Contrabassoon
The contrabassoon in five languages — contrabassoon, controfagotto, Kontrafagott, contrebasson
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 低音巴松（低音大管） |
| English | contrabassoon (double bassoon) |
| Italian | controfagotto |
| German | Kontrafagott |
| French | contrebasson |
The contrabassoon, or double bassoon, extends the bassoon an octave lower and is the lowest woodwind of the orchestra. Italian controfagotto, German Kontrafagott and French contrebasson all mean "against the bassoon". It uses a double reed, folds its tube back on itself and sounds an octave below its written notes, with a deep, slightly rasping tone that sits at the opposite end of the range from the piccolo.
Watch out: it is not a bass clarinet — one is double-reeded, the other single-reeded. In Chinese, 低音巴松 and 低音大管 name the same instrument, and 大管 does not make it brass.
Read deeper → Contrabassoon · Compare Bass Clarinet
Sources
- 各语种乐器名依通行音乐术语词典（参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Contrabassoon"）；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.