Benoit Cancoin: Sur la Rivière for solo double bass

About the Composition

This solo piece was originally written for a collaborative project involving dance and was performed on a small boat on the French river Loire.

The expressive foundation of the work lies in the blending between the open D string (second string) and the fingered notes on the first string. This blending is represented in the score by the use of tremolo markings, applied selectively rather than to every note. Sections where the blending should cease are clearly indicated. Decisions regarding timbre—whether to use a ponticello sound, a clean sound, or any shade in between—are left to the performer’s discretion. A passage of improvisation is also expected before the return to the theme in bar 75.

Listen to a recording of this piece, performed by the composer here.