Marc Mellits: Black - Contrabassoon & Contraforte

[@danielbazin242]

I think this really shows how the different timbres of the contrabassoon and contraforte are not as disparate as many make them out to be. If you hear the two of them play a solo side-by-side, the difference is obvious but it becomes much more subtle when playing at the same time. I still think the contrabassoon vs. contraforte argument is an important one for the double reed community to have, but this duet still sheds light on some of the nuances and limitations of the conversation.

[@jacobbass6437]

Really? To me the difference is night and day. The contraforte is much smoother, it’s low register is a lot less buzzy and it’s upper register is richer and not as thin. Also, the idea that their differences even out when played together isn’t really a great argument as it is so rare that two contrabassoons are even played at the same time. I don’t get why people oppose the idea that the contraforte shouldn’t take over the contrabassoon.

[@teto85]

@@jacobbass6437 The contraforte is priced around $45,000 USD. You can get a good contrabassoon for about $30,000. And few, if any, players can afford one on their own.

[@jacobbass6437]

@@teto85. Supply and demand. If bassoonist start preferring the contraforte over the contrabassoon, then more affordable option will start opening up.

[@teto85]

@@jacobbass6437 Not really. The contraforte right now is exclusively manufactured by the inventors and like I said it is about 50% more expensive than a good concert class contrabassoon and symphony orchestra musicians have to take on students and other gigs to make ends meet. They don't have $45,000 laying around to buy one of these. Maybe a patron, or group of patrons, will buy an instrument and let a musician use it, but you can't walk into the one store in the USA that sells these things and pick one off the rack and take it home. But, if I had the $$$$ I would buy one. But right now we are looking into a new car and Ipaces don't come cheap. Especially how the Mrs wants it loaded.

[@bassoonkris]

@@teto85 ​ The cost of bassoons has become so prohibitive ($$$ & wait list time) that it has become unreasonable for professionals to own the proper tools to do their jobs. No other wind section is using 80 year old instruments! Last I checked a CF was 52k with a 3 year wait and a Heckel CB with a good key setup is 72k with 11 year wait. I have been liking the sound from recent fox contras, the tone and intonation is much improved and they seem to get them delivered in under 2 years at about half the cost of a Heckel.

[@alimarie6711]

I’ve wanting to play this piece on bass clarinet since I heard a bassoon quartet play it my freshman year of high school. This is one of the coolest versions I’ve ever heard.

[@vitzca1]

4:18 can you feel that sutile but epic effect both instruments make, like it was made in electronic music but it's just the both timbres bending, it's awesome but i could hear it with good headphones.

[@brendinho1993]

Amazing. I'm loving the contrabassoon in this one (as always). Contraforte is nice, but I love that grump old man growl that we get from the contrabassoon

[@bassoonwithaview]

Always incredible! Love seeing your videos show up in my feed.

[@rorycraig]

this is absolute 🔥 F I R E 🔥 1:02 will always be my favourite moment in this piece, no matter the instruments.

[@SixteenVoice]

Why do I feel like I just got home from a Mastodon concert after listening to your piece here?

[@maniestacio9245]

‘Cause everything about this is metal af 🤘

[@tedmcdowell4790]

Complex excellence.

[@nrom6786]

This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen

[@luishuerta2505]

as a bassoonist I would definitely love to play them

[@carbonc6065]

Awesome.

[@iandeterlingchannel]

Very cool!

[@lavorarestanca]

I really like this

[@alexandrakellermann2933]

Der Wettlauf der Fürze

[@gernotfriedrich7091]

Würde empfehlen erst einmal gut klingende Mundstücke zu benutzen…. Sonst grunzt es nur

[@gamingmusicmishaps]

Contrabassoon sounds more like a Clarinet, and the Contraforte sounds more like a Saxophone.

[@edwincancelii2917]

Those 2 double reed instruments, including the Eb contrabass sarrusophone & possibly the Bb contrabass sarrusophone, should make a good quartet.

[@TheodoreBrown314]

Bb Contrabass Sarrusophones are unfortunately as rare as hen's teeth. Greatbass Rackets, however, are in much more plentiful supply 😏

[@rainyn]

Are you using circular breathing to play this piece? It sounds absolutely exhausting but amazing!

[@claudiog.nogueiras2323]

hmmm.... frogs duet!

[@wheattoast1971]

I think this really highlights the differences between the two instruments. Where the Contrabassoon sounds like a bass sax or contrabass sax/tubax, the contraforte sounds like a contrabass clarinet

[@chody07]

so basically what you mean is contraforte is more subtle

[@haomingli6175]

The difference you are getting at is that the fundamental and lower harmonics on the contraforte are much stronger. Clarinets also have this property. Although, importantly, clarinets only have odd numbered harmonics, while bassons, contrafortes, saxophones, oboes, etc, have all the harmonics.

[@dorenecornwell6213]

The music is a hoot, but the heads cut off video is a little disconcerting.

[@ronaldgrun8907]

Finally! Two alligators find there voice/

[@Xorcrupt]

The restroom after taco bell night be like:

[@bobcochran2890]

Sort of like two mating hippos. About 4 minutes too long.