Editing Bassoon (section)

==History==

===Origin===
[[File:Praetorius bassoons.jpg|thumb|Dulcians and [[rackett]]s, from the ''Syntagma musicum'' by [[Michael Praetorius]].]]
Music historians generally consider the [[dulcian]] to be the forerunner of the modern bassoon,<ref>{{cite book |title=Classical Music: The Listener's Companion |last1=Morin|first1=Alexander J.|author2=Harold C. Schonberg|author2-link=Harold C. Schonberg|year=2002 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |location=San Francisco |page=1154 }}. "Its direct ancestor is the dulcian, a hairpin-shaped instrument with a long, folded bore and a single key; developed in the first half of the 16th century, it remained in use until the 17th."</ref> as the two instruments share many characteristics: a double reed fitted to a metal crook, obliquely drilled tone holes and a conical bore that doubles back on itself. The origins of the dulcian are obscure, but by the mid-16th century it was available in as many as eight different sizes, from [[soprano]] to great bass. A full consort of dulcians was a rarity; its primary function seems to have been to provide the bass in the typical wind band of the time, either loud ([[shawm]]s) or soft ([[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]]s), indicating a remarkable ability to vary [[Dynamics (music)|dynamics]] to suit the need. Otherwise, dulcian technique was rather primitive, with eight finger holes and two keys, indicating that it could play in only a limited number of key signatures.

Circumstantial evidence indicates that the [[baroque]] bassoon was a newly invented instrument, rather than a simple modification of the old dulcian. The dulcian was not immediately supplanted, but continued to be used well into the 18th century by [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] and others; and, presumably for reasons of interchangeability, repertoire from this time is very unlikely to go beyond the smaller compass of the dulcian. The man most likely responsible for developing the true bassoon was Martin Hotteterre ({{abbr|d.|died}}{{nbsp}}1712), who may also have invented the three-piece ''flûte traversière'' ([[flute#Western transverse|transverse flute]]) and the ''hautbois'' ([[Oboe#History|baroque oboe]]). Some historians believe that sometime in the 1650s, Hotteterre conceived the bassoon in four sections (bell, bass joint, boot and wing joint), an arrangement that allowed greater accuracy in machining the bore compared to the one-piece dulcian. He also extended the compass down to [[B♭ (musical note)|B{{Music|b}}]] by adding two [[Key (instrument)|keys]].{{sfn|Lange|Thomson|1979}} An alternate view maintains Hotteterre was one of several craftsmen responsible for the development of the early bassoon. These may have included additional members of the Hotteterre family, as well as other French makers active around the same time.{{sfn|Kopp|1999}} No original French bassoon from this period survives, but if it did, it would most likely resemble the earliest extant bassoons of [[Johann Christoph Denner]] and Richard Haka from the 1680s. Sometime around 1700, a fourth key ([[G♯ (musical note)|G♯]]) was added, and it was for this type of instrument that composers such as [[Antonio Vivaldi]], Bach, and [[Georg Philipp Telemann]] wrote their demanding music. A fifth key, for the low [[E♭ (musical note)|E{{Music|b}}]], was added during the first half of the 18th century. Notable makers of the 4-key and 5-key baroque bassoon include J.H. Eichentopf ({{circa|1678–1769}}), J. Poerschmann (1680–1757), [[Thomas Stanesby|Thomas Stanesby Jr]]. (1668–1734), G.H. Scherer (1703–1778), and Prudent Thieriot (1732–1786).

===Modern configuration===
Increasing demands on capabilities of instruments and players in the 19th century—particularly larger concert halls requiring greater volume and the rise of virtuoso composer-performers—spurred further refinement. Increased sophistication, both in manufacturing techniques and acoustical knowledge, made possible great improvements in the instrument's playability.

The modern bassoon exists in two distinct primary forms, the Buffet (or "French") system and the Heckel ("German") system. Most of the world plays the Heckel system, while the Buffet system is primarily played in France, Belgium, and parts of [[Latin America]]. A number of other types of bassoons have been constructed by various instrument makers, such as the rare [[Galandronome]]. Owing to the ubiquity of the Heckel system in English-speaking countries, references in English to the contemporary bassoon always mean the Heckel system, with the Buffet system being explicitly qualified where it appears.

====Heckel (German) system<!--linked from 'Guntram Wolf'-->====
[[File:Bassoon 1870.jpg|thumb|[[Johann Adam Heckel|Heckel]] system bassoon from 1870]]
The design of the modern bassoon owes a great deal to the performer, teacher, and composer [[Carl Almenräder]]. Assisted by the German acoustic researcher [[Gottfried Weber]], he developed the 17-key bassoon with a range spanning four octaves. Almenräder's improvements to the bassoon began with an 1823 treatise describing ways of improving [[Intonation (music)|intonation]], response, and technical ease of playing by augmenting and rearranging the keywork. Subsequent articles further developed his ideas. His employment at [[Schott Music|Schott<!-- at the time named "B. Schott's Söhne" -->]] gave him the freedom to construct and test instruments according to these new designs, and he published the results in ''Caecilia'', Schott's house journal. Almenräder continued publishing and building instruments until his death in 1846, and [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] himself requested one of the newly made instruments after hearing of the papers. In 1831, Almenräder left Schott to start his own factory with a partner, [[Johann Adam Heckel]].

