‘They just said to write a piece for yourself, so it was obvious to me it would be a bass concerto,’ says composer and bassist Kebra-Seyoun Charles about the American Composers Orchestra’s commissioning of the composer’s new work, Nightlife Concerto for double bass and orchestra. The two-movement piece is ‘predicated on what gets people to dance’, says Charles. ‘It’s also my impressionistic feelings on life in New York.’ The two movements are titled ‘On the streets’ and ‘In the club’. ‘As an artist I think it’s my duty to be a part of this world,’ Charles continues. ‘I like to go out at night and just observe people being a part of it.’
The concerto begins in a French Baroque style, which Charles mixes with Black American swing. They highlight the similarities between the former style’s inégal rhythms with the swing feel. The work also includes a gospel section, which features the orchestra performing body percussion like slapping their thighs or finger-snapping, as well as singing. ‘Everyone is stomping and shouting words of encouragement towards the soloist – in this case me – in a way reminiscent of Black American church choirs,’ says Charles. This flows into a Prokofievian waltz, with inspiration from the composer’s Fifth Symphony and angular style. A frantic, Rite of Spring-esque dance arrives, before the wind section brings about a swung jazz section. On a larger scale, there are quotations from the Adagietto of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.
There needs to be a reason for everything the bass does. There’s no artistic merit in just writing something pyrotechnical for the sake of it,’ says Charles. ‘In some moments it’s more an operatic voice and then sometimes it is clearly the hero. I did write myself some septuplet runs and I’m looking forward to nailing that!’
