A very brief consideration in my own words.

"Concierto Argentino" by maestro Mauricio Annunziata is surely the best expression of the correct idea to compose something for the classical double bass also in relation with the "Tango Argentino" . With something related to the past ... contemporary composers always forget this main aspect in their noble compositions. Maestro Annunziata absolutely no!! Yes, as you know, it's a "challange Concerto in one time" but absolutely amazing. I'm sure you will enjoy! Thank you, maestro Annunziata for this jewel gifted to the Community of Classical Double Bass Players. I'm sure they will apreciate it.

Mauricio Annunziata

Argentine composer and pianist, was born in Buenos Aires from Italian parents. At the age of five he started to play and compose intuitively. He studied piano and graduated in the Buenos Aires Conservatory at the age of 15 and in his young years he performed concerts as a soloist and with orchestras in Argentina at the Teatro Colón, Teatro Municipal de Bahía Blanca and others.

Annunziata is a autodidact composer, and he collected a series of successes in prestigious composition competitions as Masterprize (London), EMI Recordings, Warner Bross (Japan), Young Composers (Bologna), F. Mompou (Spain), Ed. Boileau (France).

He graduated in Computer Science at the University of L'Aquila (Italy) with the thesis "Automatic System for Musical Analysis". He created a new, comprehensive model of artistic form: "Lyrical Opera Multimedia". With this versatile and exciting structure "Concert-Theatre" wrote a series of frescoes on Argentine Myths who collected titles Pampa Milagrosa, Dones Divinos, Cielo Andino, Patagonia, Río Guaraní, Tierra del Fuego, Los Invisibles.

Annunziata has received honors from several governments and his opera Los Invisibles (The enigma of the Afro-argentineans) was declared by UNESCO of world interest.

He has composed 150 works including symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music and many compositions for piano and film music

Newspapers have written:

“The new music by Mauricio Annunziata, for technical mastery, beauty and expressiveness of ideas reach the height of the great European National Schools" (La Vanguardia, Spain)

“The Work of Mauricio Annunziata means for Argentina what the Work of Albéniz is for Spain” (Alicia de Larrocha)

“As for the role of Argentina on the music scene we have the composers such as Alberto Ginastera and the young Mauricio Annunziata” (El Mundo, Spain)

“Mauricio Annunziata creates a new and comprehensive model of artistic form: the Lyric Opera Multimedia. This versatile and exciting structure gives rise to a new path of Concert-Theatre" (M. G. Siliato, Switzerland)

“The success of the first performance of the opera Tierra del Fuego is also due to the overwhelming performance of the piano part from the author. The originality of the musical language of Tierra del Fuego has caught the attention of the audience that has followed with great attention and then exploded in a riot of applause” (Ámbito Financiero, Argentina)

“The author is an excellent pianist, whose performance deserves the highest praise. If, as a writer, is awaiting a strange creation, is a building of strong and well written... It only remains to toast the author and give him the most deserved compliments” (Diario del Fin del Mundo, Argentina)

Maria Grazia Siliato, Historian and Archaeologist

Last update June 2016

Concierto Argentino for Double Bass and Orchestra, Op. 123

This concert was composed by the argentinian Mauricio Annunziata in August 2015 in Italy, at the request of Maestro Svetozar Vujic (solois and bass section leader off Orchestra of the National Theatre in Belgrade) that will participate representing his nation at the 5th European Biennial Double Bass Bass Congress Europe 2016, Prague.

Presentation by the composer

Perhaps it must confess that the reign at night Buenosairean has conferred me many things. And also it is certain that the distance of my native city me has made them revivir more intensely in my memory. As well as its title indicates it, the «Concierto Argentino for Double Bass and Orchestra, Op. 123» (Argentinian Concerto) evokes with an original seal native musical airs of the city of Buenos Aires.

The Double Bass was always a protagonist of the typical tango orchestras, and this work wants to pay tribute.

I have wanted to once again approach the Tango the called musica «serious», «cultured», to release it of its «intermediate» position between the popular thing and the serious thing and so that it can thus be integrated in the repertoire of interpreters of this last sort without they need some indication nor must resort to the improvisation.

The work is conceived as a bithematic sonata-form and of pure urban aspect, the first subject (Moderato con fervore) is of undergone character and contrasts with the second, slower and sweet, with one coda that, accelerating, retakes tempo initial with greater enthusiasm. It follows a development section in which a new element is brilliant: a waltz (Allegretto tranquillo) that alternates with the initial subject to take step to the summary, varied and enriched thematically, after the Double Bass cadenza that takes the work to a fervent final.

Of the rythmical aspect, by its simplicity, it would say that it combines and it superposes the diverse formulas of the tango with those of Buenosairean waltz. The harmony, modern, rich in resources and maintained coverall by solid aesthetic principles —sadly and incomprehensibly forgotten by most of the present composers—, one is based on my frequent politonales ways that when they want are to lead music towards the same place, and with the taste (synonymous of originality) like predominant factor.

All the work is surrounded by that nostalgic, sweet, ironic and tragic color that always characterized to the music of the city of Buenos Aires, well-known in the world as Tango. And this time will be the bass to tell us...

Mauricio Annunziata

Rome, August 2015

www.mauricioannunziata.com

My dear, Vito,