Moods in Blue für Fagott und Klavier

“Moods in Blue” was commissioned by David Breidenthal, principal bassoonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He recorded the piece – under its working title “Moody Blues” – together with noted new music specialist Gloria Cheng on his album “Bassoon Power” (Crystal Records). Before I started composing I asked David what his favorite compositions for bassoon and piano were. Right away he mentioned the first movement of the Hindemith sonata. So I listened to this particular movement to try to find out what so attracted him to the piece. I found it to be very lyrical, with a strong melody that has a touch of melancholy to it. It was then when I decided to try to write a theme in my own musical language with those particular qualities and use it as a point of departure for my composition.   Like all of my concert music pieces “Moods in Blue” features groove-oriented sections which are influenced by musical styles such as jazz, rock & roll, electronica and different kinds of world music. Harmonic and structural elements are influenced by 20th century concert music. This particular piece is colored with the feeling and language of the blues, it felt like the right way of incorporating the melancholic element. The composition starts out with the piano introducing the main theme in octaves, followed by the bassoon restating it over a rhythmic piano accompaniment. From there on the piece alternates between lyrical solo passages for both instrumentalists and rhythmically compact ensemble passages, before returning to the main theme near its end. Gernot Wolfgang

“...a magnificent piece of music and a wonderful showcase for a bassoon soloist.” (Ensemble)     “... a sparkling gem from the very talented Gernot Wolfgang...Like other Wolfgang works, this one also relies heavily on the style and gestures of jazz and popular-oriented music. It’s a real beauty of a work – difficult, but extremely accessible, even on first listening.” (The Double Reed)   “One of the most substantial and fully realized entries is Moody Blues, by the Austrian-born Gernot Wolfgang ...Of all the pieces included here, Moody Blues is perhaps the one that uses the bassoon and piano medium with the greatest naturalness and ease. The result is a 12-minute work that embraces blues and jazz elements as well as more abstract, angular materials, smoothly integrating them into a single fluent, well-shaped movement...” (Fanfare)