Historical performance practice in cadenzas for Mozart's concerto for bassoon, K. 191 (186e)

Mozart's Concerto for Bassoon, K. 191 has long been an important part of the Classical era bassoon repertory. Few composers of the Classical period wrote for the bassoon as a solo instrument, and even fewer still paired it with an orchestral backing. K. 191 not only is unique within the bassoon repertory, but also stands out in the compositional career of Mozart as being his first completed wind concerto, composed at the age of eighteen.

Mozart did not write cadenzas for K. 191; therefore a large part of the performance itself is untouched by Mozart's hand. Depending on personal (or teacher) preference, the performer may write an original cadenza for the performance or use an existing cadenza written by a well-known bassoonist or composer. In either case, the cadenza is removed stylistically from Mozart and almost always removed from the Classical period.

While there are many guides on how to write a cadenza in the Classical style, there are none specific to the bassoon and its capabilities, strengths, or weaknesses during this period. Also lacking is an informational resource that critiques cadenzas on how they adhere to or stray from Classical performance practice, and more specifically to the performance abilities of the bassoon. A document that analyzes the abilities of the Classical era bassoon would be a useful guide in an era where accurate performance practice is increasingly sought after, even expected, in live performance.