While at a live show was chatting with a guy next to me who was also a basoonist. Asked him his favorite bassoon pieces - Verdi Requiem, Haydn Creation, and Rite of Spring was the answer (I am watching Valery gergiev conduct this in October). He also loved Pictures at an exhibition and Scheherazade for the bassoon.
Heh, I read the title of this thread and immediately started subconsciously whistling the opening of The Rite of Spring. Not surprised to see that on the list!
While at a live show was chatting with a guy next to me who was also a basoonist. Asked him his favorite bassoon pieces - Verdi Requiem, Haydn Creation, and Rite of Spring was the answer (I am watching Valery gergiev conduct this in October). He also loved Pictures at an exhibition and Scheherazade for the bassoon.
That is quite a strange response because those would not normally be defined as "bassoon pieces" - if you were to ask a musician their favourite pieces for any given instrument, it would normally be a concerto for that instrument or a solo piece / piano accompaniment for that instrument.
E.g. If you asked me what my favourite pieces were for trombone, none of them would be orchestral works where trombone has a prominent part (like Mahler) - all would be solo trombone pieces (accompanied by piano) and a couple of concertos.