In Memoriam Christian Nogaro

Scored for Double Bass Quartet and String Orchestra. Only available for Solo Tuning. Bernard Salles writes: 'This piece was written after the death of my friend in July 2014. I met Christian Nogaro (1958-2014) in the 1980s in Pau (France), I was a young double bass teacher and he had just set up as a luthier. Christian had been to Mirecourt, the famous school of violin making where he had learnt to make violins, violas, cellos and bows under the direction of Louis Morizot. One day I brought him a double bass in a very bad state and he carried out an exemplary repair on it. After that, I asked him to make me a copy of it. Christian had never made a double bass before but it was to be the first of many. Together, we created many different models of double basses. Very early on, Christian spoke to me about his idea to create a workshop and festival in Capbreton dedicated to the double bass in all its forms: Classical and jazz. So, in 1991, the first 'Capbreton International Double Bass Meeting' was born. Each year, the workshop grew, with more and more double bassists coming from all over the world to give classes and concerts. It continued for 24 years, with each workshop as prestigious as the one before it. Unfortunately, the workshop did not survive Christian's death. This piece, written for four double basses and strings (or organ), is an adapted extract from my 'Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross' and comes from the 6th Word: 'It is finished', originally written for tenor and orchestra. It was premiered in its version for double basses and strings during the concert given in Christian Nogaro's memory on the 16th of August 2014 in Capbreton Church, with Giuseppe Etorre, Thierry Barbé, Alberto Bocini, Wolfgang Güttler and the Orchestre Symphonique du Sud Ouest (OSSO), under the direction of the composer.' Bernard Salles was born in 1954 and began his musical education in his home town of Perpignan (France) where he studied double bass, organ, composition and orchestral conducting at the Conservatoire. In 1973 he want to the Conservatoire of Versailles and in 1976, at the age of 22, he was awarded a double bass teaching diploma. Since then he has taught at the Conservatoire of Pau (South-west France) and played with many major French orchestras including the Orchestre de Paris and the National Orchestra of France, under the direction of conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Metha and Lorin Maazel. In 1983 he began a parallel career as a conductor and was Music Director of the Orchestra of Pau from 1996-2001. He has directed the Orchestra of Pamplona (Spain) and is currently Music Director of the OSSO (Orchestre Symphonique du Sud-Ouest). As a composer and member of SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Editors of Music), he has written over 30 works including two symphonies, a cantata, a psalm for bass and orchestra, a concerto for double bass and small orchestra, Rhapsody for viola and orchestra, Triptych for orchestra, Prelude for cello and orchestra, a symphonic poem for soprano, cello and orchestra, as well as works for chamber groups, and for choir and organ. His pedagogic works are published by G.Billaudot in Paris and his works for double bass are published by Recital Music (England). In 2010 he began a series of short pieces for unaccompanied double bass - Portraits for Friends - dedicated to his double bass playing friends.