Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra

Description

Piccolo, Flute 1, Flute 2, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, English Horn, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3, Horn 4, Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, Trumpet 3, Trombone 1, Trombone 2, Bass Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion, Cymbals, Tam-Tam, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Triangle, Sleigh Bells, Tambourine, Wind Chimes, Glockenspiel, Crotales, Rain Stick, Tubular Bells, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Celesta, Harp, Double Bass, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello, Contrabass — Persian poetry from the Middle Ages is often mystical and dualistic, attempting to paint a world of the seen and the unseen. In composing my double bass concerto, I was drawn to “Veil,” a poem by the beloved, fourteenth-century Persian mystical poet Hafez. The title of each movement is generally inspired by the poem. A dance-like, irregular rhythm permeates the first movement and provides much of the thematic and harmonic material of the concerto. The movement ends with a virtuosic passage that moves at lightning speed and challenges the technical limits of the solo instrument. In the second movement, the soloist traverses a wide range of moods from somber, lyrical, and sorrowful to joyous and hopeful. Dark, dissonant orchestral passages provide dramatic contrast to the solo bass. Much of the thematic material from the previous movements is revisited, or juxtaposed in the final movement. Energetic, virtuosic passages for the soloist combine with an orchestral tutti to propel the concerto to an exhilarating conclusion.