Double bass solo piece by Mette Nielsen

Photo: Soffi Chanchira Larsen

'Under vandspejlet' is written for double bass player in Cph Phil, Olle Davidsson, and Mette Nielsen has emphasized the idea of the solo piece as a musical portrait of the musician.

"My first impression of Olle Davidsson was that of a very calm and gentle personality," Mette Nielsen tells about her meeting with the soloist. "At the same time I was told an anecdote about how he had carried out a legendary double bass passage in a piece, known to be extremely difficult and demanding, and feared by double bass players throughout history. In the recording session with Cph Phil, Olle had played with a force representing two double basses."

These two conflicting aspects of the same person - the immediate impression and the stories surrounding him - became the point of departure for Mette Nielsen's composition.

"When I left our first meeting I had a 5/4 melody playing in my head, which I thought matched my impression of Olle well," says Mette Nielsen. "I have used this melody in the piece, but it gets obstructed and exposed to different ways of playing. And to natural harmonics - I don't believe I have ever managed to write a piece for double bass without including natural harmonics."

The performance of Mette Nielsen's 'Under vandspejlet' will kick of a concert with Copenhagen Phil featuring Mozart's Symphony no 29 and Bruckner's Symphony no 6.

METTE NIELSEN: UNDER VANDSPEJLET

Thursday, February 22, 19:30 
Hårlevhallerne, Stevns (DK)
Olle Davidsson, double bass
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METTE NIELSEN: UNDER VANDSPEJLET

Friday, February 23, 19:30 
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Concert Hall, Copenhagen (DK)
Olle Davidsson, double bass
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