Vicky’s Corner – Secret and Sacred time.
Interview for PLAYERS School of Music 
EM: I am Eduardo Marturet, Music Director of the Miami Symphony Orchestra. We have this amazing new work for Double Bass and Orchestra called “Love and Betrayal”, and the story begins with Mauricio Rodríguez, the composer, who is here with us and Luis Gómez-Imbert, one of the soloist in the concerto. Mauricio please tell us how everything began.
MR: YES! ok, as a bass player, our instruments have always been renegaded, to mention in one or in another way, as a part only of the side instruments of the orchestra, always accompanying and there is not too much literature written for this instrument. Because one idea that surged during some time ago, between Luis and me talking by phone about that issue, we decided to write the piece dedicated to the Double Bass, and in this case we decided to write it for two basses and he arrived with the idea to do the version of a Fantasy about Carmen by Bizet, and then I was searching for one week before to start writing the first movement, at least doing my own line in how to prepare the music and I was listening, I don’t know how many versions of Bizet and another version from arrangements and Fantasy written for another instrument about this piece and at the end I felt in love with the script and the idea which brought Bizet to write this piece, and I believe this is a masterpiece. Then I asked myself, because I am a composer, but I don’t want to say that I am a composer of career which the people known as a real composer, however I am the kind of person who always love to put my ideas and turn these ideas into sound. I’ve spent almost all my life learning about how to compose and enjoying the process of composition, then I said, ok we have one interesting point here: We are living on 2014 -15 (I don’t remember when was the first time that I started writing this piece) and I needed to dream the piece in accordance to our present times. I needed to put something that the people would be identified with the music, and no the music by itself. Since my music education is almost eclectic: I have a classical background, because I studied classical music for a long period of my life and still, but also as a Cuban player, I play Latin music, and I play Jazz, I felt in love with Jazz since I was a kid, and the process of composition of this piece, all these ideas and all of these experience came together, and at the end, I am very happy with the result that we got on the paper right know, and because the big opportunity that this Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Marturet has given me, to play my piece, and because we have an amazing opportunity to bring to this stage one of the most famous bass players of the time, Chi-chi Nwanoku, and having Luis Gómez as well, playing the second part, and I believe this is a big privilege for me to be part of this project.
EM: Fantastic Mauricio. I have something that I wanted to ask you for a long time. What did you find in Carmen that inspired you to write this piece?
MR: Ok, that is a good question. You know, I happened to study the times when Carmen was written, and I believe that the message that Bizet tried to give up, was more that the people understood about Carmen. I don’t believe Carmen is the easy lady, to calling her on one way or another, that has been illustrated through the time and she has been put as an example of the kind of women who betrayed men and when we get in to the piece, deep enough, we can understand the message of Bizet, and what he tried to said, because the women of her time, was a big thing, and the description about Jose, I tried to put on the music for the time and the music that I wrote is telling that Carmen, to say on the movie style, is not the bad girl. Jose is a week man, who changed everything because of Carmen and he thought it would be the love of her life, but he betrayed her mom, and Michaela’s love for him and, on one point, he betrayed himself justified because Carmen. But at the end, Carmen was the victim.
EM: So, it is not only the music, which is very beautiful and inspiring, but also the story inspired you of the love and betrayal, and why did you choose the two basses? You choose Double bass because it’s your instrument but why didn’t you choose a Double bass and another instrument to portrayed the female and male element in the music.
MR: First, because I am very confident with the bass, this is my instrument and I think that I know the bass from A to Z, having spent all my life playing bass; and second, because the instrument, there’s no too much literature for this beautiful instrument, and the way the piece it’s written, is taking out all the beauty of the instrument. I am trying to tell the people how beautiful this instrument can be, and that is the main idea, beside the emotional power that surrounds the composition by itself. We have the figure of Carmen, with the first bass and we have the figure of Don Jose, with the second bass.
EM: ok and I think I buy that very well yes, but I do not buy the fact that you know the bass very well and for that reason you feel comfortable because you are a great orchestrator I must say. Isn’t it true Luis?
LG: I believe that one of the advantages that I see with Mauricio its the fact that, and you know this as well Eduardo, there is not bad music, just badly orchestrated music and we know this from Rimsky Korsakov. The fact that Mauricio it’s very systematic in his approach to orchestration and additionally his excellent knowledge of melodies, made this concerto a very special piece of music for the Double Bass. It is true what people said in that there is not much repertoire for the double bass, but what is really encouraging, it’s to know that not only Mauricio Rodríguez has taken the time to write this wonderful piece for two basses, not just one bass but two basses, but that also its not easy to get orchestra directors interested to feature an instrument that is not in the forefront of the solo world. Audiences feel more confortable listening to the piano, listening to the voice, or even to the violin. But definitely, that fact that we have two double basses here and the first double bass representing the figure of Carmen. It is very interesting to see these two big instruments on stage accompanied by an orchestra that its actually playing the third character of this piece in a very systematic, very organic way. So I’m extremely honor number one, and very excited to have this opportunity to share the stage with a great artist such as Chi-Chi but also with Eduardo Marturet whom I’ve known for so many years and played so many times and now have the opportunity to play the music of Mauricio witch I think It’s extremely innovative and creative.
EM: Related to Chi-chi, I love the fact that we can find a comparison with Carmen too, because Chi-chi being African-British and you Luis being you know, white, lets say so, like Don Jose. Carmen was an African American or I don’t know African Spanish wasn’t she? Well but she was really dark.
