The idea of writing music for double bass alone has inspired several composers. Bjørn Ianke has collected seven of the most prolific pieces on this release, some of which were composed for him personally. Cecilie Ore´s “Contracanthus” revolves around fixed points of obsession with structures appear to move but move without development – a linear non-linearity. Karlheinz Stockhausen´s “Tierkreis” (Zodiac) is, as the name indicates, a collection of melodies based on the Zodiac, originally composed as musical material for “Musik im Bauch”, a piece with strong theatrical or perhaps ritual elements. The “Two Sketches”, formerly wrongly attributed to the Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola but now of unknown origin, show an imaginative use of timbre and consequent investigation of a very limited set of musical elements. Enrico Mainardi´s “Serenata e burlesca per contrabasso solo” are two short character pieces full of surprises and rapid changes of mood. The expressive piece “Hovering Depths”, written by Norwegian composer Magnar Åm, partly inspired by paintings, evokes the image of a large, dark mountain and its reflection on the lake. In contrast, the “Thème varié pour Contrabasse solo” by Jean Francaix, is more joyful, setting out seemingly without any distance to tradition, but slowly moves into an extended tonality. In addition to these pieces, this recording also notably includes the world premiere recording of Hans Werner Henze’s S. Biago 9 Agosto ore 1207.
Arne Peter Rognan |Bjørn Ianke |Cecilie Ore |Enrico Marinardi |Hans Werner Henze |Jean Françaix |Karlheinz Stockhausen |Magnar Åm
