Heart's Desire

Part of the  Susan L. Nigro Contrabassoon Recital Series, this piece is a free fantasy based on the hymn Herzlich tut mich verlangen, adapted by the 17th-century German composer Samuel Scheidt; the title of the work derives from the opening words of the hymn. In writing this piece, the composer decided to emphasize the lyrical side of the instrument and downplay the usual grotesque cliches that are too often associated with the contrabassoon.