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Carlo Besozzi (1738-c.1798), an oboist active at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden from 1755 until 1792, was an outstanding member of a prolific Italian woodwind dynasty.In playing this sonata, most oboists and bassoonists will be reminded of the style of sonata movements which make up the bulk of Igor Stravinsky's Pulcinella Ballet. One of the main attractions of the present work is that today's double reed players are given the opportunity to utilize Besozzi's famous wide range of dynamics. This composition contains several thematic sections that utilize repetitive motives which, by necessity, must be treated to crescendo or diminuendo.

The manuscript from which I have made the edition comes from Schloss Wallerstein near Ansbach. It was copied about 1770, and is part of a great collection owned by the Öttingen-Wallerstein Family which was made available to the public in microfiche during the late 1980's. The copy, which includes the oboe and bassoon parts notated in score, is very clear, but the calligraphy is not of the highest quality. There is not a single dynamic notated in either part, but appoggituras and trills abound. Articulation is sparse but helpful in reconstructing the intent of the first performers. The outer movements are constructed in rounded binary form, while the central Adagio is laid out in basic binary form. The bassoon part is notable for its high tessitura extending up to Bb1.

I have included a realization of the harmonies should the performers decide to add a keyboard player, but this is not a necessity as the two parts stand on their own perfectly well.