Bosch: Pedro Valls

There are distinct features of Valls' craft that make his music enduring and authentic. The music on this CD is true to Romantic, virtuosic instrumental writing for the Salon, which made use of a flourishing operatic language. The color of Valls' compositions comes from a sensibility to 'bel canto' but remains true and idiomatic to local song forms. The second Fantasia, "Il Fantasia para Contrabajo" displays this within the choice of theme for variation. Rather than employing a famous theme originating in Grand Opera as Bottesini did, Valls uses a less grand and expansive theme but wholly authentic to his known idiom, a theme reminiscent of Zarzuela and local song.

Leon Bosch on discovering the music of Pedro Valls':
In June 2009 I heard Thomas Martin perform Suite Andaluza in a recital at the International Society of Bassists convention. I had obliquely heard the name of Pedro Valls before, but it really didn't mean much to me at that time. Tom's performance was my first experience of hearing Pedro Valls' music and there were certain things I loved about both the music and indeed Tom's performance. Elements of the music remained embedded in my unconscious memory, periodically bubbling to the surface. A few months later I felt compelled to try to find the music and it soon became apparent that this was going to be a little more complicated than I had at first envisaged, but writing a few letters and e-mails and ringing round did the trick.

Read an interview about Leon Bosch’s recording project at Leon Bosch Interview

Track listing:
1. Gran introducció i tarantel-la
2. III. Fantasia para Contrabajo 'Homenaje a Bottesini'
3. II. Fantasia para Contrabajo

Colección de cuatro juguets para contrabajo y piano
4. Soledad "Capricho Andaluz"
5. Minuetto
6. Aromas del Bosque, "Capricho gavotta"
7.El Canto de la vieja, "Catalanesca"

8. Romança

Suite Andaluza
9. Serenata
10. Polo gitano
11. Saeta
12. Zapateado