Demonstrating the Need, Creation, and Implementation of a Modernized Digital Bassoon Repertoire Catalog

Jason Zachary Davis, MM BM

A Dissertation

Bassoon Performance

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

Approved

C. Richard Meek Chair of Committee

David Dees

Rachel Mazzucco

Lisa Rogers, DMA

Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School

August 2019

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

Many thanks to all those who have supported me in this process, but most particularly Richard Meek, David Dees, Rachel Mazzucco, Lisa Rogers, and Sally Podrebarac.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ...... ii List of Tables ...... iv Abstract ...... v

I. Overview ...... 1 Justification ...... 2 Limitations ...... 2 Review of Related Literature ...... 3 II. Specific Methodology ...... 8 Organizational Methodology ...... 10 DBRC Entry Construction ...... 11 Examples of DBRC Entries ...... 14

Methodology Concerns ...... 17 III. Practical Implementation...... 19 IV. Implications for Future Research...... 30

Bibliography...... 32 Appendix...... 34

iii

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

LIST OF TABLES 2.1 Cells 1 – 4 of DBRC entry for GP Telemann Sonata in f-minor ...... 15 2.2 Cells 5 -7 of DBRC entry for GP Telemann Sonata in f-minor...... 15 2.3 Cells 8 – 9 of DBRC entry for GP Telemann Sonata in f-minor...... 16 3.1 Listing of Works Found in B. Koenigsbeck Bassoon Bibliography...... 20 3.2 Listing of Works for Bassoon and Horn Duet from DBRC...... 22 3.3 Periodic Chronology of Works Represented in DBRC...... 24 3.4 Distribution of nationalities, Bassoon / Horn duet in the DBRC...... 25 3.5 DBRC Entries Referenced by Chronology and Nationality...... 26 3.6 A potential recital program drawn from the DBRC...... 28

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

ABSTRACT There is a demonstrable need for a modernized repertoire resource for bassoon repertoire due to the limited scope, outdated nature, and various individual shortcomings of all extant options. This project will seek to establish this need via examination of existing resource and make an effort to effectively design a concise methodology for the creation of a modernized Digital Bassoon Repertoire Catalog. With methodology established, examples of implementation and avenues for further development will be provided.

Major repertoire catalogues to be surveyed include – Bodo Koenigsbeck Bassoon Bibliography, TrevCo-Varner Online Retail Catalog and the Accolade Online Retail Catalog. Specific concerns to be addressed consist primarily of issues of scope and accessibility.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

CHAPTER I OVERVIEW

Every year, a qualifiedly significant number of young bassoonists schedule, program, and perform recitals as part of their ongoing education. The educators that assist them with that process have expert knowledge of the instrument and the music written for it, and yet it seems that the vast majority of those recitals feature the same subset of the repertoire. Given the sheer scale of the body of work available for performance it would appear that some other force is at play.

The author believes that the most likely culprit is that the standard repertoire is standard for a reason, and that the small collection of essential pieces preferenced more or less across the pedagogical spectrum is so significant to the modern identity of the instrument that its practitioners unequivocally must study and perform them to adequately consider themselves trained. It is true, for example, that the Mozart Concerto is a wonderful example of Classical style and has certainly earned its position of influence by virtue of its enduring popularity and richness of educational tradition, but that does not necessarily mean that it should be studied to the exclusion of other works which may provide similar insight into the performance style of the period and genre (i.e.

Devienne or Reicha.) A similar point might be made regarding the Hindemith Sonata, a cornerstone of the standard repertoire often used to introduce extended tonality and nontraditional phrase structure that could easily be paired with less frequently performed works by Etler or Gallon.

Many educators and professional performers do make a concerted effort to emphasize works outside the standard repertoire, intentionally selecting otherwise

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

obscure or unique pieces to program. In the author’s opinion this should be encouraged,

but even with the help of such laudable experimentation the issue remains. The resources

for finding such works can be less than readily apparent to students, therefore general

knowledge of the literature available to them remains limited.

The following will examine the available resources students can utilize in the

search for non-standard repertoire and discuss the needs for and creation of a modernized

digital alternative. Chapter one provides an overview, justifications for and limitations of

the study, a review of related literature. Chapter two is concerned with the specific

methodology of creating a new repertoire catalog, including specific examples of

complete catalog entries. Chapter three provides a dedicated example of practical

implementation of the new resource by investigating music for the bassoon and horn

duet. Chapter four discusses avenues for potential further research and presents an

overall conclusion regarding the subject of existing repertoire catalogs and the

contributions of the new digital alternative.

Justification for the Study By examining the existing resources concerning bassoon repertoire research,

bassoon students will be made aware of the extant options available to them. The

discussion of a viable digital alternative to the extant resources will provide a framework

through which further developments in the field of repertoire research might be better

realized in the future.

Limitations of the Study This document will limit itself to the examination of major repertoire catalogs that are accessible to the average university bassoon student or professional bassoonist and the

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 hypothetical requirements of a new digital alternative. It will not represent the actual creation of a digital alternative to extant bassoon repertoire research but will instead focus on potential issues and opportunities involved in that process in addition to the practical implementation of a working prototype on a small scale.

Review of Related Literature Four significant print catalogs and two online databases concerning the greater

body of repertoire for the instrument exist currently, alongside a number of articles and

dissertations discussing more specific areas of composition,

While some earlier works, most notably Lindesay Langwell’s 1965 The Bassoon

and Contrabassoon and Archie Camden’s Bassoon Techniques (1962) do include

significant repertoire information, the first dedicated attempt to catalogue the repertoire

was Wayne Wilkins Index of Bassoon Music, Including the Index of Baroque Trio

Sonatas, published in 1976. While the Index is noteworthy as the earliest systematic

attempt to take stock of bassoon repertoire, it is limited in its scope. At eighty-eight

pages in length, Wilkins categorizes works in terms of title, composer and publisher. The

Index of Bassoon Music does contain the majority of standard works and is an excellent

resource for researchers seeking information on Baroque composers. For students and

performers searching for non-standard repertoire outside of the Baroque period however,

the Index may prove less useful due to its organizational methods and general lack of

content. In addition, the Index is currently out of print and difficult to find outside of

private collections or university holdings.

Another significant resource is Burchard Bulling’s Fagott Bibliographie,

published in 1989. The book is organized in four parts by the role of the bassoon in the

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 composition. Part A consists of works featuring the bassoon as a solo instrument including method and etude books, books on fingering, unaccompanied works, and works for bassoon with ensembles of various sizes. Part B repeats the process is in the realm of chamber music with ensembles ranging from two to ten players and includes works with chorus, narrator, and some electronic media including film. Part C focuses on works for contrabassoon. Part D is a bibliography of books, dissertations, and articles on the bassoon. Indices follow for composers, publishers, and music libraries.

