Description

Quasimodo and the Gypsy
for bassoon and piano
by Adrienne Wilson (b. 1969) – English composer and clarinetist

The composer recalls that when she was a child, she watched the black-and-white film of the Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. She was really moved by the closing of scene in which the crumbling skeletons of Quasimodo and Esmerelda are seen clasping each other. More recently, one of her sons was similarly upset when studying the book in school. This reminder sparked the inspiration for the piece, written for her bassoonist son, Joshua. Wilson felt that the bassoon could perfectly reflect the character of Quasimodo. The music tries to capture the outward clumsiness of Quasimodo, contrasting it with his inner beauty and his passion for Esmerelda. The piece is punctuated by ever-present cathedral bells.