MR: Yes… it is close, you know because remember that Gypsies don’t have frontier.
EM: Lets say she was an African Arab, whatever. The point I want to make here, is that we found the perfect cast for the principal bass who happens to be one of the most recognized Solo players in the world Chi-chi Nwanoku and then, also, the fact that she is black, that said tenderly and with no remorse and I can say that because Chi-chi is my best friend, we went to music school together in Cambridge, England, and we have loved each other for the last 35-40 years, so nobody could say that I am being, you know, in other ways with much love, And in fact that that relation that I had with Chi-chi was that I was able to call her and she trusted us and it’s coming, again another element of confidence and trust in the whole equation, because Chi-chi said, ok Eduardo, I haven’t seen you in so many years, Id love to see you again, and of course I looked at the music and I adore the music, so everything is like a perfect match, don’t you think.
MR: Yeah you brought a very interesting point about one of the most important features of this piece, the orchestra, as the role of the 3rd element of the picture. There are Carmen and Don Jose, which are the main characters of the piece, but in this score, I tried to give also an important role to the orchestra and you see that in the 3rd movement, I believe at the end of the 3er movement or before the cadenza for the two bass when the orchestra is playing a very important role, I tried to made the fusion between the flamenco and the folkloric music and this is very interesting because we even, historically, we don’t share the same root, in one point, both cultures get together and that are the times we are living right now.
LG: Yeah and not only that, I believe that piece is very successful, because or it will be very successful, because it is a world premiere, and we start on the winning side by already using the themes from the opera Carmen that the audience knows. This was actually and I believe, one of the ideas at the beginning to write something that even though it’s a world premiere could use themes that the audience already knows, and of course the opera Carmen is one of the most popular operas, as a matter a fact we just played Carmen here in Miami with Florida Grand Opera in November and now with the premiere of Love and Betrayal, I would say, it’s a win-win situation for everybody. Additionally, the orchestra will enjoy playing it and just like Mauricio mentioned and I mentioned earlier, the orchestra comes in playing and introduce it sounds like another character that adds depth and profound sounds to the character of the piece. I personally believe that this is really a great work for the double bass, very cinematic as I mentioned at the beginning because the orchestra describes all the scenes and moments and so therefore here you have an opera without lyrics and everything else is being played with wonderful melodies through the two double basses in front and the orchestra as well.
EM: Brilliant, I couldn’t agree more. It is really going to be very special event and for the history of the Double Bass I think it’s a milestone there, and I am being, since I am not a Bass player myself i can help the authority, the objective authority to talk about these because …
LG: Well I tell you one thing and I am glad that you brought subject because I remember back in 1980 meeting the great argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, and he was writing the double bass concerto back then, and I asked him, Maestro when is the concerto going to be ready, and he said, well its almost ready, and unfortunately fwew months later he died, so we don’t have his major concerto, but of course we have the Koussevitzky concerto which was not written by Koussevitzky, we have the Bottesini concerto, which has been played so many times that it actually becomes boring and some of the classical concertos that actually have been played to exhaustion, so we are now in the 21 century and I believe that we are now opening new doors with this fantastic rendition of Love and Betrayal and specially as you mentioned, we are doing this in scordatura. This interesting idea that I presented to Mauricio was to add another string to the double bass to allow the double bass to takes the music to a higher register than make the double bass very clear almost than the cello.
EM: Very interesting, I love it, now we are talking about all the concertos, but I think we have to give it some credits to you, because, for example, you ask me to perform another double concerto few years ago, in fact, many years ago before in Venezuela didn’t we?, we planned to the Venezuela and then we did it here in Miami a few years ago and talked about the double concertos.
LG: Absolutely and you have also been an great supporter of new music. Now regarding this new work written by Mauricio which we will premiere March 19th at the Arsht Center in Miami, I was inspired by Mauricio also being a composer and a double bassist himself. Love and Betrayal is a concerto inspired by the opera Carmen but the orchestration is very modern. It uses jazz, harmonies and some other Latin motifs and of course it is also because we know that Chi-Chi was going to play it has also some other African rhythms as well, so it is a great mix. I personally cannot wait to the first rehearsal.
MR: And you know what? also with Chi-chi at the first Bass, she’s bringing to this performance the true temperament, because her roots, for the Carmen roll. I believe that the way that she plays, I have seeing her playing the bass, is the perfect combination for this piece.
LG: Well I love my role of Don José which is complementary to Carmen, and so the mix of the two, temperaments and musical expresions are going to be well represented on stage. Bravo Mauricio!!
EM: And now besides that, I know and you Luis some many years you have always being a gentleman that always know how to seduce women, so it is perfect to you. (laughing)
Perfect setting
EM: I feel very honored that the three of us could share this conversation for Bass Guitar Magazine, we are very honored that they are promoting our work and, well, we look forward to do some more with them. right? Fabulous. Thank You!
MR: Ok I believe that we have a good time and glad to be participating on this amazing moment and I believe that it’s a big moment on my life as a professional, and, as the Maestro Marturet mentioned before, it could be a milestone, for the history of the bass. People will start thinking differently about this instrument, once they have listened this piece. Not because I wrote the piece, but because the way it was written.
LG: we can only hope so. Thank You so much Mauricio for your time and thank you Eduardo for the opportunity to have this conversation recorded. Hopefully it will be published very soon.
EM: Thank you guys too.
Related posts
