New Classical Tracks: The many voices of the bassoon

St. Paul, Minn. — (This Classical Tracks is a repeat from June 23, 2009)

Karen Geoghegan is a 20-year-old British bassoonist who's on a mission to help popularize her instrument.

One reason the bassoon has an inferiority complex is because there are so few recordings available. With the release of her third recording, "French Bassoon Works," she's helping to fill that gap.

After playing violin for seven years, Geoghegan discovered a bassoon lying in a cupboard at school. She didn't know a thing about bassoons when she asked to play it.

As it turned out, it was a match made in heaven. Within one year, she accomplished as much on the bassoon as she had in seven years with the violin.

"People don't realize what a great instrument it is," Geoghegan explained. "It has so many contrasting characters to it, and can sound so beautiful, almost like the human voice."

In the hands of Karen Geoghegan, the many voices of the bassoon come to life.

The "Sicilienne and allegro giocoso" by Gabriel Grovlez, which opens this new release, is a delightful curtain raiser. Grovlez studied at the Paris Conservatory with Gabriel Faure. He wrote the work as a test piece for the conservatory's students.

Geoghegan charms the listener with the singing quality of her instrument in the reflective first movement, and then in the second movement, shows off her technical agility.

Another of Faure's students, Charles Koechlin, composed the largest work that appears on this new recording. The opening movement of Koechlin's Sonata features a gorgeous melody with a brief dance-like middle section.

The slow movement is very mysterious, with tight harmonies and unusual rhythmic patterns. Geoghegan's rich tone and dexterity accentuates the lyrical quality of the piece.

One of my favorite pieces on this recording was written by 20th century French composer Noel Gallon, who later taught other great French composers like Olivier Messiaen and Maurice Durufle.

The bassoon's multi-faceted personality is captured gracefully in Gallon's, "Recit et Allegro." Geoghegan opens this work with a captivating legato line. As the pace quickens in the allegro section, Geoghegan and pianist Philip Fisher, who play with an instinctive sense of partnership, remain focused on creating elegant singing phrases.

Since the death of Olivier Messiaen in 1992, Dutilleux is considered to be the greatest living French composer. His "Sarabande et Cortege" is featured on this new recording.

It's one of the few early works that the composer himself still acknowledges. This is a percussive piece with an infectious swagger -- another example of Geoghegan's musical versatility.

"I'm the kind of person who will always get the job done no matter how much there is to do," she said.

Her job right now is to put her unusual instrument on the musical map.