Kate's Corner - Sfortzato Documentary

Kate’s
Corner

The first in our series of articles by MetSO Bassoonist and Historically Informed Performance Practice specialist : Katherine Walpole

Sfortzato:
Why did I put this
in my Corner ?

My favourite orchestra is The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. My baroque and classical bassoon teacher plays in this orchestra, and Frans Bruggen, one of the great pioneers of Historically Informed Performance Practice (HIPP), is an idol of mine.

During my years of study in Amsterdam, I was fortunate to have sat in on many rehearsals of this orchestra. I was even invited to play fourth bassoon in a production of Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes with the orchestra. Unfortunately, it never eventuated.

This documentary is particularly interesting to me because I love hearing the rehearsals. I love hearing Frans talk about the rhetoric of classical music, how the phrases speak, how important the extreme dynamics are and the newly created ‘sfortzato’ for example, how close observation of these nuances is what brings the music off the page, to life.

Fond memories of my study and career as a HIPP bassoonist in Europe.

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