专辑简介

The inspiration for this album was centenary tour I did in 2012 commemorating the great tragedy that was the sinking of the Titanic. I was playing a solo arrangement of a piece my Great Uncle had played on the deck of the Titanic as it departed Ireland, its last ever port of call. The response was so overwhelming that I thought I had to record it and especially so as it had never been recorded. As things progressed I decided also to record some other pieces from the double bass solo repertoire which were my personal favourites, and which had been much loved by audiences over the years in recital. Schubert’s exuberant Arpeggione sonata was an easy first choice and next was Eccles’ charming Italianate styled sonata. I could not fail to include something by my personal double bass hero (and arguably greatest bassist of all time) Domenico Dragonetti. Finally I did not want to miss an opportunity to add to the double bass solo repertoire and so commissioned a new piece from the marvellous Irish composer John Kinsella, who has composed an extraordinarily inventive and descriptive piece for solo bass, using the “Erin’s Lament” air as its inspiration. To appreciate the beauty of the sound of the double bass, its extraordinary colour, its deep sonority and its very gentleness, one really has to hear it played as a solo instrument. Its my hope that as you hear it on this album it may enable you to appreciate what a lyrical, agile and beautiful instrument it actually is, and that it truly deserves the title ‘Titanic’ among the string family.