In the author’s opinion, some limiting factors regarding accessibility do exist for

Bulling’s catalog. The text is written entirely German, which can be a barrier for some.

The array of detailed characteristics available for each of Bulling’s entries remains limited to work title, composer name and dates, publisher information, and specific instrumentation. Additionally, no updated edition of the catalog has been released since

1989, which does mean that three decades of repertoire is now completely unrepresented.

Bodo Koenigsbeck’s 1994 catalog, titled Bassoon Bibliography, is a more recent publication which addresses some of the author’s concerns with Bulling’s book.

Bassoon Bibliography features an extensive index of works organized by instrumentation but is presented fully in not only German but French, Italian, and English.

Koenigsbeck’s catalog, having been compiled five years after Bulling’s, is naturally more up to date and differentiates itself further by including privately owned works, which were specifically excluded in Fagott Bibliographie. The addition of composer nationality as a catalog detail is also significant.

Despite the fact that Bassoon Bibliography remains a popular and well-respected catalog amongst many educators as an especially thorough and accessible resource, there

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 have been no updates to its contents since 1994, which leads the author to believe that it is somewhat out of date and limited by the inflexibility of a traditional text format.

The author found that Bassoon Bibliography represents the most recent effort to comprehensively catalog bassoon literature, but one more recent text, Daniel G. Lipori’s

A Researcher’s Guide to the Bassoon (2002), does contain a significant collection of repertoire information including a number of works not found in Koenigsbeck’s book.

Divided into different sections, it allows users to easily look up available information on a particular bassoon player, composer, information on bassoon reeds, or other aspects of the instrument. There is also an alphabetical section by author included along with the category listings. The format of the Researcher’s Guide is similar to that of a telephone book, with headers at the top of each page, allowing one to readily browse through and find the needed information quickly. As a general research resource, the breadth of information included in Lipori’s book does lead to less detailed repertoire representation than other more specialized works.

It appears to the author that since 2002 no significant general bassoon repertoire catalogs have been published. Due to the increased accessibility of the internet, however, two online databases have become available, hosted by the websites TrevCo-Varner

Music and Accolade Online.

TrevCo-Varner is a specialist retailer catering specifically to double reed performers, with extensive holdings of music for a wide variety of instrumentation available for purchase. Works can be searched dynamically by composer, publisher, title, or instrumentation, and/or via a limited keyword functionality. Searching by instrumentation is preferenced due to a privileged position on the website, while keyword

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 searches are facilitated by a dedicated search box. New holdings seem to be added frequently, and requests for repertoire not currently available through the retailer generally result in information regarding another possible source for the requested work.

While online functionality has made finding repertoire simpler with the

TrevCoVarner catalog, its overall academic use is somewhat limited according to the author. Only works for sale by the retailer are represented in the catalog, and the search tool seems to be “user friendly” but becomes less so if the user wishes if framing an inquiry through a lens other than composer, publisher, or instrumentation.

Accolade Online, the internet branch of Bodo Koenigsbeck’s publishing company

Accolade, is a more general music retailer, with repertoire for a wide variety of instrumentation ranging from solo instruments including woodwinds, brass, strings, keyboards, percussion, voice to full orchestral and wind ensemble scores. Within the bassoon portion of the catalog, categories exist based upon the number of bassoons involved but no further organizational structure was readily apparent. To the author there seemed to be no option to sort by publisher, while within the alphabetical listing of composers for each category the only option a user has is to browse through the listings one page at a time or skip to the end of all available pages.

Additionally, under the duets heading there are specific headings for flute and bassoon, oboe and bassoon, and clarinet and bassoon, but any other instrumentation relevant to the instrument is lumped into a catch all category simply labelled “others.” In addition to music for solo bassoon and chamber music featuring the instrument, Accolade also sells orchestral parts and scores. The author feels this service is extremely valuable

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 to any performing musician, especially regarding more modern composers whose works may still be under copyright and thus difficult to procure.

Outside of these six general repertoire catalogs other more specific listings have been published both in print and online. Jon P. Beeb’s 1990 book Music for

Unaccompanied Bassoon: an Annotated Bibliography is an index of music for the instrument a cappella, with interesting notes from the author regarding pedagogical applications and performance practice. The Paris Conservatoire and the Contest Solos for Bassoon, published in 1988 documents the various showpieces written for that institution since its founding. Finally, Todd Goranson’s New Latin American Music for the Bassoon (1975 – 2008) provides a catalog of compositions from Central and South

America.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

CHAPTER II SPECIFIC METHODOLOGY

Having surveyed the currently available resources, the author feels it is safe to generalize their shortcomings in terms of scope and accessibility. In the former case the most prevalent issue is that of timeliness, particularly for the print resources. This is understandable, given the nature of their medium – print works are by virtue of their permanence difficult to update, and so can only serve as snapshots of the repertoire at the point of their publication, which in the case of even the most recent print catalogue is now well over a decade out of date. This issue is partially mitigated in the online catalogs (Trevco-Varner and Accolade Online) but as commercial services both are limited to their own holdings.

Also falling under the scope umbrella is the issue of comprehensiveness in general. While many pieces are by necessity absent from the available resources due to their publication date, others are left out due to the authors’ selection process.

Faggotbibliographie, for example, does not include transcriptions, while Koenigsbeck includes such works in his catalog. Notably absent from all general catalogues are compositions from less-known musical regions of the world, particularly Africa, Asia,

South America, and the former Soviet Union. These locales and many others have rich musical traditions all their own and can provide aspiring bassoonists with a wealth of new material to be premiered, recorded, or studied, but have never been adequately catalogued amongst the works of more prevalent sources (Western Europe and the United

States.) While issues of scope are significant in the discussion of the currently available resources, issues of accessibility are far more problematic. The print resources

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 are in the author’s opinion particularly difficult to use outside of their primary organizational schemes. While there is a systemic issue with the concept of canonical repertoire, the mechanisms for finding and selecting works by lesser known composers are without doubt in dire need of modernization.

Effectively optimizing the search for new repertoire first requires an understanding of the needs of those searching for it. Students, especially undergraduates, are likely to be assigned repertoire by their teachers and those will only have a marginal use for this resource, but more experienced bassoonists (i.e. graduate students, educators and performers) will need a flexible system capable of easy manipulation, despite the vast scope of the resource. This excludes the traditional print medium entirely and means that an electronic database would be vastly preferred.

