Variacions simfòniques s. tema d'H. Eccles (Db+Orch)

Variacions Simfòniques sobre un tema d’Henry Eccles (Symphonic Variations on a theme by Henry Eccles) for Double Bass and Orchestra, was composed for the opening of the 3rd Colombian-Catalan Week. Maestro Robert Black was the star of this festival held in the Colombian city of Medellín in spring 2005.

In terms of the accompaniment, there are two versions of this work: the original version with symphonic orchestra, the one we are publishing in this edition; and a reduction of the original version with a piano accompaniment (Clivis, ref. E622).

The main theme of this piece is the first phrase of the first movement, Largo, from Sonata in G minor by Henry Eccles (1670-1742) in the version for double bass and piano; and I stress this because there are several versions of this work for violin and piano, horn and piano, bassoon and piano, trombone and piano, cello and piano, etc. Much has been written about whether this sonata and others that Eccles published were in fact the originals or whether they have been plagiarised from another composer of that period. We won’t go into that debate and will instead simply confirm that the beauty and depth of expression of this music that Eccles has left us has a very special quality.

The Variacions Simfòniques sobre un tema d’Henry Eccles (Symphonic Variations on a theme by Henry Eccles) comprise one Theme, six Variations, one Cadence and a reprise of the theme. These small sections follow one another without any interruption, with the aim of creating a work with a single stroke within a structure – that of the theme with variations which, in my opinion, is discontinuous in places.

Moisès Bertran