Fagotte

/faˈɡɔtə/ noun

Definition

The bassoon or a variant spelling of fagotto, used in some European musical traditions; a double-reed woodwind instrument of the tenor-bass range.

Etymology

Variant spelling of fagotto, with Italian feminine ending -a changed to -e in some regional traditions. The term appears in German and Italian musical texts from the 17th-18th centuries onward, referring to the principal bass woodwind instrument.

Kelly Says

Different European countries spelled this instrument differently (fagott, fagotte, fagotto)—but orchestras across the continent all recognized the deep, reedy voice of bundled-stick wood!

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