Concertino

Bertold Hummel composed the Concerto for Bassoon and String Orchestra first with the basset horn as solo instrument before arranging it for bassoon at the suggestion of Eberhard Buschmann. The piece is characterized by the use of French folk-song melodies which are integrated into their own thematic material. In the first movement, Prologue, the solo instrument stands out while declaiming in a recitative-like manner. The second movement, Concerto, follows the meaning of the word 'concertare' = 'compete' by combining the soloist and the string ensemble 'competitively' to form a unified whole. The short epilogue is a fading away, with strictly alternating solo instrument and strings.