Unusually for him Davies starts his Bassoon Concerto not with slow music but with speed and brilliance: the opening is a Presto initiated by the strings and only at the entry of the soloist does the tempo relax to thatof a real introduction. Out of this grow a big dancing Allegro. The slow movement begins and ends with a simple song around fantastical ornamentation from the soloist. The finale is again a recitative and dance with a slow coda.The whole work is an immense show of stamina poetry and athleticism for the bassoon set against an orchestra coloured by low wind (alto flute clarinet in A bass clarinet contrabassoon horns).

André Jolivet (1905-1974) established his love for composition from a young age. This remained throughout his life and he held the post of Professor of Composition from 1966-1970 at Paris Conservatoire. Concerto for Bassoon was composed in 1954 and remains highly regarded. Jolivet himself a cellist wished to explore composition for all instruments and therefore has a considerable number of works in all fields. The composer's style is also known for its spirituality and the desire to associate the everyday with the magical and the human with the universal. Jolivet draws on acoustics and atonality asheard in his Concerto for Bassoon. The piece requires high virtuosic skills due to its expansive use of extended techniques. For all advanced bassoonists Jolivet provides an exciting alternative piece for the instrument's repertoire.