Furthermore, the information in that database must be organized in an easily sortable manner, not just within the bounds of individual details (i.e. composer, instrumentation, title, date of composition) but the combination of such details (i.e. works written by German composers after 1989 for bassoon and string quartet.)

Finally, the scope of the database must be modernized to feature works not found in the existing resources. In the case of the print catalogues that task will not prove difficult given the degree to which they remain out of date, whilst in the case of the online retail catalogs for Trevco-Varner and Accolade simply expanding the search to works not currently found in their holdings will suffice. As a matter of scope as opposed to accessibility, this final facet of optimization is less significant but certainly worthwhile nonetheless.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Organizational Methodology With the need for and general requirements of a modernized repertoire resource

established, the first step towards the creation of such a tool is undoubtedly the

specification of limitations and operational goals for the project. To that end, the best

place to begin is again with the central issues of scope and accessibility.

As previously described, the main focus of the completed resource will be the

latter and so the core components will be the Trevco-Varner and Accolade catalogues, as

those two resources together represent the best collection of generally available

repertoire.

It may seem strange to avoid the Koenigsbeck in creating our new resource

(henceforth referred to as the Digital Bassoon Repertoire Catalogue, or DBRC for

simplicity’s sake). As the most recent and comprehensive general catalogue available

Bassoon Bibliography is unquestionably a wonderful resource, but in creating a new

source it is better to start fresh. The reason for this is threefold – the Koenigsbeck is

outdated, filled with an abundance of difficult or impossible to locate works, and lacks

sufficient granularity in terms of specific data.

As the largest and best known retailers for double reed music, the TrevCoVarner

and Accolade Online catalogues account for a significant portion of the repertoire a

current performer might easily come in contact with, including numerous works that are

not present in the Koenigsbeck. Those works that are not in the databases are still worthy

of note, of course, but for the fact that the vast majority of unrepresented works may be

exceptionally difficult to locate.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Beyond the TrevoCo Varner and Accolade Online catalogues, several other

sources will also be used as supplemental additions to the DBRC, primarily in the

interest of expanding its usefulness in realms other than mainstream Western

composition from prior to 1950. Todd Goranson’s New Latin American Music for

Bassoon (1975 – 2008) will be utilized extensively, both in terms of the eighty-five

works featured in that text and as a starting place for investigating the included

publishers, as will the University of Michigan’s excellent database of twentieth and

twenty-first century compositions. The repertoire database at the Australian Music

Centre’s 275 works will also be included to represent that nation’s unique mix of

European and Asiatic sounds.

While other geographic localities will still be missing from the DBRC at this time,

the lack of centralized databases to facilitate their inclusion means that the research

required would be to the detriment of the project and largely a moot exercise for the

average user due to issues of availability. That said, repertoire research is an

everevolving process, and should new comprehensive catalogues be created for other

underrepresented regions in the future, the works included in those catalogues will of

course need to be added into the DBRC as well.

It is just as significant to decide what will not be included in the DBRC as it is to

determine what will be. To that end, excerpt books, pedagogical method books,

compilations and arrangements of non-bassoon music will not be included.

DBRC Entry Construction The DBRC itself will consist of a .xml spreadsheet created in Microsoft Excel

with each entry representing a single row. The specific data parameters included will be

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 arranged as columns for easy sorting and filtering and will include: title, composer, composer dates, compositional period, composer nationality, instrumentation, duration, publisher, and general availability.

The title and composer parameters are largely self-explanatory, as it is by those details that the vast majority of works are commonly known. Being able to sort, filter, and search by either (individually or in conjunction) will certainly be a boon to the user of the DBRC however and presents a number of significant possibilities – i.e. the targeted search for works by specific composers, the grouping of works by title, or the collection of a specific set of works with similar titles composed by a single composer.

The composer time period parameters allow for a more detailed investigation than simple title and composer will allow. Composer Dates provides a tool through by which specific time periods can be selected for, down to the individual year in most cases.

Hopefully, the end result will be the ability to more effectively program from a historically inspired standpoint when compared to the Koenigsbeck, which does include composer dates but cannot be easily utilized through that lens without prior knowledge.

On the note of accessibility, those seeking a more generalized historical framework for repertoire selection can utilize the Compositional Period parameter is available. While current musicological thought is rather skeptical of periodicity in the study of repertoire to say the least, the establishment of general aesthetic trends to describe eras of composition in the Western tradition is nonetheless a long held and useful practice. For the purpose of the DBRC, six time periods are represented:

Renaissance (pre-1600), Baroque (1600 – 1750), Classical (1751 – 1820), Romantic

(1821 – 1900), Modern (1901 – 1945), and Postmodern (1946 – present). This is of

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 course an oversimplification of the reality of composition and does ignore the aesthetic overlap of periods such as the mid-eighteenth century and turn of the twentieth century, but in this case the compromise is worthwhile.

Composer Nationality defines the DBRC’s ability to filter repertoire on the basis of geography and consists of the modern analogue of whichever area a given composer was born. This does not necessarily coincide with the nationality that the composer themselves identified as, or even the primary area in which they may have worked, but does as at least provide some framework through which to program by region. Again, compromise here is necessary, as individually researching the biographies of each individual composer within the DBRC would be nearly impossible.

The instrumentation tag will be of particular use for performers seeking to program repertoire for pre-existing ensembles, especially in the case of groups with nonstandard instrumental representation. Examples of groups with significant representation that do not fit under the umbrella of “standard” ensemble construction include bassoon with brass, bassoon with choir or band, and mixed ensembles of bassoons and strings. The existing resources (Koenigsbeck, Trevco-Varner, and

Accolade) do allow for relatively easy searching by this parameter to their credit, and the

DBRC will happily follow in their footsteps in utilizing it as well.

While the duration parameter cannot be represented in the case of every work due to the constraints of extant information (lack of recordings, no universal standard requiring publishers to list timings, monetary and time restrictions preventing the individual purchase and performance of works), where available it will be of significant value. One of the most frequently encountered issues with programming is the need to

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

fill a three or five-minute slot in a recital after the majority of desired pieces have been

selected. This ‘left-over’ time provides a wonderful opportunity to experiment with new

repertoire, but often results in the reuse of a familiar encore piece instead due to the

frustrations of time limitation. The duration tag can help to find pieces to fit into any

time slot and will hopefully encourage more adventurous programming.

