Journal of the International Double Reed Society (no. 24, 1996, used by permission)
“This is a major new modern work for solo bassoon. The reader might recall my favorable review of the same composer’s duo for oboe and bassoon, Hambidge Quavers, (Double Reed, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 68). This new work was written for bassoonist William Ludwig and premiered by him at the 1992 IDRS Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. It is in a single movement in [two] sections: Walkabout, [and] Guttersnipe Lied. According to the composer’s footnotes, Webster’s dictionary defines a Guttersnipe as ‘…a person of the lowest moral station’ – appropriate for a bassoonist! Working closely with bassoonist Ludwig, the composer has fashioned a very appealing, highly difficult (Grade IV) work that makes extensive use of expanded techniques.
Some of these include rapid low register passage work, tongue slapping on the tip of the bocal without the reed, the same with the reed with subtones, overblown harmonics from a fundamental fingering, timbral trills created by trilling keys that change the timbre but not the pitch, quarter-tones, and a full array of multiphonics. There are also changes of embouchure on the reed that are requested and the full range of the bassoon up to the highest [D]. All of the requested multiphonics are clearly printed in the Appendix of this handsome edition. Despite the expanded techniques required this is a solid, powerful, and well crafted piece of modern music, and I strongly recommend it to all you bassoonists looking for a real challenge for your next recital. I’d like to see a work of this quality reach the large group of mature bassoonists looking for good modern music to perform.” —Ronald Klimko
