Paul Hindemith was a violinist, violist, teacher, conductor, and composer. Early in 1934, the Nazi party began a campaign to discredit Hindemith; which resulted in a boycott of the composer's works. In January 1935, Hindemith was given a six-month leave from his teaching job, but was eventually able to return in 1937, the year the boycott was endorsed by the music division of the Nazi party. He was also offered a series of concert tours abroad, to have his music published, and to enter into an agreement with the Turkish government to establish a steady musical life in that country. In 1937, Hindemith fled to Switzerland with his family. He resided there for one year before moving to America in 1940, when he became an American citizen a professor at Yale.
Hindemith's Sonata for Bassoon and Piano was composed during his time spent in Switzerland and begins with a lively, cheerful melody, taking on a more serious manner as the first movement proceeds. The second movement begins hopefully with a lovely lyrical theme that anxiously transitions into a playful march. The trio section of the march has aspects of neo-baroque, with active contrapuntal lines. A peaceful and lilting melody brings the sonata to an end. Hindemith has written other sonatas for many different wind instruments such as: flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba.
Wolf-Ferrari was an Italian composer and teacher. He completed 13 operas between 1900 and 1943, most of them derived from plays by classic authors. He also composed instrumental music which included many chamber and orchestral pieces. Wolf-Ferrari wrote most of his concerted works towards the end of his career, including the occasionally played Idillio-concertino for Oboe, Suite-Concertino for Bassoon, and Concertino for English Horn, in addition to largely ignored concertos for violin and for cello. The composer's most performed piece is the Overture to The Secret of Susanna (Il Segreto di Susanna).