Publisher information is included to allow users of the DBRC to better locate

difficult to find pieces by going directly to the source. While the vast majority of works

included will by the nature of the catalogue be easy to purchase, as new works are

introduced or the existing sources change contents direct purchase from publishers can

and likely will become necessary for some pieces. One important note regarding

publishers here: the DBRC is not meant to be a retail catalogue or exhaustive listing of

every available publication, but does seek to be thorough in its representation of the

available editions. When works are published by more than one publisher all given

editions will be indicated, along with their respective editors when possible. The

General Availability tag is designed to lead users to works in an efficient manner by

pointing out where specific works can be found. The tag ‘TV’ in this case is taken to

mean Trevco Varner, with the tag ‘AO’ indicates Accolade Online. Any other works that

are not available from either retail site, such as those taken from the Australian

Music Center or the Michigan database, will be marked with the tag ‘P’ meaning

publisher.

Examples of DBRC Entries Having outlined the specific parameters by which the DBRC will be organized,

let us walk through the process of creating a DBRC entry in its entirety. For this

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example, we will use a relatively well-known work, the Telemann Sonata in F-minor for

Bassoon and Continuo.

To begin the process of creating the DBRC entry, a new row must be created in

the .xml file (via Microsoft Excel’s built in insert row function). Having created the

space for the entry, the next step is to fill in the composer information – composer name,

composer dates, compositional period, and composer nationality.

Table 2.1 Cells 1 – 4 of DBRC entry for GP Telemann Sonata in f-minor Telemann, Georg 1681 – 1767 Baroque Germany

Phillip

Note that in this entry an educated decision has had to be made regarding

Compositional period, as Telemann’s dates overlap two categories (Baroque and

Classical).

The Baroque tag was selected here primarily because much more of Telemann’s career falls into the Baroque period, and only secondarily due to prior knowledge of the composer’s place in a periodic view of music history. Continuing on, it is time to fill in the fields describing the individual work; title, instrumentation, and duration.

Table 2.2 Cells 5 -7 of DBRC entry for GP Telemann Sonata in f-minor Sonata in f-minor BSN / Continuo 10 minutes

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

The final steps in the creation of the entry are the publisher and availability tags.

As a commonly performed work there are several editions of the Telemann Sonata, including the International Music Publications edition edited by Simon Kovar, the

Amadeus edition edited by Winfried Michel, and the TrevCo Publishing edition edited by

John Miller. As such a popular work, it is unsurprising that it is available from both

Trevco-Varner and Accolade Online and thus has both the ‘TV’ and ‘AO’ tags in the availability column.

Table 2.3 Cells 8 – 9 of DBRC entry for GP Telemann Sonata in f-minor International Music Publications (Simon TV, AO

Kovar), Amadeus (Winfried Michel),

TrevCo Publishing (John Miller)

Having provided an example of an entry for a relatively commonly performed work, it would perhaps be best to carry out the same process for a less well-known piece.

Libby Larsen’s Concert Piece is a relatively recent addition to the repertoire, having been composed in 2011, and has only recently been added to the TrevCo-Varner catalog. It is nonetheless an increasingly popular work amongst performers at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level and represents an excellent gateway work to the darker corners of contemporary compositions via approachable extended techniques and interesting, jazz-based melodies.

In terms of the Concert Piece’s DBRC entry, the process would be carried out in the same manner it was with the Telemann – indicating composer name (Libby Larsen), composer dates (b. 1950), compositional period (Postmodern), composer nationality

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(USA), title (Concert Piece), instrumentation (BSN / Piano), duration (14 minutes),

publisher (Libby Larsen), availability (TV).

Methodology Concerns While the modular structure of the individual DBRC entry and primary reliance

on up-to-date sources in the initial population of the database do provide many

advantages over the currently available resources discussed earlier, the issue of timeliness

does remain with the DBRC in its current state – that is to say that no matter when the

cut-off point for inclusion of new repertoire is established, the resource will be inherently

incomplete almost instantly due to the composition or publication of new works. This

issue would be best solved via cooperation with administrators of the various resources

the DBRC seeks to utilize, but such efforts are likely to prove fruitless given the fact that

the two main sources involved (the TrevCo-Varner and Accolade Online sites) are

inherent competitors in the sheet music distribution industry.

Beyond the competition factor and difficulty of wrangling support for busy

professional musicians with their own demands (academic, performance, commercial, or

otherwise), the ever-expanding nature of music research means that new repertoire

resources are being created all the time, and for the DBRC to truly live up to its potential,

these new resources must be integrated as they take shape.

Moreover, even if some accord could be reached and every current or potential

future resource catalogued within the DBRC did provide timely notifications of

repertoire updates, new entries for the DBRC itself would still need to be created

manually to reflect those updates. This is a time intensive process not feasible for long-

term development.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

What is needed, in short, is an automated system for data verification and system updating. The technical needs of such a system are far beyond the capabilities of the author and would likely prove detrimental to the existence of the DBRC in the first place if seriously considered. The next best option would likely be a system of independent 3rd party data verification and entry similar to the system utilized by the website Wikipedia.

In order to preserve the accuracy of the DBRC some form of verification would have to be required, the details of which are beyond the scope of initial design philosophy.

Another potential methodology concern is the eventual need for additional data points for individual research needs as the focus of bassoon repertoire research shifts in the future. By the very nature of research, new angles of investigation are constantly uncovered and while the information included for each entry will hopefully allow for many such options to be effectively explored it is inevitable that at some point some facet of specific information will be required on a large scale which will not be provided by the database. This is unfortunately not an issue that can be addressed within the DBRC without a complete systematic overhaul that would likely reduce functionality of the resource in other ways. Other, more modular approaches to data storage architecture are available but have their own drawbacks in terms of usability, ease of access, or outright cost of implementation. It was with careful consideration that a simple .xml format was selected, and the limited nature that such a rigidly organized system inherently suffers was ultimate a necessary concession.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

CHAPTER III PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION

With the need for a new resource established and the methodology of that resource’s creation put in place, it is undoubtedly the appropriate time to provide an example of the practical implementation of the DBRC. While there are a number of ways in which such an example might be provided, the best would be to select an area of the repertoire that is generally under-represented in the body of bassoon scholarship and demonstrate the usefulness of the modernized resource in comparison to the extant options available prior to its creation.

One such area of the repertoire is the realm of works featuring bassoon in conjunction with brass instruments, which could be narrowed even further (perhaps arbitrarily but still fairly) to include duets for bassoon and horn. This niche corner of bassoon music is sufficiently specific to have received little to no formal research and as such serves as an excellent test bed for the DBRC due to the general lack of standard canonical works.

