Your bassoon grade 6 ABRSM exam will be marked out of 150 and you will need a total of 100 marks to Pass, 120 marks for a Merit and 130 marks for a Distinction.  The exam comprises of four main areas:

    Pieces

    In your exam you are required to play three pieces (worth up to 30 marks each), one from each of the three lists, A, B and C below:

    LIST A

    1. Besozzi Allegro or Presto: 1st or 3rd movt from Sonata in Bb (OUP or Accolade ACC.1042)
    2. Bond Andante (bassoon tacet in tuttis): 1st movt from Concerto No. 6 in Bb (Boosey & Hawkes)
    3. Corrette Allegro staccato: 3rd movt from Sonata in D minor, Op. 20 No. 2. Corrette Les Délices de la Solitude, Op. 20, Vol. 1 (Schott ED 12209)
    4. Devienne Adagio: 2nd movt from Sonata in G minor, Op. 24 No. 5 (Musica Rara MR 2049)
    5. Galliard Allegro: 2nd movt from Sonata No. 3 in F. Galliard Six Sonatas, Vol. 1 (IMC 2114)
    6. Mozart Andante ma adagio: 2nd movt from Concerto in Bb, K. 191 (Bärenreiter BA 4868-90 or Henle HN 801 or Kevin Mayhew)
    7. Mozart Rondo–Allegro: 3rd movt from Sonata in Bb, K. 292 (Bärenreiter BA 6974 or Henle HN 827 or Chester CH55239) or No. 4 from Bassoon Solos, Vol. 2 (Chester CH55094)
    8. Neruda Allegro spiritoso: 1st movt from Concerto in C (Musica Rara MR 2200)
    9. Vivaldi Largo and Allegro (con spirito): 1st and 2nd movts from Sonata in E minor (RV 40, Op. 14 No. 5), trans. Weisberg (IMC 2335)

    LIST B

    1. Dunhill Allegretto amabile or Nocturne: 1st or 3rd movt from Lyric Suite, Op. 96 (Boosey & Hawkes)
    2. Fauré Pièce, trans. Oubradous (Leduc AL 19974)
    3. Stefan de Haan Scherzo (Schott ED 10530)
    4. Hurlstone Allegretto or Moderato–Vivace: 3rd or 4th movt from Sonata in F (Emerson E75)
    5. W. Lloyd Webber Northington Farm (Stainer & Bell H478)
    6. Milde Romanze: No. 2 from Three Study Pieces (Musica Rara MR 1180)
    7. Jim Parker Ground Force. The Music of Jim Parker for Bassoon (Brass Wind)
    8. Tansman Aria: 2nd movt from Sonatine (Eschig)
    9. Graham Waterhouse Imperial Echoes: 3rd movt from Diplo-Diversions, Op. 44 (Hofmeister FH 2578)

    LIST C

    1. J. S. Bach Bourrée anglaise: 4th movt from Partita, BWV 1013, trans. Waterhouse (Universal UE 18135)
    2. Derek Bourgeois Alla marcia: No. 3 from Fantasy Pieces for Bassoon (Brass Wind)
    3. Concone Study No. 29 (omitting Variation 3) or Study No. 38 (observing cadenza): from The Singing Bassoon, arr. Emerson (Emerson E281)
    4. Brian Israel Tarantella: No. 3 from Dance Suite (Tritone Press)
    5. Ridout Caliban: from Caliban and Ariel (Studio Music)
    6. Michael Rose Scherzo: from A Miscellany for Bassoon, Book 2 (ABRSM)
    7. Weissenborn Study No. 6 or No. 11 or No. 13 or No. 14: from Bassoon Studies, Op. 8, Vol. 2 (Peters EP 2277b)

    Scales & Arpeggios

    As part of your exam you are also required to play scales & arpeggios from memory (worth up to 21 marks) - please see the ABRSM Bassoon Grades 1-8 Scale Book

    Sight-Reading Test

    You will also be required to sight-read some music that you have not seen before (worth up to 21 marks) - to prepare for this part of your exam please see the ABRSM Bassoon Grades 6-8 Sight-Reading Book which has a selection of specimen sight-reading pieces.

    Aural Tests

    In another part of your exam you will be required to complete a set of aural tests challenging your musicianship (worth up to 18 marks). To help prepare for this please see the ABRSM Aural Training in Practice Grades 6-8 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grade 6 Book (specimen tests).

     

    *Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16


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