IN THE SPOTLIGHT: THE BASSOON

Bence Bogányi has been previously employed as principal bassooninst of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, he is the winner of numerous competitions, and he has worked with masters such as Christian Thielemann and Lorin Maazel. The bassoon, with a range extending well beyond three octaves and capable of the most varied colours, was already a popular concert instrument in the Baroque period, despite its low register. It inspired Handel, and Mozart wrote his Bassoon Concerto in 1774, at the age of eighteen, which has remained an irreplaceable piece in the repertoire ever since. A suite from an opera by Czech Romantic master Bedřich Smetana will also be performed, as well as Wagner's surprise Christmas present, Siegfried Idyll, written for his wife and child.