While it is important to note that the DBRC is essentially an aggregate resource and thus all information contained within it was technically available to the avid researcher all along, from the standpoint of this exercise it will be assumed that the main point of comparison for previously available repertoire research should be Koenigsbeck’s

Bassoon Bibliography, as the generally accepted centralized resource that it was and still is to this day. To that end, the listings for music written for bassoon / horn duet in

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Koenigsbeck’s catalog contain a total of 20 works by 17 composers.1 By the nature of the source, none of those works were published after 1993, and upon further investigation only

14 of the individual pieces seem to be reasonably available for purchase at the time of this study. While others are indeed technically “available” in various library collections around the world, the practical reality is that in many cases such availability might as well amount to nonexistence for the average performer in search of new playable repertoire.

Table 3.1 Listing of Works Found in B. Koenigsbeck Bassoon Bibliography Composer Work Availability

Yizhak Barsam 3 Encores Limited (Libraries)

Adolphe Blanc 3 Sonatas Available

Antonin Clapisson 3 Duos Concertants Op. 27 Available

Frederick Duvernoy 3 Sonatas Available

Francois-Joseph Fetis 5 Sonatinas Available

Jacques-Francois Gallay Sonata No. 1 in Eb All Available, often sold individually Sonata No. 2 in d

Sonata No. 3 in A

Francois-Rene Gebauer 6 Duos Concertants Op. 48 Available

Eyvind Hallnas Spel for tva Out of print

Eugene Hartzell Workpoints 7 Available

Karol Kurpinski Paysage Musical, op. 18 Limited (Libraries)

Jiri Matys Duo Unavailable

Alexandre Melchior 3 Grand Duets, Op. 18 Unavailable

Rodney Stephen Newton Duologue Unavailable

1 Koenigsbeck, Bodo. Bassoon Bibliography, p 495 - 496 20

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Table 3.1 Continued

William Presser Green Lake Sketches Sold arranged for Horn and

Trombone

Claudio Spies Music for Daniel Unavailable

Jan Vaclav Stich 3 Duets Available arranged for 2 horns under this name, or for bassoon / horn under JV Knezek, a pseudonym

Sonata in G Available under JV Knezek

Alec Wilder 12 Duets Widely Available

By comparison, the DBRC as a representative resource for the collected repertoire catalogs outlined in Chapter II contains just 13 unique entries (though some, as with the

Koenigsbeck, do contain multiple works if published as a collection), four of the works included in the DBRC are not found in Bassoon Bibliography due to their recent publication, and every available work from that catalog is represented in our new resource as well. This outcome does indicate a successful deployment of the DBRC at its most basic level via the inclusion of new works and removal of works that are generally unavailable for study or performance.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Table 3.2 Listing of Works for Bassoon and Horn Duet from DBRC Source Works Not Represented in

Koenigsbeck

TrevCo Varner2 Thomas Dempster, X Zugzwang!

Gallay, 3 Sonatas

Gebauer, 3 Duos Concertants

Knezek, 2 Duos

Wilder, 12 Duets

Accolade Online34 Adolphe Blanc, Sonata in C-minor

Clapisson, 3 Duos Concertante Op 27

Duvernoy, Sonatas No. 1 – 3

Fetis, 5 Sonatinas

2 https://www.trevcomusic.com/collections/all/instr-1-bassoon-1-french-horn 3 https://www.accolade.de/index.php?action=showresult&page=1&db=Datenbank%20Accolade% 4 Musikverlag&search=KN=29.03* 22

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Table 3.2 Continued

Accolade Online Hartzell, Workpoints 7 Continued

UM Database5 William Bertheoux, X Duet for Bassoon and Horn

John Jay Hilfinger, X Pretty Cool Duets for Bassoon and Horn

Michael Isaacson, X A Match Made in Heaven

While at first the significance of the shift over from the existing Koenigsbeck resource to the DBRC may seem somewhat underwhelming, by factoring in the new data organization possibilities of the modernized resource it becomes a far more powerful research tool than its predecessor. It is true, for example, that many of the composers listed in Bassoon Bibliography are catalogued with chronological and geographic information but using that information within the structure of the book is clumsy and difficult. With the DBRC, a simple sort function within the .xml file can arrange the contents based on any data characteristic – for example nationality or compositional period. From a research and programming perspective, this ease of data manipulation is invaluable.

5 http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlym/pages/new_bsn_intro.html 23

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

For example, the lack of focused research into repertoire for bassoon and horn duet means that there is not a particularly well-defined narrative as to the changing nature of the specific ensemble in music. By sorting the information for compositional period, however, a general timeline of when the instrumentation was popular can be quickly assembled.

Table 3.3 Periodic Chronology of Works Represented in DBRC Period Number of Representative Entries

Renaissance (pre - 1600) 0

Baroque (1600 – 1750) 0

Classical (1751 – 1820) 4

Romantic (1821 – 1900) 3

Modern (1901 – 1945) 1

Postmodern (post - 1945) 5

According to this simple rearrangement, it is possible to see that the bassoon and horn duet as a compositional idiom began in the Classical period, continued through the

Romantic period, declined at the start of the 20th century, and has seen a resurgence in the more recent decades following the end of the second world war. This does match the general trajectory or both woodwind and brass chamber music to an extent, especially when considering works without keyboard accompaniment, though the lack the sharp decline in repertoire from the early 20th century is unusual. Of particular note are the

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 three works from the 19th century – a time period from which the bassoon can sometimes experience something of a dearth of repertoire options when compared to both earlier and later eras.

To further refine the narrative of the ensemble’s development, the DBRC collection can be resorted again to focus on composer nationality. This will provide insight into any specific geographic nodes of development, which will be helpful in determining if the bassoon / horn duet is associated with any particular regional traditions.

Table 3.4 Distribution of nationalities, Bassoon / Horn duet in the DBRC Nationality Number of Representative Entries

USA 6

France 4

Belgium 1

Czechoslovakia 1

Switzerland 1

Looking at the distribution, it does indeed seem that a disproportionate number of works for the instrumentation were written in either the United States or France, though with outliers in Belgium, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia. When considered from a historical standpoint, this becomes even more pronounced due to the heavy French influence in the musical development of both Belgium and Switzerland and only one

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 composer seems to fall outside of these two significant geographic nodes (JV Knezek, who is more properly considered as a Bohemian composer).

Given just these two simple data rearrangements, a distinct identity for the bassoon and horn duet is beginning to form with a somewhat unique chronological trajectory and a highly regionalized geographic presence, including a single fascinating outlier that could very well serve as a jumping off point for further research. One of the unique advantages of a digital resource like the DBRC however is the ability to easily cross-reference datapoints. In an effort to further refine our developmental narrative for example, we might cross-reference our geographic and chronological information.

