Description
The composer’s main instrument in college was the string bass which he studied under David Whisner at the University of Idaho and Murray Grodner at Indiana University, graduating in 1964.
The Double Bass Concerto #1 (Total Time = 20:26 minutes:seconds) is available for solo bass and piano and solo bass and string orchestra. The plan is to arrange it also for full orchestra and solo bass.
The third movement is 04:39 minutes long. It is an allegro 6/8 rhythm. The bass begins by introducing the dramatic Theme A melody, paraphrased in a transition by the orchestra to Theme B, which is a cat and mouse game of tag between the orchestra and solo bass. This in turns transitions into a fast romantic Theme C played in the upper fingerboard area of the bass with flowing arpeggios in the accompaniment. A frenetic syncopatic transition leads us back to a brief reintroduction of Theme A which transitions into a new romantic Theme Repeated by the orchestra.
The entire Theme A is repeated again, followed by the bass playing a new Theme D which is a dramatic melody that clips along at a rapid pace. The bass plays a variation of Theme D in the upper fingerboard which evolves into a transition melody consisting of the bass playing tag with the orchestra for a while, then repeating a frantic 6/8 rhythm in a brief round which transitions into a dramatic ending featuring plenty of diminished downward and upward spiraling arpeggios leading to a dramatic conclusion of the concerto.