Heckel and two generations of descendants continued to refine the bassoon, and their instruments became the standard, with other makers following. Because of their superior singing tone quality (an improvement upon one of the main drawbacks of the Almenräder instruments), the Heckel instruments competed for prominence with the reformed Wiener system, a [[Boehm system|Boehm]]-style bassoon, and a completely keyed instrument devised by [[Charles-Joseph Sax]], father of [[Adolphe Sax]]. F.W. Kruspe implemented a latecomer attempt in 1893 to reform the [[Fingering (music)|fingering]] system, but it failed to catch on. Other attempts to improve the instrument included a 24-keyed model and a single-reed [[Mouthpiece (woodwind)|mouthpiece]], but both these had adverse effects on tone and were abandoned.

Coming into the 20th century, the Heckel-style German model of bassoon dominated the field. Heckel himself had made over 1,100 instruments by the turn of the 20th century (serial numbers begin at 3,000), and the British makers' instruments were no longer desirable for the changing [[Pitch (music)|pitch]] requirements of the symphony orchestra, remaining primarily in [[military band]] use.

[[File:FoxBassoon.png|thumb|upright|Two views of a Fox model 220 bassoon]]
Except for a brief 1940s wartime conversion to [[ball bearing]] manufacture, the Heckel concern has produced instruments continuously to the present day. Heckel bassoons are considered by many to be the best, although a range of Heckel-style instruments is available from several other manufacturers, all with slightly different playing characteristics.

Because its mechanism is primitive compared to most modern woodwinds, makers have occasionally attempted to "reinvent" the bassoon. In the 1960s, [[Giles Brindley]] began to develop what he called the "logical bassoon", which aimed to improve intonation and evenness of tone through use of an electrically activated mechanism, making possible key combinations too complex for the human hand to manage. Brindley's logical bassoon was never marketed.

====Buffet (French) system====
The Buffet system bassoon achieved its basic acoustical properties somewhat earlier than the Heckel. Thereafter, it continued to develop in a more conservative manner. While the early history of the Heckel bassoon included a complete overhaul of the instrument in both [[acoustics]] and key work, the development of the Buffet system consisted primarily of incremental improvements to the key work. This minimalist approach of the Buffet deprived it of improved consistency of intonation, ease of operation, and increased power, which is found in Heckel bassoons, but the Buffet is considered by some to have a more vocal and expressive quality. The conductor [[John Foulds]] lamented in 1934 the dominance of the Heckel-style bassoon, considering them too homogeneous in sound with the [[French horn|horn]]. The modern Buffet system has 22 keys with its range being the same as the Heckel; although Buffet instruments have greater facility in the [[Register (music)|upper registers]], reaching E<sub>5</sub> and F<sub>5</sub> with far greater ease and less air resistance.

Compared to the Heckel bassoon, Buffet system bassoons have a narrower bore and simpler mechanism, requiring different, and often more complex fingerings for many notes. Switching between Heckel and Buffet, or vice versa, requires extensive retraining. French woodwind instruments' tone in general exhibits a certain amount of "edge", with more of a vocal quality than is usual elsewhere, and the Buffet bassoon is no exception. This sound has been utilised effectively in writing for Buffet bassoon, but is less inclined to blend than the tone of the Heckel bassoon. As with all bassoons, the tone varies considerably, depending on individual instrument, reed, and performer. In the hands of a lesser player, the Heckel bassoon can sound flat and woody, but good players succeed in producing a vibrant, singing tone. Conversely, a poorly played Buffet can sound buzzy and nasal, but good players succeed in producing a warm, expressive sound.

Though the United Kingdom once favored the French system,{{sfn|Langwill|1965|p={{page needed|date=March 2021}}}} Buffet-system instruments are no longer made there and the last prominent British player of the French system retired in the 1980s. However, with continued use in some regions and its distinctive tone, the Buffet continues to have a place in modern bassoon playing, particularly in France, where it originated. Buffet-model bassoons are currently made in Paris by [[Buffet Crampon]] and the atelier Ducasse (Romainville, France). The Selmer Company stopped fabrication of French system bassoons around the year 2012.<ref>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227110642/http://www.selmer.fr/categorie.php?famille=SELMER%20CLAR | archive-date=27 February 2012 | url=http://www.selmer.fr/categorie.php?famille=SELMER%20CLAR | publisher=Selmer | title=Instruments / Clarinets | access-date=7 June 2018 }}</ref> Some players, for example the late Gerald Corey in Canada, have learned to play both types and will alternate between them depending on the repertoire.