Among the members of the Philadelphia Orchestra from the mid-20th century onward were the great bassoonist Bernie Garfield and the Romanian cellist and composer Marcel Farago. Both born in 1924 — Garfield in Brooklyn and Farago in Timișoara, Romania — they shared their lives within one of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and collaborated on the creation of two of Farago’s works: the Phantasy, Op. 40, on a theme by Niccolò Paganini, and the Variations, Op. 51, on Arcangelo Corelli’s La Follia for solo bassoon.

The composer wrote:

“The Fantasy for bassoon came to life thanks to Bernie Garfield, to whom it is dedicated, and who helped me by advising mostly about the possibilities and impossibilities of the bassoon. To me, it was the greates challenge to write for one instrument alone, an instrument I did not know well enough. Its success is to be given to Bernie.”

Bernie Garfield lived to the age of one hundred and left a profound mark on the world of bassoon playing. Among the many honors he received throughout his distinguished career were the Lifetime Achievement Award from New York University, an honorary degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, and honorary membership in the International Double Reed Society. His constant pursuit of perfection, elegance, and exquisite artistry places him among the greatest bassoonists in the world. His multifaceted legacy will continue to resonate forever.

 

 

 

Prima di entrare nella piazza del piccolo paesino di Adina, il carro dell’enciclopedico dottore chiamato Dulcamara aveva già viaggiato per l’universo intero. Egli vende il suo balsamico sciroppo, capace di correggere ogni difetto.Il Tour che Zaffaroni ci propone è traslato nel tempo e nei luoghi di mezzo mondo: variazioni e viaggi originali, con un fagotto stipato sul carro di Dulcamara.

 

Before entering the square of the little village of Adina, the cart of the encyclopaedic doctor known as Dulcamara had already travelled across the entire universe. He sells his balsamic syrup, which is said to cure every ailment.

The tour that Zaffaroni takes us on spans time and places across half the globe: original variations and journeys, with a bassoon crammed onto Dulcamara’s cart.

 

 

The Russian composer Elena Firsova, born in Leningrad on 21 March 1950, represents a significant figure in the landscape of contemporary Russian music. Her Monolog for solo bassoon, dedicated to Valeri Popov, was composed in 1989, a decade after her inclusion in the so-called “Khrennikov Seven,” a blacklist drawn up during the 1979 Congress of the Union of Soviet Composers. This measure sanctioned the unauthorized participation of certain Soviet composers in contemporary music festivals in the West; among those listed was also her teacher, Edison Denisov.

The work reflects distinctive features of Firsova’s compositional language, characterized by a free atonal idiom influenced by the principles of the Second Viennese School, particularly in terms of the concentration and economy of musical material. Special emphasis is placed on timbral dimension, articulated through the use of short cells and intense sonic gestures, which contribute to shaping an introspective musical dramaturgy.