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In Vivaldi's Concerto in E minor for Bassoon, RV 484, you can hear the violins introduce the theme, and then the bassoon enters to play solo. In every video I watch the procedure is the same: first violins and the orchestra, then the bassoon.
Looking at the sheet music, I see that the bassoon actually plays through the whole piece, mainly by pedal bass notes. Why do most renditions of the piece choose to not play them as notated?
You unfortunately fail to mention the edition you are looking at for comparison, so I won't comment much on its authority or authenticity. Given, how hard it is to find an urtext edition of that concert and its high popularity (leading to numerous editions), some doubt is in order. So as notated is a claim asking for supporting sources.
I already encountered passages likes this (clarification follows) in an arrangement for bassoon and piano marked as ad libitum - the soloist is free to chose, whether to play it or not. Looking at the first page of the IMSLP score (non-PD in EU) and finding the bassoon having to play the same notes, which cellos and double basses already play, I understand every soloists, choosing not play here: there is more demanding material to follow later, so why waste the breath?
