Alessio Manega- CHAZZ!!! Suite per Contrabasso Solo ("Towards The Light" Part 5)

Alessio Manega (1990-) CHAZZ!!! Suite per Contrabbasso Solo (2018)
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
I. Esordio
II. Jazzy
III. Andante scorrevole
IV. Brillante
Sheet Music available here: www.preludiomu...
Exceprt from:
“Towards The Light” for solo Double-Bass
created and performed by: Szymon Marciniak
watch the entire program here: • TOWARDS THE LIGHT (COM...
originally broadcasted during the 2021 Virtual Convention of the International Society of Bassists
Recorded April 19th-20th, 2021 at StudioBoerne 45, Berlin (Germany)
Audio: Dirk Fischer
Video: Anders Bigum
About the program:
Towards The Light symbolises moving to the brightness, transition into the good, coming to a positive place.
It’s about overcoming “the bad” to find ourselves in a place of "the new good".
It is about the belief that after every dark time there is a new happiness found.
Happiness that is not naivety but one resulting from experience
One that gives us new wisdom and strength.
One that enforces us in starting a new chapter with a sense of freedom, letting go of the past, moving on, accepting the here and now
One that makes us realize better who we are, what we want and why we are here.
When I first got the idea of a complete solo program for double bass in early 2019 it was rather personally based inspiration. The phrase “Towards The Light” immediately came to my mind. It was supposed to be just a working title but it has never left me so I stayed with it. I could not expect that this phrase will soon gain much broader meaning. The things the world was going through in 2020 have changed is still changing our lives.
I do believe that we can only find sense in anything that is happening to us when we are able to take it as an experience, a lesson to learn. We may go through the darkest of tunnels but at the end there is always light to be found again.
Let’s move Towards The Light!
About the music:
While none of the works played here are literal translation of my feelings they all have been selected to serve the mood and purpose of the program. Each piece has its function in the dramatic narrative throughout the 50 minutes of music. In that respect the general idea is starting in the darkness and ending with the feeling of hope. I will leave the rest to your own imagination.
I should mention that a lot of the music played here was written by my friends and colleagues who besides being prominent bass virtuosos are as well great and imaginative composers. Each of them pushes the boundaries of a modern bass repertoire in their own right. While most of pieces have been already performed or recorded (despite having been written just in few recent years) - I am very pleased to introduce “CHAZZ!!!”- brand new work from Alessio Manega, young composer from Italy, which is receiving premiere hearing in this recital. My special thanks go also to Daniele Roccato for letting me play his composition “Vilma’s Memories” without an official publication existing. Getting to know and working on all of these works has been source of great joy and inspiration for me!
Szymon Marciniak, in May 2021