David Heyes: Te Puia o Whakaari 'Scenes of the Dramatic Volcano' for double bass quartet

About the Composition

Te Puia o Whakaari is an exciting and vibrant work that can be played by any progressing double bass quartet or larger forces and employs a range of playing techniques and effects demonstrating the many possibilities available to the modern double bassist. Much of the quartet remains in bass clef, with simple and evocative harmonics for Basses 1 and 2, creating musical soundscapes of this powerful and dramatic volcano. It was composed in 2017 and revised in July 2026.

The music features contrasting episodes in the history of this active, dynamic and unpredictable volcano. An underlying drone emphasizes the ever-present danger, above which two solo basses sing short musical motifs in harmonics, alongside sudden dramatic changes of rhythmic energy and ferocity. There is something of interest for each player, with Basses 3 and 4 only playing in bass clef.

The full Māori name for the island is 'Te Puia o Whakaari', meaning 'The Dramatic Volcano' or 'to make visible'. It was named 'White Island' and 'discovered' by Captain Cook on 1 October 1769 because it always appeared to be in a cloud of white steam. It is New Zealand's most active cone volcano and has been built up by continuous volcanic activity over the past 150,000 years. The music encompasses contrasting episodes in the history of this most active and dramatic volcano.

Premiere

Te Puia o Whakaari was premiered on Saturday 6 May 2017 at Blackwell Hall, Weston Library, Oxford (UK).

About the Composer

David Heyes (b. 1960) studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). He has given recitals and masterclasses in 20 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, three times as chairman.

David's collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass, and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and rediscovering forgotten ones. Since 1983, more than 700 works have been written for him — music for one to twenty basses and from beginner to virtuoso — and he has premiered ten contemporary concertos with orchestra.

David began to compose in 2013 and has had music performed and recorded in 36 countries across five continents. He is a D'Addario Performing Artist and has recently commissioned a solo double bass from British master luthier Martin Penning.