contrabassoon
noun
con·tra·bas·soon
ˌkän-trə-bə-ˈsün 
-ba-
: a double-reed woodwind instrument having a range an octave lower than that of the bassoon
called also double bassoon
Examples of contrabassoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once again the musicians relished their solos (special shout out to Leyla Zamora’s murky contrabassoon) and created musical magic in their ensemble playing.
—
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
The chill of her announcement is accentuated by Muhly’s orchestration, in which bass clarinet, contrabassoon, harp, and cello perform a deathly turn from E major to G minor.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The second movement features boisterous, fast moving lines for contrabassoon.
—Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2023
The performances also feature long stretches with two bass players and, aside from Coltrane’s saxophones, there are musicians bringing in the unusual-for-jazz timbres of the oboe, bass clarinet and contrabassoon.
—Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021
LoPiccolo said, which includes instruments like a contrabassoon and a variety of percussion.
—Emily Sorensen, Pomerado News, 22 Aug. 2019
The filigreed serenades of the wind section were in the foreground throughout—the growl of the contrabassoon was delightfully prominent—and the tympani rolled with a primal thunder.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 31 July 2019
Below the noise and brutally driving rhythms the music seethes with weird effects — queasy lyricism in the strings, sinister grunts from the contrabassoon, trombones and tuba.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 15 June 2018
Details stood in high relief against the roiling sound mass, such as the sinister contrabassoon trailed by muted horns, also the strange little duet between flute and horn later on.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 18 May 2018
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
The chill of her announcement is accentuated by Muhly’s orchestration, in which bass clarinet, contrabassoon, harp, and cello perform a deathly turn from E major to G minor.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The second movement features boisterous, fast moving lines for contrabassoon.
—Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2023
The performances also feature long stretches with two bass players and, aside from Coltrane’s saxophones, there are musicians bringing in the unusual-for-jazz timbres of the oboe, bass clarinet and contrabassoon.
—Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021
LoPiccolo said, which includes instruments like a contrabassoon and a variety of percussion.
—Emily Sorensen, Pomerado News, 22 Aug. 2019
The filigreed serenades of the wind section were in the foreground throughout—the growl of the contrabassoon was delightfully prominent—and the tympani rolled with a primal thunder.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 31 July 2019
Below the noise and brutally driving rhythms the music seethes with weird effects — queasy lyricism in the strings, sinister grunts from the contrabassoon, trombones and tuba.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 15 June 2018
Details stood in high relief against the roiling sound mass, such as the sinister contrabassoon trailed by muted horns, also the strange little duet between flute and horn later on.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 18 May 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contrabassoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contrabassoon
Cite this Entry
“Contrabassoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrabassoon. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contrabassoon
noun
con·tra·bas·soon
ˌkän-trə-bə-ˈsün
-ba-
: a musical instrument that is similar to a bassoon but has a longer body with more turns and is pitched an octave lower
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