Table 3.5 DBRC Entries Referenced by Chronology and Nationality Nationality Time Period Representative Entries

USA Post-Modern 5

Modern 1

France Classical 3

Romantic 1

Belgium Romantic 1

Switzerland Romantic 1

Czechoslovakia Classical 1

By cross-referencing the available information by just two datapoints, new clarity has been provided regarding the bassoon and horn duet. Of the six works written by

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

American composers, all six were written in the 20th or 21st century, which conversely means that every represented work written in the Modern or Post-Modern period was written by a composer from the USA. This would seem to indicate that the modern resurgence of the horn / bassoon duet as an ensemble is in fact a regional phenomenon related at some level to the American compositional idiom – which is not particularly surprising given the experimental / traditionalist dichotomy often described when discussing new music from the United States – but does provide an interesting insight and probable direction for further research regarding this particular ensemble.

Just as fascinating is the distribution of works from the Classical and Romantic periods, which account for the entirety of the French / Belgian / Swiss / and Czech contingent of represented works. The distribution here seems to be weighted so that the

Classical period is more associated with France, while the geographic distribution of the ensemble in the Romantic period seems to have spread outwards into other Francophile regions. Again, Knezek in Czechoslovakia does seem to be something of an outlier, but exempting that composer from the data would indicate that the bassoon duet originated in

France during the end of the 18th century and gradually shifted outwards into areas of heavy French musical influence over the course the early 19th century. This is again consistent with what would be expected given similar instrumental mediums of the period, but does once more help focus potential future research.

Regarding the single collection of duos written by Jan Vaclav Knezek, it does seem that this work is situated as something of an outlier when compared to the rest of the represented repertoire. This in and of itself would make Knezek a fascinating choice for further research and may indicate a closer connection to French musical culture either

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 in the case of the composer himself or in terms of Bohemian musical culture in general

(though the former is significantly more likely).

Regardless, through the simple use of single datapoint manipulation and basic two category cross-referencing, a narrative as to the development of the compositional idiom for the bassoon and horn duet ensemble can be easily determined, i.e. it began in late

17th France, spread through Francophile Europe in the 19th century, faded somewhat in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and found renewed interest in the United States more recently. From an academic perspective, this is an interesting avenue that could be pursued more intently, and from a performance perspective, a unified theme can easily be created to represent this historical narrative.

For example, a performer wishing to outline the development of music for horn and bassoon might program:

Table 3.6 A potential recital program drawn from the DBRC Composer Work Duration

Jacques-Francois Gallay Sonata No 1 in Eb 8’

1795 – 1864

French

Jan Vaclav Knezek Duo No 2 in g 7’

1745 – 1806

Czech (Bohemian)

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Table 3.6 Continued

Adolphe Blanc Sonata in c 16’

1828 – 1855

Swiss Alec Wilder 12 Duets for Horn and 14’

1907 – 1980 Bassoon

American

Eugene Hartzell Workpoints 7 4’

1932 – 2000

American

Thomas Dempster Zugzwang! 7’ b. 1980

American

This program is indicative of the development of the genre, represents a wide variety of musical styles, includes challenging pieces for both horn and bassoon, and even features a 21st century work composed within the last five years in Zugzwang!

Altogether, it would serve very well either as an academic exercise or for entertainment purposes and, at just over 1 hour in duration would be more than useable for most recital applications. Moreover, it would allow for two performers who might not otherwise have many opportunities to collaborate on a program made up of lesser chamber music, and does not require a piano – which could prove to be a boon in situations in which trained collaborative pianists are in short supply, i.e. understaffed schools or overbooked conferences. 29

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

CHAPTER IV IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

With the practical applications of the DBRC established, the value of this modernized repertoire resource is clear when compared to the previously existing options. Further data manipulation, especially when utilized in more populated areas of the repertoire will certainly be able to provide unique insight into potential performance options and hopefully inspire more bassoonists to program adventurously in the future.

That said, there are certainly a number of avenues for potential future development that would make the DBRC more effective as a research tool.

First and foremost is the creation of a data input system that at least partially automates the creation of new entries in the catalog. This will quickly become necessary due to the difficulties of constant updating as outlined in the previous chapter. The best solution, as previously stated, would rely primarily on 3rd party user submission with independent verification – most likely through the requirement of an ISBN for automatic entry into the database. While not all music is assigned an ISBN when published

(especially in this day and age of independent publishing), the majority of easily accessible new works will have such an identifier, and those that do not will constitute a small enough relative proportion of overall new entries that manual confirmation will remain tenable. From a pure data entry standpoint, the creation of a dedicated template within the .xml framework of Microsoft Excel is certainly possible and would be capable of fulfilling the need for automated data entry in this case.

Another issue that might need addressing in the future is the relative lack of accessibility a spread-sheet format provides to the end user. While some are more than

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 comfortable negotiating such an interface, a dedicated custom graphical user interface

(gui) would do much to make the DBRC more useable. In addition, the adaptation of the catalog from a pure .xml format to a scripted visual interface would also allow for more specialized data visualization tools, especially if the system is designed to be integrated via a specialized scripting language such as Python or Ruby, both of which are native to the general Google Design Environment (GDE) and thus would allow easy access to 3rd party open source software such as Google Maps, Timeline, etc. This ease of access would make possible new data interpretation techniques such as heat mapping (the charting of change over time on a map), or comparative chronological analysis.

Beyond these new directions, the further expansion of resources represented by the DBRC should be of primary concern. Next information is constantly being collected into various repertoire research resources and as these resources form it will be necessary to include them into the DBRC so that it might be a more efficient resource itself. The search for these new resources will be carried out in the same manner as the initial population – via internet, archival, and library research – but can also be supplemented via the same user submission techniques addressed concerning the automation of data entry.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Accolade Online-Shop." Accolade Online-Shop. September 01, 2010. https://www.accolade.de.

"Australian Music Centre." Australian Music Centre | Breaking Sound Barriers. https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au.

Beebe, Jon P. Music for Unaccompanied Solo Bassoon: An Annotated Bibliography. London: McFarland, 1991.

Bulling, Burchard. Fagott Bibliographie. Wilhelmshaven: F. Noetzel, 1989.

Camden, Archie. Bassoon Technique. London: Oxford University Press, 1978.

Fletcher, Kristine Klopfenstein. The Paris Conservatoire and the Contest Solos for Bassoon. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988.

Goranson, Todd. New Latin American Music for the Bassoon (1975-2008): An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works. Tallevast FL: TrevCo Music, 2010.

Koenigsbeck, Bodo. Bassoon Bibliography. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf, Härtel, 1994.

Langwill, Lyndesay Graham. The Bassoon and Contrabassoon. London: E. Benn, 1965.

Lipori, Daniel G. A Researchers Guide to the Bassoon. Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press, 2002.

“New Music for and with Bassoon.” http://personal.umich.edu/~jlym/pages/new_bsn_intro.html.

