Notes and Editorial Reviews
ROSSINI
Duetto.
PATITUCCI
The Root. Grateful.
TELEMANN
Sonata No. 2.
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style="font-family:'Arial Black'; font-size:10pt">BOTTESINI
Gran Duetto No. 3.
DALBY
MacPherson?s Rant.
GLIÈRE
Cradle Song.
ELGAR
Duetto.
FRANÇAIX
Duo Baroque
This is a double-bass feast, featuring some unusual music in unusual instrumental combinations. Canadian-born Jeremy McCoy, a double bass-player in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1985, has chosen a widely varied program ranging from Telemann to contemporary young composers. While Bottesini and Rossini are familiar names in the bass literature, who ever knew that Elgar wrote a little duet for trombone and double bass? (It only came to light in 1970.) True, it?s merely 58 seconds long, but well crafted and charming, and a novel addition to the bass repertoire. Also a lovely find is Glière?s little
Cradle Song
for viola and bass. All in all, McCoy could not have found a more proficient group of instrumentalists (many of them colleagues from the Met orchestra) to play with; the performances are all excellent.
Of the older works, the Telemann duo for bass and bassoon gives equal treatment to both instruments as they share material in a contrapuntal style. Rossini?s
Duetto
is virtuosic for both instruments, but especially for the cello, whose part is composed like a florid opera aria. John Patitucci (b. 1959) has been active in the jazz world as composer, player, writer, arranger, and teacher. He writes in a delightfully cool jazz style; his duet,
Grateful
, for electric bass and double bass, affords McCoy an opportunity to play a very lyrical solo.
MacPherson?s Rant
, Scottish-born Martin Dalby?s beguiling piece for three instruments of the flute family (one at a time!) along with the bass, calls for imaginative and virtuosic sounds from both players.
The longest work on the program is the four-movement sonata in Baroque style composed in 1980 by Jean Françaix for harp and bass. The outer movements are completely Gallic?perky, sharp rhythms, and a kind of brittle, nonchalant, but elegant style. The slow movement is lyrical, with each instrument given a long solo section, in which McCoy demonstrates his sensitive musicianship and excellent technique. A light, dance-like scherzo precedes the spirited finale.
This disc is recommended for its unusual repertoire and the top-notch performances, excellently recorded, which give it life.
FANFARE: Susan Kagan
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Works on This Recording
1.
The Root by John Patitucci
Performer:
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass),
John Patitucci (Double Bass)
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Date of Recording: 05/03/2004
Venue: Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 19 Secs.
3.
MacPherson's Rant by Martin Dalby
Performer:
Laura Gilbert (Alto Flute),
Laura Gilbert (Piccolo),
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass),
Laura Gilbert (Flute)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1971; Scotland
Date of Recording: 02/29/2004
Venue: Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle, NY
Length: 9 Minutes 17 Secs.
4.
Duet by Sir Edward Elgar
Performer:
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass),
Demian Austin (Trombone)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1887; England
Date of Recording: 12/15/2003
Venue: American Academy of Arts & Letters, NY
Length: 0 Minutes 58 Secs.
5.
Grateful by John Patitucci
Performer:
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass),
John Patitucci (6-String Bass)
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Date of Recording: 05/03/2004
Venue: Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle, NY
Length: 4 Minutes 21 Secs.
6.
Duo Baroque by Jean Françaix
Performer:
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass),
June Han (Harp)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1980
Date of Recording: 02/29/2004
Venue: Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle, NY
Length: 20 Minutes 40 Secs.
7.
Grand Duets (3) for 2 Double Basses: no 3 by Giovanni Bottesini
Performer:
John Patitucci (Double Bass),
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass)
Period: Romantic
Written: Italy
Date of Recording: 12/15/2003
Venue: American Academy of Arts & Letters, NY
Length: 12 Minutes 33 Secs.
Notes: Composition written: Italy (1836 - 1839).
9.
Duo for Cello and Double Bass in D major by Gioachino Rossini
Performer:
Steven Doane (Cello),
Jeremy McCoy (Double Bass)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1824; Italy
Date of Recording: 05/03/2004
Venue: Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle, NY
Length: 13 Minutes 5 Secs.
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