Concerto for Bass Trombone and String Orchestra

This is a concert work following the traditional three movement concerto structure with strong signs of flamenco sonorities and bulería rhythms. The Bass Trombone explores its range to the fullest, showcasing all aspects of color, timber and technical demands. The orchestral strings confront varied extended techniques to also interact within the sought out musical identity. The first movement in particular hints at the typical flamenco guitar strumming “rasgueo de guitarra” as well as the characteristic clapping “flamenco palmas”. Both soloist and orchestra join in elements of dance when confronting the calling for “zapateo” (stomping of the feet) incorporated within the musical score. The second movement engages more on the bold flamenco sonorities through use and manipulation of the Spanish Phrygian Scale and Phrygian Cadence chords (Flamenco Cadence). The third movement shies away from grasping a transparent flamenco identity and acts more as a symbiotic element addressing flamenco along with fundamental pilars of western concert music, letting a fugato stem from the middle of the movement.