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"Varner Music." TrevCo. https://www.trevcomusic.com/.

Wilkins, Wayne. The Index of Bassoon Music: Including the Index of Baroque Trio Sonatas. Magnolia, AR: Music Register, 1979.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

APPENDIX Lecture Recital Transcript

March 24, 2018 5:00 PM Texas Tech University School of Music Room 010

Hello and thank you all for joining me for this lecture recital, entitled DBRC, the Creation of a Digital Bassoon Repertoire Catalog. I’m Jason Davis, and I am a DMA candidate here at

Texas Tech, studying Bassoon Performance with Professor Richard Meek.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Every year, thousands of bassoonists schedule, program and perform recitals as part of their ongoing education, assisted by teachers with expert knowledge of the instrument and the music written for it. And yet, somehow, it seems that the vast majority of recitals feature the same subset of works – the so called “standard repertoire”.

But what makes some works standard and relegates others to some lesser category? Are the commonly performed works so significant to the modern identity of the bassoon that its practitioners unequivocally must perform them – and only them – to be considered trained?

Or is the fact that every bassoonist learns the Mozart Concerto evidence less of that particular composition’s perfection and more that it is simply better known than works by alternative composers like Devienne or Reicha?

I would posit that while the standard repertoire is indeed standard for a reason, the lack of variety so frequently lamented by members of the classical music community is largely caused by a shortage of easily accessible information regarding available works to be performed.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

While such information certainly does exist, its presence is rarely evident to students and, at least in the case of the bassoon, only truly useful in very specific circumstances.

The best of the extant resources is unquestionably Bodo Koenigsbeck’s Bassoon Bibliography, published in 1994 by Musica Rara. Taken from a huge number of publisher’s catalogs and a survey of the principal libraries of the United States, Britain, and Germany, the Bassoon

Bibliography is incredibly thorough, covering education works for bassoon and contrabassoon, concertos for one or more instruments with orchestra, chamber music up to sixteen instruments, and vocal music up to six players.

Koenigsbeck’s book really is a useful source – as long as you are looking for something written in Western Europe or the United States after 1650 by a composer you are already aware of or through the lens of a specific instrumentation. To be fair, in many cases that precise search is exactly the one you might need, but it isn’t always, and that is where Bassoon

Bibliography begins to falter. First and foremost, the book was published nearly a quarter of a century ago at this point, meaning that a great number of compositions are left out simply because they did not yet exist

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 when Koenigsbeck assembled his text. Additionally, Bassoon Bibliography does not include arrangements or orchestral studies, as such works are not meant specifically or solely for the bassoon, and great portions of the world, including Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the former Soviet Union are almost totally absent from its pages.

Besides Koenigsbeck’s Bassoon Bibliography, there are a number of other repertoire catalogs in print.

Archie Camden’s Bassoon Technique, written in 1962, and Lyndesay Langwell’s The Bassoon and

Contrabassoon, written 1965, seminal works concerning performance practice and the history of the bassoon respectively, include extensive appendices on repertoire assembled with the help of William Waterhouse. These appendices are even further out of date and far more limited than Koenigsbeck’s cataog but nonetheless do provide useful information to the average bassoon student, who should likely be familiar with both texts already.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Wayne Wilkins catalog, the Index of Bassoon Music including the Index of Baroque Trio Sonatas, published 1976, includes works written prior to 1650 but is less exhaustive overall in addition to being forty years old.

Burchard Bulling’s Bassoon Bibliography is similar in scope to Koenisgbeck’s book of the same title, was written in 1989, and constitutes the next best option for those who are unable to use the 1994 publication. It does not include chamber music for ensembles larger than an octet or vocal music, however, and even where the two catalogs overlap, the organizational bias towards instrumentation in Bulling’s work does make it less useful when trying to program the works of known composers.

Most recently, Daniel Lipori’s 2002 book, A Researcher’s Guide to the Bassoon, does include an extensive chapter on repertoire collections and can serve as a jumping off point for further research, as the title implies. The actual repertoire information stored within the Researcher’s

Guide however is extremely limited, focused almost entirely on the standard repertoire.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Outside of non-commercial repertoire catalogs as we have discussed up to this point, there are a number of retail databases utilized by major sheet music sellers that do contain repertoire more recent than 1994 or even 2002. The two most significant of these databases belong to

TrevCo-Varner Music and Accolade Publishing.

Both of these sources are very up-to-date, unsurprisingly, but do of course suffer from a retail bias in that they do not include works to which they do not own distribution rights. That said, both are exceptionally user-friendly when compared to the academic catalogs and should not be disregarded on the basis of their commercial foundations.

TrevCo-Varner Music is one of the premier sheet music retailers for double reed music in the

United States and has gathered extensive holdings of a wide variety of works ranging far beyond traditional genres into rare arrangements and even partnerships with young composers. Its website includes a dynamic search engine and browsing options, with a unique search by instrumentation function that is far easier to use than any of its competitors.

Accolade Online, the retail storefront for Accolade Publishing, on the other hand, does not specialize in double reed literature but instead serves as a hub for a number of significant

European publishing houses. Do to the wide array of resources at Accolade’s disposal and the expertise of its owner, Bodo Koenigsbeck however, its catalog of bassoon repertoire far exceeds that of TrevCo-Varner.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Having surveyed the existing resources available in terms of repertoire catalogs, it is evident that a new tool is necessary if we wish to make programming works outside the norm a more realistic possibility for students in the future. That new tool in this case is the DBRC, Digital

Bassoon Repertoire Catalog, and to understand the methodology of its creation, we must summarize the shortcomings that it shall address, namely issues of scope and accessibility.

Two major factors play into the issue of scope. Firstly, it must be recognized that the extant resources are lacking when it comes to timely representation – it has been 24 years since

Koenigsbeck’s Bassoon Bibliography was published after all – and secondly, the scope of all general catalogs is largely biased towards Western European and American composers. That geographical bias might easily be minimalized by saying that the majority of music written for the bassoon is likely to come from the musical tradition that has utilized it historically, but in todays much more connected world music from across the globe does utilize the instrument and should not be ignored.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

The other principal shortcoming of our existing resources, including the modern online retail catalogs, is that searching for works must be done within the framework of the specific application involved, usually by composer or instrumentation. While both of these are valid organizational key points, they are of limited use if the researcher is looking for some other detail as a foundation of their programming. This, along with the need for constant updates, is enough to preclude a traditional printed option and necessitate a digital solution.

Now that we understand the main goals of the DBRC, we can create specific objectives to accomplish them. In terms of scope, those objectives are three-fold. First to modernize the catalog to the current date, second to include works from outside the Western tradition, and third to ensure that the DBRC can remain up-to-date in the future.

