Wordplay 

Solo Bassoon - 5'

The title for the first movement comes from a famous quote by the composer Camille Saint-Saens at the premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Upon hearing the stratospheric bassoon solo at the beginning, Saint-Saens is said to have remarked “If that is a bassoon, then I am a baboon!” The second movement’s title is an obvious play on words reflecting the wandering, nostalgic tone of the music. The title of the third movement combines the word for the predecessor of the bassoon, ‘Fagotto,’ with the term ‘Moto Perpetuo,’ meaning perpetual motion. It is a fast, challenging show-piece for the modern bassoon.