Sonata in F major

William Yeates Hurlstone is one of the intriguing might-have-beens of musical history. Although very highly thought of in his time, he died before his talent could come to full maturity and we can only guess at the directions he might have taken.

He published his first compositions at the age of nine, gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music at eighteen, became a brilliant pianist and had his works widely performed. After years of somewhat meagre existence he returned to his college as Professor of Counterpoint at the age of twenty-nine. A year later he was dead of bronchial asthma.

The Bassoon Sonata in F is dedicated to Edward Dubrucq (1874-1940), a well-known bassoonist of the time. It is attributed to 1904, two years before the composer's death, and is recorded as being published posthumously in 1907 by 'Ch. Avison', a publishing business set up by the Society of British Composers for the benefit of young composers. The first movement (Vivace) is made up of jaunty 6/8 passages alternating with slower, more lyrical sections in 2/4 and ending in a 17 bar 6/8 coda. The first theme of the second movement 'Ballade' is introduced by the piano, taken up by the bassoon in bar 10 and then embellished. A 'second subject' is treated similarly and, with the tempo marking of 'Moderato, ma sempre a piacere' the whole movement has a strong sense of a story being told. The third movement (Allegretto) starts and ends with a charming waltz in which the bassoon and piano neatly complement each other, but there is a darker more declamatory middle section which provides contrast. The dark and brooding introduction to the fourth and final movement gives way to a jaunty tune which is reminiscent of a folksong and brings the whole piece to an end in a humorous coda.