The Romance for bassoon and orchestra was written at about the same time as the Second Symphony - both were premiered on 1911 -, and in spite of being a minor work, it is imbued with the same noble spirit. Even the themes resemble those of the symphony. This is not a show piece for the bassoon but a melancholic meditation in minor mode. The music is unmistakably Elgar from the brief initial orchestral burst. The bassoon enters playing the main theme and a dialogue ensues between the soloist and the orchestra. A short climax is reached when the orchestra states its impassioned version of the main theme. The dialogue continues until it comes to what feels as its natural conclusion.

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