Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra

Efrain Oscher’s double bass concerto is a musical portrait of Edicson Ruiz and a celebration of the long lasting friendship between the composer and the performer. Oscher works with Ruiz since 2005 and has created half a dozen compositions for double bass in combination with other instruments and ensembles. The double bass concerto is the result of long process of developing a language for Edicson’s double bass voice, a language through which he can express all his passion as a soloist. Ruiz chose for this concerto the Viennese tuning in which all classical double bass concertos were written between 1760 and 1820.
Oscher follows the nationalistic tradition of many Latin American composers such as Ginastera, Piazzolla, Esteves, Márquez and Villa-Lobos. He uses South American traditional and folkloristic material to create works which are presented within western classical forms and formats. In the double bass concerto there are references to several styles of music typically played in Venezuela and Uruguay, home countries of the composer and the soloist.
The first movement, Allegro, begins the Tempo mark Guarachoso ma non troppo giving a hint to the source of the melodic and rhythmic material: the Guaracha, a Caribbean sibling of the Salsa and the Cumbia which is very popular in Venezuela. The second, Andante is based on “Soledad”, a piece written by Efrain Oscher for a theater play called Monster 2011 and portraits how solitude can lead to frustrations and even violence. It begins with a rather baroque theme followed by variations leading to a tango-frenzy; a tribute to Astor Piazzolla.
The cadenza which opens the third movement is based on a Cuban style of music called Guaguanco. It is an intricate polyrhythmic construction which gives us the impression that there is more than one instrument playing. The orchestra joins the soloists in this joyful rhythm which eventually turns into an Afro Venezuelan style called San Millán, typically played by a set of three drums where the lowest plays the same pattern as the Guaguanco. There is a strong bond between Flamenco and Joropo, the most popular of the Venezuelan folkloric music styles. In the third movement both musical styles serve as a platform for the soloist to show virtuosity and passion.
All Latin American musical styles used in this work have a personal connection to both the soloists and the composer. In this way Ruiz is given a story to tell and a familiar language to communicate it with. Emotion cannot be out of the equation in a Latin American concerto and that is the reason why the thread that brings this collage of styles together is the main tune of “Soledad”, a meaningful name for Ruiz because is the name of his mother and grandmother.