for bassoon quartet
Absolutely Just a Reminder … was written at the request of the Chicago Bassoon Quartet and was first performed by them in a live broadcast on WFMT Radio, Chicago in 1989.
The bassoon, like my own instrument, the double bass, has suffered from a lack of interesting repertory. With some exceptions (how we bassists envy the bassoon’s having a concerto by Mozart!), the truly immense range of expressive capabilities of the bassoon is just now beginning to be recognized and explored by composers.
Precisely because my instrument is the bass, I have always as a composer been interested in writing for neglected instruments and unusual combinations of instruments. Writing for an ensemble of like instruments is an especially interesting challenge, as you want to exploit as many of the sonoric possibilities as you can, but without sacrificing coherence.
This short piece is intended – besides showing off a lot of things bassoons can do – primarily for fun. As for the title, the CBQ knows what it means, and I am sworn to secrecy.
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