Concert per a fagot i orquestra de corda

The Concert per a fagot i orquestra de corda (Concerto for bassoon and string orchestra) was commissioned by bassoonist Vasil Nikolov. I finished writing it in May 2009. It was in fact originally intended as a concerto for bassoon and orchestra, but I felt I would be better able to exploit the instrument, and its range of tones and unique characteristics, and better achieve the desired effect, if I used a string orchestra. By doing so I think that I have been able to extract from the bassoon all its dynamic wealth and colour.
The concerto is made up of three movements. The first is an Andantino, which contains a waltz whose theme is used as the basis for the entire concerto. This piece could be labelled monothematic; a concerto in which a single theme is used in very different ways, melodically, harmonically and rhythmically. During the central movement, the Adagio, my intention was to pay small tribute to Anton Bruckner. It is also worth noting in this movement the capacity of the soloist to use deep-breathing techniques to be able to play a particular passage in which there are very long phrases, without taking a breath. During the third movement, Allegro, details of the two previous movements are picked out, always on the basis of the same theme. It is as if they were stuck in the mind of this last movement, and therefore to some extent determine its structure.
This is a concerto with a certain austerity and intimacy, which at the same time allows the bassoon to unleash its captivating and magical capacities.
In 2009, Vasil Nikolov, to whom this piece is dedicated, recorded it with the Radio Sofia Symphony Orchestra, under my direction. The CD will be available soon.

Enric Ferrer