While dealing with insomina (again), I came across a rather amazing YouTube video that features a wild (but certainly creative) alteration to a bassoon that allows it to easily play many previous difficult (if not impossible) fingerings and also allows it to play in the stratosphere. While the following video may not be the most musical, it certainly is amazing – the guy seems to be able to play the A above the TREBLE CLEF (!) with ease! I don’t know of any bassoonist who can do that! I once figured out a fingering for the C above that but I literally had to use an extremely hard reed and had to bite down on it with my teeth (ugh)! While I wrote that fingering down (maybe I’ll post it here someday), I don’t think I could stand to play it now – makes my teeth hurt just to think about it!
BTW, the guy who altered the bassoon also posted the “composition” he created to show it off – I’ve posted it below the video. Absolutely unbelievable!