Bassoons are part of the Woodwind section of the orchestra. Here is a panshot along the bassoon: and the contra:
Meyrick plays one of the most famous bassoon solos: the opening of The Rite of Spring (1913) by Igor Stravinsky. This exploits the high register of the instrument:
Bassoon
The conical bore of the instrument:
The bore seen from the inside (and an explanation of the
bird perched on Meyrick's bassoon!):
How sound is produced:
Crook lengths and distances:
French and German systems:
The registers of the bassoon:
The characters of the bassoon:
Contrabassoon
The construction of the contra:
The folds of the instrument:
The keyholes:
The history of the modern contrabassoon:
The reed:
Changing reeds:
The agility of the contra: