Wendell Rosa: Ballade in A minor for solo double bass

About the Composition

Ballade in A minor was composed in 2020 while I was trying to understand what was going on in Brasil. It was a really sad moment but I was decided to compose this piece as a new challenge to my double bass skills and sounding possibilities.

I can remember that I was really inspired by the Glazunov violin concerto, Ysaye violin sonatas, and a Brasilian song called “Manhã de Carnaval” which I used as the main material for the opening phrase.

More than a technical challenge. It is trying to transmit musicality through the double bass using idiomatic possibilities truly researched in order to sound good to both classical and non-classical audiences.

I hope you enjoy it!

-Wendell Rosa

About the Composer

Wendell Rosa started his studies of acoustic double-bass in the year of 2013 in a community center social inclusion program in the city of Esteio, under the orientation of the instructor Ismael Almeida. Months later, he became a member of the Young Orchestra of Esteio, making several presentations. In the year 2014, he started his classes in the Porto Alegre Symphonic Orchestra School (OSPA School), being orientated by professor Éder Kinnape. Later, he joins the Youth Symphonic Orchestra of Porto Alegre, and the Youth Symphonic Orchestra of Rio Grande do Sul, also getting involved in many presentations, among these concerts and recitals. 

In 2016 he was admitted at the Federal University of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), where he is attending an undergraduate course of music (specializing in acoustic double-bass), under the orientation of Dr. Alexandre Ritter, achieving his diploma in 2019. He acted in groups like the main Orchestra of OSPA, the Santa Cruz University Orchestra, the UFRGS Aluminis Orchestra, and in the UFGRS acoustic double-bass quartet, besides participating in many Saraus in UFGRS arts institute. In 2018 as one of the winners of the winter festival of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), he was prized with a full scholarship for the double bass performance course at The University of Georgia, there attending many events, including classes, concerts, recitals, being then orientated by professor Milton Masciari. 

He got involved in masterclasses and summer courses, attending classes of professors like Alberto Bocini (Italy), Milton Masciari (USA), Michinori Bunia (Germany), Gustavo Fontes (Brazil), Walter Schinke (Brazil), Fabio Alves (Brazil), and George Amorim (Brazil/USA). He has performed standard pieces like Concerto for Double bass by Nino Rota, Concerto N. 2 for Double Bass by Bottesini, Concerto for Double Bass by Koussevitsky, Concerto for Double Bass by Dittersdorf, Concerto for Double Bass by Dragonetti, etc.

While composer, he owns the Duo Number 1 for acoustic double-bass and violin called “the forgetful battle ascension,” recorded in 2018 in Audio Porto studios, available on YouTube, in 2019 performed his first orchestral concert, interpreting the Concerto N. 2 by Giovanni Bottesini.