Zugzwang!

Composer Thomas Dempster says, “In the widely-known and respected game of chess, the Zugzwang is a forced move that a defending player has to move in order to, you know, not die. It’s a move a player has to make in order to avoid checkmate. This is one of the endgame scenarios in chess, with the player forcing the Zugzwang basically holding the upper hand… It’s a chase to the end. I envisioned the horn and bassoon as two figures engaged in a quick back and forth with a chase to the finish, each instrument showing off its own arsenal while occasionally borrowing pawns or bishops from the other side of the board to make a point.”