Three Pieces
for bassoon

Three Pieces for Unaccompanied Bassoon date from 1963. They belong to a group of works for solo woodwinds with which the composer breaks new ground without forsaking his own particular form of musical expression. The limitations imposed by the mechanism of the bassoon and its individual timbre determine the thematic and rhythmic structure as well as the formal approach in these pieces.

The first piece has a quiet and peaceful main section followed by a grotesque episode; the next section recalls the opening and leads to a quiet conclusion. The second piece – andante – forms the emotional climax of the work as a whole. The intervals heard at the beginning are altered by rhythmic augmentation when they re-appear towards the end. In piece number three the rhythmic factor is again uppermost in opening section; then comes a lyrical interlude which derives its material from previous parts of the work. In the reprise, themes from the main section re-appear – some in their original form and others with minor alterations.