The Interrogation (2023)

for bassoon

“The Interrogation” is a conversation, though not a transparent one. We speak to each other in coded language, ask questions we already know the answers to, say things we don’t mean. We make small talk with our mouths while our minds have heavy exchanges, and we leave silence in place of heartfelt words. This bassoon solo explores the nature of communication and miscommunication. The piece tells the story of a dialogue — one that the audience can’t quite make out. The performer, too, must parse out some meaning in the music to be able to respond to it. How many ways are there to say the same thing? What meaning can we take from a cryptic question? How do we answer and, despite the vast spaces between us, be heard?