Many musical instruments have been subject to a rigorous process of selection, comparable to the “survival of the fittest” among evolving life forms, where the survivors are those best suited to their environment. The twists and turns of evolution are evident in the bassoon, which like the oboe has developed from shawm instruments with a double-reed mouthpiece. Hanno Dönneweg and the Radio-Sinfonieorchester present selected pieces, all of them especially arranged for bassoon and orchestra.