Re: Bassoon Uber Alles

[Paolo Valladolid <pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu>]

> >> I think John P. may have (and if not, I am) been referring not to 
>works 
> >> written for unaccompanied bassoon, or featuring the bassoon, but 
>rather 
> >> spontaneous realtime composition and performance over a pre-decided 
> >> backing, i.e., a hot bassoon solo in the pop music sense.
> >
> >All John requested was "Point out a killer bassoon solo" to which
> >Dave complied.  Sorry to nitpick but he didn't specify a pop music
> >context. 
> >
> >Even if he did, does it really matter?  A killer bassoon solo is a 
>killer
> >solo regardles of genre.
> 
> The definition of a "solo" varies by genre.  A "solo" in the classical 
> music genre most often refers to a precomposed (by someone other than 
>the 
> instrumentalist) section of music.  I believe a cadenza is the term for 
> an improvised solo performance, but I think that this is usually 
> unaccompanied, and occurs at the beginning or end of a composed piece.
> 
> A "solo" in pop-derived music (including for this purpose, jazz) usually 
> refers to something composed by the instrumentalist, usually in some 
> semblance of realtime.  In a live context (to kill the topic of 
> punch-in's or comp'ed performances), it's usually improvised, perhaps 
> using previous improvisations as a guide or starting place.  Following 
> the jazz tradition, I would say that in it's purest sense, the "solo" 
> within pop music is different each time.
> 
> I think a good case can also be made that most "solos" in pop-music are 
> ego-driven displays, designed to cut heads, or earn the Blow Job (as 
> Zappa said).  To deny this is noble, but inaccurate.  
> 
> Travis

I am not an expert on classical music, but most of the descriptive 
literature 
(liner notes, critiques, etc.) I've read on Western classical music 
use the word "solo" to refer to a melody line that highlights a particular
instrument during a particular piece.  For example (paraphrased from
memory): "Here in the 14th measure, the flute _solo_ evokes..."
A solo is a solo whether it is improvised or not.

After all, there are quite a number of solos from the jazz genre that
are precomposed (e.g. works from Duke Ellington, the guy who wrote 
"Powerhouse", "The Penguin", and other tunes that show up in Bug Bunny
cartoons; others).

Heck, even in pop a lot of solos are precomposed.

Paolo Valladolid
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