Soliloquy

About

This solo for bassoon is in three contrasting sections, connected by brief interludes. The first section features a rapid repeated melodic figure; this reappears in different guises and dynamic levels. In the second part a cantabile melody is heard over a low ostinato of a perfect fifth. The third and most lively section is what I term a 'rhythmic variation'; a repeated melody where the pitches remain constant while the rhythmic values change with each subsequent repetition. A melodic development leads to a short coda revisiting the figure heard at the beginning of the piece. Written for and dedicated to Ben Hoadley, in friendship.