Karen Geoghegan Plays: Mozart, Rossini, Kreutzer & Crusell Karen Geoghegan

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Bassoon Concerto in B flat KV 191:
• 1Mozart: I. Allegro07:17
• 2Mozart: II. Andante ma adagio07:05
• 3Mozart: III. Rondo: Tempo di menuetto04:10
• Gioachino Rossini (1792 - 1868): Bassoon Concerto:
• 4Rossini : I. (Allegro)07:34
• 5Rossini : II. Largo05:07
• 6Rossini : III. (Rondo)04:55
• Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849): Fantasie for Bassoon and Orchestra:
• 7Kreutzer: I. Introducttion, Theme, Variations I-II04:49
• 8Kreutzer: II. Variation III02:02
• 9Kreutzer: III. Polacca02:56
• Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775 - 1838): Bassoon Concertino in B flat:
• 10Crusell: I. Allegro brillante - Poco adadio07:46
• 11Crusell: II. Theme and Variations: Allegro moderato -03:45
• 12Crusell: III. Polacca05:38
• Total Runtime01:03:04

Info for Karen Geoghegan Plays: Mozart, Rossini, Kreutzer & Crusell

Chandos signed Karen Geoghegan as an exclusive artist in 2007 following her wonderful performances on the BBC TV ‘The Classical Star’ programme. This is her fourth recording with the label, following her album of works by Hummel, Weber, Berwald, Jacobi, Elgar and Gershwin, her album of French music for bassoon and piano, and her contribution, in the Suite-Concertino in F major, to Noseda’s Wolf-Ferrari album. All of these received much acclaim, and the expressive maturity and sensitivity of her playing have quickly cemented her status as a rising star: Whereas Mozart’s work is widely recognised as the veritable cornerstone of the bassoon repertoire, the compositions by Crusell and Kreutzer are little-heard but distinguished vehicles for the instrument. Rossini’s Bassoon Concerto was completely unknown until relatively recently. It was only in the early 1990s that it came to light among a nineteenth-century collection of manuscripts that had been archived at the library in Ostiglia, near Mantua. Vigorous and exhilarating, but with a dreamy and pensive second movement, this Concerto was a real find. In the third movement, Rossini puts the bassoon through some hair-raising paces across the whole range of its available register, before finally providing a satisfyingly high-spirited ending to an intriguing work.

“…It’s quite rare for bassoonists to have the opportunity to perform and record their repertoire, particularly for one so young, but Geoghegan is amply repaying the faith Chandos obviously has in her. This disc continues the fairy-tale outcome for Geoghegan and her Cinderella instrument of the orchestra and is worth exploring, particularly for the rarer repertoire.” (International Record Review)

BBC Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda
Karen Geoghegan, bassoon

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)
Bassoon Concerto in B flat KV 191
I Allegro
II Andante ma adagio
III Rondo: Tempo di Menuetto
GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Bassoon Concerto
I (Allegro)
II Largo -
III (Rondo)
CONRADIN KREUTZER (1780-1849)
Fantasie for Bassoon and Orchestra
Introduction, Theme, Variations I and II
Variation III
Polacca
BERNHARD HENRIK CRUSELL (1775-1838)
Bassoon Concertino in B flat
I Allegro brillante - Poco adagio -
II Allegro moderato [Theme and Variations] -
III Polacca

Karen Geoghegan is an Scottish bassoonist. She appeared on the 2007 BBC Two reality show, Classical Star. She was spotted on the show by the managing director of Chandos Records, Ralph Couzens and she has gone on to record three albums with the independent label.

Geoghegan began studying the bassoon at the age of twelve with Russell Cowieson, having previously played the violin since the age of five. She later studied at the Junior Academy of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with Janet Bloxwich. She won the Gilbert Innes Prize for woodwind and the 2004 Concerto competition, and in 2004 and 2005 was awarded the Wolfson Scholarship. In 2006 she gave a recital on BBC Radio Scotland, and also performed the Hindemith Trumpet and Bassoon Concerto with John Wallace. She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland for four years and in 2007 performed with Camerata Scotland NYOS Futures. As of 2009, Geoghegan is in her final year at the Royal Academy of Music with John Orford. During her first year she performed the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with the Academy String Orchestra, and received the Violet M. Wallace Award. She was runner-up in the BBC Two programme Classical Star for her performance of the Hummel Bassoon Concerto with the City of London Sinfonia at LSO St Luke's. On 5 August 2009 she performed the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic at the BBC Proms.

Booklet for Karen Geoghegan Plays: Mozart, Rossini, Kreutzer & Crusell