FRINGE 2020 REVIEW: The Bassoonist

This solo performance is rooted in an event from August 1705 involving a fight between composer Johann Sebastian Bach and an amateur musician, Johann Geyersbach

Rick Pender, City Beat Cincinnati

June 2, 2020

Cincinnati-based actor and writer Sean Mette has assembled a solo performance rooted in an event from August 1705 involving a fight between composer Johann Sebastian Bach and an amateur musician, Johann Geyersbach.

At age 20, Bach was hired to oversee music for a church in Arnstadt, Germany; Geyersbach, 23, played bassoon in a student orchestra there that Bach grudgingly conducted. Apparently the already renowned young composer was disdainful of many of his performers, several of whom were older than he. He particular ridiculed Geyersbach, reportedly calling him a zippel faggotist (translated variously as a “nanny-goat bassoonist” or a “greenhorn bassoonist”). Complicating matters was Geyersbach’s infatuation with Barbara, a young pianist and Bach’s cousin — and, in fact, his eventual wife.

Geyersbach recruited a few other musicians whom Bach had verbally abused, and one evening they accosted the composer as he strolled through a park with Barbara. Geyersbach, a larger man, thrashed Bach with his cane; Bach pulled out a dagger. The men were eventually pulled apart. Bach brought the case before a church court in Arnstadt. Geyersbach was declared guilty but not punished, since Bach’s insult had provoked the attack. Bach was advised to learn to get along with his students.

Mette, attired in a maroon brocade vest and matching tie, relates the incident as if he were delivering testimony to the church court. He frames it as a “story of love,” a courting of Barbara that went off track with her cousin’s arrival. Mette, a veteran comic performer familiar to audiences at Madcap Theatre, Know and The Carnegie, plays the role straight ahead, despite several moments that could possibly have been made humorous.

As Geyersbach, he has occasional exchanges with the court’s judge and with Barbara, both simply “offstage” voices (Brian Mette, Liz Carman). Mette also mimes playing the bassoon. It might have been more effective if these brief interludes had been off-key or somehow more mistake-ridden, but to my untrained ear, they didn’t sound like something that would evoke Bach’s jibes — unless we were meant to believe that his harsh comments were unfounded.

Mette is a good actor: he ably presents Geyersbach as a somewhat misguided, rather foolish romantic, seemingly unrealistic about his musical abilities and his potential to become the world’s greatest bassoonist. The 50-minute video monologue is broken up with black-outs and angle and position changes, but Mette is pretty much always front and center, using a trunk and a conductor’s music stand as props. That’s not quite enough visual variety to sustain the necessary energy. A modern outburst (with bassoon accompaniment) that Mette delivers as the finale is amusing, but an odd break in character.

Nevertheless, The Bassoonist provides an interesting historical anecdote, the kind of quirky subject matter that certainly fits within the Cincy Fringe.

Autumn Kaleidoscope Makes Its Case in The Bassoonist at Cincy Fringe

Why Baroque music may have been the punk rock of the day, Bach carried a dagger, and why you should never insult a man’s bassoon.

Ricky and Dana Young-Howze, The Young-Howze Theater Journal

June 3, 2019

Who new Baroque Music once involved attempted murder? I mean I know some marching band kids that are afraid of missing a note but they don’t have to keep rapiers on them at all times in fear that their band teacher is going to try to stab them! But that was exactly what happened during the Baroque period when Johann Sebastian Bach was asked to supervise an orchestra by his employers for no pay. Let’s just say things got a little heated and he especially brewed some kind of animosity between himself and Bassoonist Johann (was Johann the “Bob Smith” of that era?) Geyersbach. How heated? Well our play opens with Geyersbach in court pleading his case after attacking him in the street. Our lesson learned: never mock a man’s bassoon.

Sean P. Mette of Autumn Kaleidoscope crafts a wonderful performance based on the story of this feud that went down in history. He pleads his case as he unfolds a tale of love, rivalry, and vitriol. All throughout you can get the sense that he is a lover of history and carefully crafted this work.

One of the possibly hardest shows to do in the world is a historically informed performance. You are bound by the primary sources, you have to decide how to present it in the most accurate light, and you have to make it interesting for the audience. I will tell you when I first walked into this show all I knew about Bach was maybe the first page of Wikipedia and a 90’s TV movie they used to make us watch in music class. The biggest compliment that I could have given to this production is that the minute I was done I went straight to Google and started researching the real story of this feud between Bach and Geyersbach. To me it’s the Baroque version of the movie “Whiplash”. I have a grad degree and love music history and this is something I didn’t know. Amazing!

I will say however that I felt that this show and the audience deserved more! I craved more dynamics in the performance! I wanted this beautifully researched play to be supported with equally stunning visuals and physicality. There’s a saying I think I’ve bastardized from somewhere else and that’s “If they’re getting used to gravel give them velvet next.” We got wonderful voice over and vocals so I wanted more visuals. I got this Baroque sense of elegance so when do things get primal and savage? I feel like future performances of this show (especially a live performance like it was originally intended) would do well to explore these things.

But other than that Mette has earned a soft spot in my heart. I love devotés of history and the plays they create. And you should really come out and see him too! Go to the Fringe Primary Line-up page and get your tickets now! For $10 you can see this wonderful show for yourself! You should definitely see it before the TalkBack at 8 PM ET tonight. Come out and tell them just what you thought of it!