Théotime Voisin shares the insight behind a bespoke new work for double bass and piano by composer and jazz pianist Jean-Marc Fouché, which aims to take listeners on an exciting musical journey
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Isn’t it the dream of any instrument player to have a piece that showcases every facet of their instrument?
Thanks to composer Jean-Marc Fouché, that dream has come true for pianist Maurice van Schoonoven and myself: he wrote for us the amazing Spicy Odyssey. The work is designed to engage the audience in living a wordless musical story in which they will discover both the double bass in an unexpected way and our duo’s singular musical world.
For years, I was thinking about a good way to present the full possibilities of the double bass to an audience, too often unaware of the instrument’s potential. It dawned on me that an unusual instrument needs a very original way to be promoted! One day, while attending a concert where long-time friend Jean-Marc Fouché’s music was performed, it all became obvious. Who better than Jean-Marc, a former classical bass player, a jazz pianist, and a witness of my evolution as a double bassist, to give life to such an idea?
So started our ’spicy odyssey’. My wishes were numerous: virtuosity, lyricism, a variety of musical genres, descriptive music easily understandable by any audience but still musically challenging, solos for each instrument…
Which resulted in a work of 50 minutes, divided in 7 chapters whose titles were chosen to ignite the listener’s fantasy:
- Chapter 1: Orbit and Discovery
- Chapter 2: The Peace of the Dream
- Chapter 3: The Sound of the Mind
- Chapter 4: Land of Subconscience
- Chapter 5: Scenery
- Chapter 6: Red Night
- Chapter 7: The Wobble of the World
’Orbit and Discovery’ is a slow introduction shaping the musical identity of the piece with the double bass’s most extreme sounds (very low register and long high harmonics). The main theme is being exposed and the listener will be able to follow it through all the movements. The chapter ends up with a virtuoso and rhythmical part.
’The Peace of the Dream’ is a romantic elegy. Then comes a solo for each instrument: ’The Sound of the Mind’ is a tempestuous solo for the piano and ’Land of Subconscience’ is an introvert and dreamy one for the double bass. After a short interlude, ‘Scenery’ comes the most challenging chapter of the piece: ‘Red Night’. Thought as a suite of dances from different musical genres, valse, ragtime, some be-bop.. definitely one of the most challenging movements of the piece!
’The Wobble of the World’ serves as a long epilogue where the main musical ideas are being summarised one last time. It is a musical reflection on what both the listener and performers have been through during the piece, ending in a very heroic and explosive way. Jean-Marc Fouché’s unique composition skills and musical backgrounds gave birth to a real musical adventure that both music specialists and amateurs can enjoy listening to.
We became characters in this musical adventure; notes don’t even exist anymore, they become words, atmospheres, moods and noises
As a performer, the biggest challenge was how to shape 50 minutes of music while keeping the audience totally engrossed. It really feels like you have to perform a symphonic poem but only with a bass and a piano!
Such a piece definitely took our duo a giant step forward: we became characters in this musical adventure; notes don’t even exist anymore, they become words, atmospheres, moods and noises. You completely forget that you are playing an instrument as you become instantly part of the story. A story that you really have the feeling to live while you perform it, with so much freedom of interpretation. Even after playing it a couple of times, you never know what you will be going through. You turn the pages of the chapters like the pages of a book, very excited to discover where the music will take you…
As a double bass player, to learn how to survive 50 minutes of intense playing was an experience very attractive for me. I really had to keep this aspect in mind while practising, and every time we perform it. I have learnt a lot! This fantastic work is definitely setting a new step in the double bass repertoire, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!
Watch the trailer for Spicy Odyssey below. The full video will be released on Théotime Voisin’s YouTube Channel on Monday 1 July 2024.
Listen: The Strad Podcast #98: finding new double bass repertoire with Valentina Ciardelli
Watch: Bottesini Bass Concerto no.2 …arranged for two basses!
Read: Serge Koussevitzky: 150 years of the double bass virtuoso and conductor
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