Eugene Bourdeau came from a family of bassoonists and eventually became the professor of bassoon at the Paris Conservatory from 1891 to 1922. Though not well-known as a composer, he composed three solos for bassoon, consisting of a a variety of styles. The Deuxieme (Second) Solo, composed for the 1907 concours of the Paris Conservatory, is in three sections: a stately introduction, a slow middle section, and a brisk allegretto. Originally in the key of B minor/D major, the entire piece has been transposed up one half-step, to better accommodate the range of the bass clarinet, as well as to make it a more comfortable key.