17
January
2025
Cue of the Week: “Jabberwocky”
A game set in Lewis Carroll’s universe can be rightly expected to include a particular manxome foe. In Escaping Wonderland, he’s portrayed as the heartless boss of an overworked miner population, who needs to be taken down with some well-aimed slingshot sabotage.
To musically represent the dragonesque creature I gave a solo to the contrabassoon, the bigger and more ornery brother of the regular bassoon. It has a sinister growly quality that I felt was perfect for the character.
Click below to play… or jump to Spotify or Apple Music.
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You’ve succeeded again with the use of the contrabassoon to create truly threatening music. The contrabassoon is used spectacularly by two of my favorite symphonists, Mahler and Shostakovich.
Thank you James! I also like Ravel’s use of contrabassoon in Ma Mère L’Oye (to suggest the Beast from Beauty and the Beast).
Some minor nitpicks: The contrabassoon needs to be more burbley, and I need to hear more tulgey from the woodwinds in general.
Can’t post anything these days without hearing the snicker-snack of critics.