The first objective can be attained relatively simply by incorporating the information from the

TrevCo-Varner and Accolade Online catalogs into the existing Koenigsbeck catalog and then expanding the search for new music to include more specific resources such as Jeffrey

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

Lyman’s catalog of contemporary bassoon repertoire hosted at the University of Michigan or

Marita Abner’s collection of bassoon music published after the year 2000 hosted at the

University of Missouri’s Kansas City Conservatory.

Including sources outside the Western tradition is difficult due to the limited published works describing repertoire from under-represented geographic and cultural regions. To that end, the DBRC will focus on incorporating Latin American music (through the lens of Todd

Goranson’s 2012 book on Latin American repertoire for the bassoon), Music from Asia and

Australia (with the help of Akira Miyoshi’s text on concertos for wind band), and the former

Soviet Union (aided by the newly available listing of works contained in the Moscow

Conservatory holdings). While far from exhaustive and certainly to be added to in the future, these limited additions nonetheless will do much to expand the existing resources.

Keeping the DRBC up-to-date in the future will require more than simply watching out for new works. The system will need to be automated and publicly accessible. The main tool to facilitate this automation and primary method of quality control will be a template form with required fields paired with administrative verification. This system will allow users to add works to the DBRC themselves but maintain control to prevent duplication or otherwise false information from contaminating the catalog.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

In terms of accessibility, the DBRC has two objectives as well: the creation of specific search parameters, and the ability to utilize those search parameters in conjunction with one another.

Each entry in the DBRC will have a number of specific data parameters. Some, like composer name, composer dates, composition name, and instrumentation, are self explanatory and have been used in the past to organize other resources. We will discuss the others now.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

The nationality of composers provides a unique perspective on the concept of nationalism itself and a lens through which the historical interpretation of a work can be better discovered. While the Koenigsbeck catalog does include nationality, it is impossible to search through that book with national origin in mind except by turning pages blindly. Including nationality in the DBRC in conjunction with a sortable spread-style interface makes such search operations simple and thus far more accessible.

As we are including sources outside of the Western tradition, it makes sense to highlight that inclusion as well, so as to encourage performers to investigate these rarely performed pieces.

This, along with other notes that do not fit into a specific parameter that still worth attention, is the purpose of the Special Notes parameter.

The duration parameter, where available, is of unquestionable use in the planning of recitals, as it will allow the user to narrow the DBRC’s scope to facilitate the “plugging of a hole” in a recital program. This issue is common, and can lead to the exploration of works that might otherwise be ignored.

A piece that cannot be purchased is a piece that cannot be performed, which brings us to the last two categories meant to help performers find new and exciting works to perform.

Availability in particular will highlight works found at the TrevCo-Varner and Accolade retail websites.

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

If by diversifying the parameters we can make the DBRC more accessible, then the ability of the catalog to cross-reference those parameters will be a monumental improvement.

For example, searching for music featuring bassoon and horn is currently possible (so long as the work was composed prior to 1994), but with parameter conjunction and the DBRC, it becomes possible to instead search for music written in the United States after 1950 for bassoon and horn.

One well known work that fits that criteria would be Alec Wilder’s Twelve Duets for Horn and

Bassoon, which I will now perform selections from, with Dr Podrebarac’s assistance on horn.

Alec Wilder lived from 1907 to 1980 and was prolific composer and well known author of the definitive book, American Popular Music from 1900 to 1950. He was well-acquainted with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, and Peggy Lee and his music reflects that influence.

The Twelve Duets for Horn and Bassoon are a collection of short songs in various styles meant to evoke the sounds of the music Wilder was so familiar with and require an understanding of vocally derived phrasing to perform well. Today, Dr Podrebarac and I will

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 be performing a set of the three duets selected from Wilder’s larger work as indicative of his compositional style and reminiscent of the fast slow fast architecture of the traditional sonata.

Please enjoy movement five, twelve, and eleven of Alec Wilder’s Twelve Duets for Bassoon and

Horn.

ALEC WILDER TWELVE DUETS FOR BASSOON AND HORN, mvmt 5, 12, 11

performed at this point with the assistance of Sally Podrebarac, DMA

With the modernization of the DBRC to include contemporary works composed after 1994, another piece for bassoon and horn composed in the United States that we can explore is

William Berthoeux’s Duet for Bassoon and Horn composed in 2012.

William Berthouex, born 1990, is a young American composer originally from St Paul,

Minnesota. He studied at DePauw University and then moved on to study at DePaul

University in Chicago. While At DePaul he composed this work, the Duet for Bassoon and Horn, which he claims is inspired by the baroque polyphony and the complex harmonies of the late nineteenth century.

WILLIAM BERTHOUEX DUET FOR BASSOON AND HORN performed at this point with the assistance of Sally Podrebarac DMA

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019

For another example of the DBRC’s usefulness, we can look to the inclusion of music outside the Western tradition. One area that is largely ignored by Koenigsbeck and other currently available resources is Latin America. The DBRC allows us to search with that region in mind, in conjunction with another generally underutilized instrumentation, solo bassoon.

The prime example of that particular conjunction is, to me at least, Francisco Mignone’s 16

Waltzes for Solo Bassoon, which provides a unique lens through which the performer can explore the music of Brazil, and the manner in which colonial music takes aspects from both European and non-European mestizo culture.

Francisco Mignone, one of the most significant figures in Brazilian classical music, lived from

1897 to 1986. Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, his music has a strong nationalistic streak, and he well known for his incorporation of the Brazilian choro, modhina, and valsa. The 16 Waltzes for Solo Bassoon continue this tradition, and have a special place in the heart of many bassoonists.

Accessible but difficult, the waltzes were originally written for Noel Devos, one of the great French bassoonists of the world and champion of Brazilian music. Devos famously

Texas Tech University, Jason Zachary Davis, August 2019 recorded the 16 solo waltzes in a single sitting, and only recently passed away at the age of 88 this past February.

We will finish this recital with two of the 16 waltzes. The first, whose translated title

means “the modhina that Villa-Lobos did not write” is meant to sad and somewhat resigned,

but has, at least to my ear, a core of hope within the depression. The either, “the waltz from

the other square” is meant to embody the sounds of serenading musicians in the city square

playing in the mid-afternoon.

FRANCISCO MIGNONE WALTZES FOR SOLO BASSOON:

Aquela Modhina que o Villa nao Escreveu

Valsa de outra esquina

Performed at this point.

Thank you all for joining me at this lecture recital. If you have any questions regarding this presentation, please feel to come up and ask.