The Concerto for Bassoon in B flat, KV 191 is the earliest surviving wind concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It seems unadventurous and conventional, but we must remember Mozart was attempting to write a virtuoso concerto for an instrument still far from efficient in modern terms. Within these limitations Mozart has written a work which fully exploited the instrument's (and the performer's) resources. The combination of lyricism and brilliance is already evident, with the bassoon's agility as prominent as its vocal qualities. The key of B flat suits the bassoon particularly well, the darkness threatened by a soloist of low register offset by the oboes and unusually high-pitched horns. |
