Dark music for a deep instrument
Christopher Morley from The Birmingham Post interviewed Margaret Cookhorn about performing John Woolrich's concerto for solo contrabassoon Falling Down at Symphony Hall, Birmingham:
‘Here, next Friday, Andris Nelsons conducts the CBSO...in the world premiere of Falling Down, a concerto for contrabassoon and orchestra by John Woolrich.
…Margaret Cookhorn, long-serving contrabassoonist with the CBSO, is thrilled at the solo opportunities this Woolrich composition offers her instrument. She tells me that this is the first concerto ever to be composed for her.
“Oh, yes, yes! I feel so honoured, so privileged. It was my chair-endower’s idea, Pat Welch, and when I had my long-service award – because I’m old! – he said ‘how about having a contra concerto written?’
“I thought, well, that’s crazy, but let me think about it. Then I thought, why not? why not? It’s a good idea!
“Then I asked Pat if he wanted the CBSO to accompany it or Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. He said with the orchestra, and that I could choose whoever I wanted to compose it.
Immediately I went to John, because he writes really well for me. Whenever we’ve done any music by him I’ve always enjoyed playing his parts.
“And I have to say, in this concerto he brings out my personality. I fell about laughing the first time I tried it, because I thought ‘this is me, this is me playing here! And the way he’s written it, it’s a very approachable piece to play, because I want this piece to be played by anybody, ever! I didn’t want it to be written, played, and then put away. I want it to be played lots of times.”
... “And that’s the beauty of John’s piece, it kind of lets people in more! The nice thing about it is, although it really explores the low notes – as you’ll hear! – the orchestra parts are also quite demanding as well, so it’s really quite a big virtuoso piece for all of us, really. There are times when I’m playing, and times when the orchestra alone are playing.
“It’s kind of like a tennis game. I’m playing, they’re playing, I’m playing, and so on. And sometimes when I do play, there is someone lurking in the background – I don’t want to give too much away.”
…John Woolrich is equally enthusiastic about this highly unusual premiere, and explains the genesis of Falling Down. He explains the title as “the music tumbles down – falling – at the beginning and at the end. And down is where the contra lurks.
He admits that there were issues in writing a concerto for such an exotic instrument.
“Hard. But I’ve always loved the contra – so that’s a good start. I’m drawn to its ability to ‘sing’ in rather a sexy way, the side that Ravel brought out in Mother Goose and the Left-Hand Piano Concerto. But it can be aggressive, or capricious, and, of course, being the deepest voice in the orchestra, it can do dark.
“I talked to Margaret before and after writing the piece. I’m happy to say she didn’t make me change anything.”’
The Birmingham Post (Christopher Morley), 16 July 2009
Reviews
‘This was a programme unlike any other, with a concerto each for oboe and contrabassoon, along with Berio’s virtuoso Sequenza XII for solo bassoon, and was perhaps explained by Birmingham’s hosting of the International Double Reed Society’s conference.
In Falling Down, his new piece for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s contrabassoon player Margaret Cookhorn, John Woolrich turns inherently unwieldy problems into creative solutions. As well as putting an aural spotlight on the contra’s purring/growling timbre, Woolrich sets up playful, wistful conspiracies of sound with its usual neighbours, trombones, tuba and cor anglais. From the opening charade – a cascade from sparkling piccolo down to the contrabassoon’s murky depths – the balance of vibrant, concertante exchanges between instruments and more contemplative episodes in engaging. Woolrich cleverly adds another dimension of interest: a golden triangle formed by two timpanists on opposite sides jousting together and with the soloist. Such tightly knit workings made Cookhorn’s cadenza all the more potent.’
The Guardian (Rian Evans), 27 July 2009
‘…Margaret Cookhorn played the elegant solo line with engaging personality and impressive clarity, and the orchestra, often programmatic at times as it actually falls and staggers to life again, collaborated with equal presence – not least the Nielsen-esque duelling timpanists, every note telling.’
The Birmingham Post (Christopher Morley), 27 July 2009
