About this book
This book is about the instrument which evolved into the bassoon.
My original idea was to compile a complete guide to all extant curtals and all known references to their use.
This has proved to be an impossible task since not only are new instruments being found on a regular basis,
but also there are enough references to their use in Spain alone to warrant a whole lifetime researching them all.
For this reason, the chronological and repertoire sections in particular should be regarded as representative samples,
illustrating the enormous use which was made of these instruments.