Double Bass,String Bass Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1018941 Composed by Benjamin Harry Sajo. 20th Century,Contemporary. Individual part. 4 pages. Benjamin Sajo #6072983. Published by Benjamin Sajo (A0.1018941). Fugue: Wear Pearls and Smile is, on the outset, a fast, rambunctious adventure for many voices playing at the same time. It was conceived as a pairing for the equally vivacious second symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven–his 250th birthday is this year–but can stand on its own as one of my hardest, most challenging works to cook up.This piece is dedicated to those forced to appear positive when internally they’re falling apart. The title is inspired by a quote that’s been with me for a while, Why is it that men can be bastards and women must wear pearls and smile? by Lynn Hecht Schafren, the celebrated American jurist famous for campaigning for gender equity in courts. I’m taking the quote out of its initial context, but the power of that quote, for me, exemplifies how hard it is to maintain a sense of emotional decorum and dignity when you’re authentically a hot mess. And what’s more of a musical hot mess than a fugue?There are two realities to this piece. I’ll quote Dmitri Shostakovich, from his autobiography: The rejoicing is forced, created under threat, […] It’s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, ‘Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing,’ and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering ‘Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.’ On the one hand, it is insincere happiness, cloying perhaps. But the other truth, I’ll quote Oscar Hammerstein II, from The King and I: While shivering in my shoes / I strike a careless pose / And whistle a happy tune / And no one ever knows, / I'm afraid. I forced myself, against all impulses of my current being, to forge happiness. This piece, with its origin being a mental puzzle (fugues are puzzles), it became a construct where I could lift myself up and regain a sense of purpose. Therefore, it is invented–out of a literal need to survive–pure, genuine happiness.Future Performances: If you are interested in performing this work, please e-mail me.ABOUT THE COMPOSER: Benjamin Sajo (b. 1988) is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music, as well as an educator. Since developing a fiercely independent creative voice upon the completion of his studies at Western (2010) and McGill Universities (2013), he continues to find inspiration from the intersection of mythology, art, and nature upon the contemporary human experience. In 2019, he released his premiere album of original music, The Great War Sextet: Canadian War Poetry with Trombone & Strings , with support from the Ontario Arts Council. He is a member of SOCAN and the League of Canadian Composers.

Double Bass,String Bass Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.869156 Composed by Thomas Oboe Lee. 20th Century,Baroque,Classical,Contemporary,Romantic Period. Individual part. 44 pages. Thomas Oboe Lee #31067. Published by Thomas Oboe Lee (A0.869156). I received an email from Joel Quarrington in 2011 with a request to buy a score and a set of parts to Hylidae … The Tree Frogs (1991) for violin, double bass and piano. He said he would like to perform the work at the next International Society of Bassists convention in Rochester, New York.  I told him That is great.  But it’s such an old work.  Why don’t I write something new for you?   He said, How much would a commission cost?  I said, Let me write the piece first and if you like it, we can talk about a fee then. I began work on Toccata for Double Bass and Piano in late August and completed it on October 15.  I sent Joel the music as a PDF and MIDI file via email.  He wrote back, The piece looks really terrific and I have enjoyed listening to it as well, thanks for the midi file.  I couldn’t be happier! Toccata is in three movements, fast-slow-fast, with internal ABA ternary forms in the first and last movements - also fast-slow-fast. Moderato … Trio … A tempo. Adagio. Allegro … Trio … Reprise! The first movement begins with a driving dotted-note motif in the double bass accompanied by an insistent sixteenth-note bass-line in the piano left hand and a soaring quarter-note melody in the piano right hand.  A Trio follows which features a lyric melody in the double bass … molto cantabile!   The double bass returns this time stealing the sixteenth-note bass-line motif from the piano left hand.  The double bass pushes the music forward relentlessly and ferociously … holding no prisoners!  To add counterpoint to this madness, the piano comes back with the quarter-note melody but in octaves this time.  The left hand joins the melee occasionally to push the music forward until it reaches its climax at the conclusion. The second movement, Adagio, is a slow waltz.  The mournful tune is delivered by the double bass at first, then it’s passed on to the piano, and it goes back and forth between the two.  The third movement is a 6/8 romp, very syncopated and jazzy.  The music goes back and forth between the double bass and piano, not unlike when the musicians in a jazz combo trade four’s among each other.  An adagio Trio follows.  The tune is in the double bass: long descending lines over a languid piano accompaniment.  To complete the ABA format, the music from the beginning of this movement returns as a reprise. ENJOY!!! Commissioned by Joel Quarrington for a premiere performance at the 2013 International Society of Bassists Convention at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.