch Nomenclature ................................................................................................................... 12
Grading Scheme ........................................................................................................................ 13
Chapter Three: Pedagogical Concepts .......................................................................................... 17
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 17
Finger Dexterity ........................................................................................................................ 19
Keyed Studies ............................................................................................................................ 20
Uncommon Scales ..................................................................................................................... 22
Atonality .................................................................................................................................... 23
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Large Intervals........................................................................................................................... 23
Low Range from B♭’ to A♭’ ...................................................................................................... 25
High Range from e♭’ to f’’ ........................................................................................................ 26
Venting ...................................................................................................................................... 27
Articulation................................................................................................................................ 29
Rhythm ...................................................................................................................................... 32
Rests .......................................................................................................................................... 34
Subdivisions .............................................................................................................................. 35
Meter ......................................................................................................................................... 36
Clefs .......................................................................................................................................... 36
Ornaments ................................................................................................................................. 37
Extended Techniques and Non-Traditional Notation................................................................ 39
Expressive Studies..................................................................................................................... 39
Chapter Four: Annotated Bibliography ........................................................................................ 40
Appendix A: Results of survey ..................................................................................................... 88
Appendix B: Etude Collections Organized by Grade Level ......................................................... 90
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 92
Curriculum Vitae .......................................................................................................................... 95

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