Bob Oganovic ~ Bassoonist

I played the bassoon from 1971 to 1978.

First, THE BAD NEWS: for several decades thereafter jobs, marriage, fatherhood, traveling for work, focusing on choral music et al took priority over the fagott.

Now, THE GOOD NEWS: I picked up the instrument again 2016, so after this long hiatus I am once again back behind the bocal.

In the sections below you can read more about:

My instrument
Ensembles I’ve performed with
Teachers I’ve worked with
Performance of Loch Lomond, a Scottish ballad originally arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Major repertoire I’ve performed

My Instrument

Fox Renard Artist Model 240

In August 2019 I upgraded to a Fox Renard Artist Model 240 bassoon purchased through Midwest Musical Imports of Minneapolis.

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My Performance Partners

Groups With Which I Have Played the Bassoon

University of Minnesota Summer Orchestra ~ 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024
Hopkins Westwind Concert Band ~ 2021-2023
Bethel University Wind Ensemble ~ 2016-2020, 2023
Bethel University Chamber Orchestra & Chamber Ensembles ~ 2019-2022
Centennial Community Band ~ 2020
St. Louis Park Community Band ~ 2019
Macalester Community Band ~ 1976-1977
University of Minnesota Concert Band ~ 1975-1977
St. Cloud (Minnesota) State University Concert Band and Community Orchestra ~ 1972-1975

Bethel University Concert Band, May 2017 (I am in the yellow circle – the director of the group, Dr. Stephen Thompson, is just to the right. Click here for an article in Ireland’s Independent newspaper about the group’s performance at a concert in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin as part of their 2019 tour of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

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The Folks Who Have Helped Me

Teachers

Over the years I have taken bassoon lessons from William L. Jones, Norbert Nielubowski, Nick Van Duzee, and Katie Bauernfeind (shown in the photo) and others.

Katie Bauernfeind and I are shown here in a photograph taken in September 2017. Katie is a bassoon specialist for Fox and a fine performer and teacher. My t-shirt reads “BASSOON – I wet my reeds with the tears of brass player” [sic].

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Performance

Transcription for Multiple Bassoons of Loch Lomond by Ralph Vaughan Williams

The marvelous English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams arranged the Scottish ballad Loch Lomond for 4 men’s voice parts and baritone soloist. I have, in turn, transcribed it for multiple bassoons making these minor changes from RVW’s manuscript:

• Shifting the original key of G major down a whole step to F major.
• Adding a lower octave on a few measures.
• Adding a higher voice “echo chord” right at the end.

The audio performance features multiple tracks with me playing each part; this was created using the Audacity and Studio One software applications. Additionally, here are links to the original choral score and the multi-bassoon transcription.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Notes Regarding the Arrangement & Recording

This was more an experiment in recording and editing than a musical performance. Because I was recording it in my office there was no natural ambience, so I added artificial reverb through the software (which, admittedly, sounds somewhat artificial). I also edited out breaths, digitally added a few dynamics and a ritardando at the end, and did some vocal thickening (a trick common in pop music). It’s not perfect by any means. In particular, the final product is muddier than I would have hoped – the rich, close harmonies of the male voices become muddier with the clashing overtones of multiple bassoons. Having said all that, I learned a great deal from the exercise.

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Pieces I Have Played

Examples of major Repertoire

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