Simon Garcia: Concertino No. 1 for solo double bass & double bass quartet

About the Composition

Concertino No.1 is a three-movement work of great imagination and invention. Rhythmically charged, exciting and vibrant, it is a great addition to the chamber music repertoire with many musical and technical challenges for each player. Immediately appealing and audience-friendly, Concertino No.1 is a fun and vigorous work which is typical of the accessible, jazzy and enjoyable music style of Simón García.

'Concertino No.1 was written in 2011 and is originally for solo double bass and double bass quartet, where the quartet take the part of the orchestra. This is a very unusual instrumentation and it was written for a double bass chamber music concert by the Spanish Radio-Television Orchestra which never took place. It is dedicated to my good friend, Damian Arenas, a bassist with the orchestra.

Written in a tonal and accessible style, sometimes with the cool sound of film music, there are three contrasting movements. The first is a journey through different tonal centres with melodies which encompass deep energy and lyricism. The powerful tuttis and harmonies help to 'transport you to mysterious and fantastic worlds.' The second movement is more serene, with a Baroque-like introduction, developing into a drama produced by its harmony and rhythmic hemiolas.

The final movement is in a rondo form, with its principal melody repeated a number of times, and both the melodies and tuttis are full of great rhythmic energy and momentum. There are echoes of Piazzolla and Stravinsky in its neo-classical phrasing.’ [Simón García]

About the Composer

Bassist and composer Simón García was born in Mugardos (Spain) in 1977 and graduated in double bass from the Conservatorio Superior of Salamanca. He has worked as a double bassist in the Royal Orchestra of Galicia, having also performed in many orchestras throughout Spain, and is the bassist in the Symphony Wind Orchestra of A Coruña.

His music has been performed in Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Denmark, Spain, Japan, Italy, Austria, Germany, Canada, USA, and UK by The Bass Gang, Bass Instinct, and Il Quint-etto amongst others, and some of his music was used as teaching material in the 2011 ISB Year of Collaborative Music.

Simón García’s music is lively, jazzy, and rhythmic with great forward momentum and drive. Accessible for players and audiences alike, he writes colourful music of distinction and energy, employing the entire range of the double bass.