What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette T hough there are many bassoonists that play contrabassoon only grudgingly, Richard Bobo relishes the contrabassoon and considers himself equally a contrabassoonist and bassoonist." That's how Jason Miller, executive director of the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, introduces Bobo and a Sept. 1 event that is both an orchestral world premiere and "a very rare treat to see with an orchestra." Bobo wrote the new arrangement of composer Barbara York's "The Sunken Garden" and will play it on the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas' contrabassoon, the purchase of which was made possible by a grant from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. "Orchestral solo works usually feature the most respected, prestigious and demanding instruments — instruments such as the violin, piano or cello," says Bobo, who grew up in Rogers and attended the University of Arkansas. "On the other extreme, you have my instrument, the contrabassoon. It's a bigger and lower version of the already large and low bassoon, and its job in the orchestra is typically to play notes too extreme even for the tuba or string bass. "That's when it's included at all, which is often not the case," he adds. "So an earnest solo feature for contrabassoon is among the rarest of orchestral happenings." "The Sunken Garden" was written by Canadian-American composer Barbara York. "She lived and worked in Pittsburg, Kan., and was an esteemed part of our regional classical music scene until her untimely passing in 2020," Bobo explains. "She originally wrote the work for contrabassoon and piano, and used both instruments with great character and variety through the four movements of the work. "In preparing this orchestration for contrabassoon and chamber orchestra, I sought to preserve that spirit with a diverse and flexible group of instruments," he goes on. "Additionally, the contrabassoon is — perhaps surprisingly for its size — a somewhat soft instrument, so great care was taken to complement the solo without overpowering it." "It is exceptionally rare to hear the lowest- voiced instrument of the orchestra featured in a solo work with orchestra," adds Steven Byess, APO's music director. "In Ms. York's words: 'The concept for this piece involves overcoming the darkness in oneself as well as in others, and you will find some musical material used and then later reused in a different context and with a more positive time and outcome resolution as the movements progress.'" Bobo has been playing bassoon throughout his career in the region, which includes performing with APO, SoNA and the Tulsa Symphony. "Several years ago, Kay Brusca and I started Fayette Junction Bassoons, Northwest Arkansas' very own bassoon quartet, which has worked with APO several times," he says proudly. He recently began teaching bassoon at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, and he is designing and building the world's first "subcontrabassoon, an orchestral instrument that can play down to the lowest range of the pipe organ, right here in Northwest Arkansas." "It will be surprising and enchanting to hear the exotic contrabassoon play an extremely wide range of notes and to be a melodic tour- de-force," Byess says. "The program creates the opportunity to see this incredible instrument up close, in front of the orchestra instead of at the rear, and will provide the audience the rarest of opportunities to experience this gorgeous and giant instrument as a soloist." The performance at the Thaden School Performing Arts Center in Bentonville also includes Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla's "The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires." "The Piazzolla is also exotic because of its delightful, sultry, and enchanting tango-infused musical language," Byess says, adding that it "features the extensive talents of our amazing Concertmaster Dr. Er-Gene Kahng. The range of virtuosity is enormous for the violin soloist and for the string orchestra that accompanies the soloist." AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 5 FAQ Arkansas Philharmonic: 'Feisty Femmes' WHEN — 7 p.m. Sept. 1 WHERE — Thaden Performing Arts Center, 805 S. Main St. in Bentonville COST — $5-$40 INFO — arphil.org/arkansas-arts/feisty- femmes/ FYI — The concert honors the Delores Bartizal family as longtime supporters of APO. Played Sept. 1 by Richard Bobo (pictured) "the contrabassoon is the lowest-voiced instrument in the orchestra," explains APO music director Steven Byess. "Listeners will be dramatically struck by the low range of this beautiful instrument. One might assume that because of the extreme low register of the instrument, the contrabassoon might be relegated to playing low notes for the orchestra. However, listeners will be enchanted by the manner in which the instrument may be played nimbly, especially by our accomplished contrabassonist." (Courtesy Photo) A Rare Musical Treat APO premiere showcases contrabassoon BENTONVILLE