The bassoon as a solo instrument is not very common in concert literature, but a concerto for two bassoons is truly rare and could only be created in an ensemble with two soloists for this instrument. Such a double concerto has been performed for many years under the name of the important Czech composer Jan Kříttel Vaňhal. But what if it was actually composed by someone else? This question was raised by Ondřej Šindelář, a classical bassoonist, who found the same concerto in a Prague archive under the name Anton Zimmermann. The two works differ from each other only in the slow movement. Theft? Plagiarism? A copyist's error? Collegial assistance? We're left with the unsolved mysteries of authorship and the question of whether the two masters might have met each other. Vaňhal's travels took him from Hradec Králové to Vienna, Italy, Hungary, and Croatia. After establishing himself professionally in Hradec Králové, Zimmermann continued his successful career in Bratislava in the service of Archbishop József Batthyány. What's important now is that Ondřej Šindelář is collaborating with his former teacher, bassoon virtuoso Sergio Azzolini, to record Zimmermann's version of the double concerto in a world premiere, supplemented with a solo concerto by Zimmermann (also a premiere) and one of the three remaining concerti by Vaňhal. Remarkable music that has never been discovered before, performed by outstanding soloists and a fine orchestra – this is truly a musical feast.





