Air Populaire by Victor Verrimst is based on a sixteen bar opening introduction (Andante) with the original theme introduced by bass 1 in 1st position…
Air Populaire by Victor Verrimst is based on a sixteen bar opening introduction (Andante) with the original theme introduced by bass 1 in 1st position and in the home key of G major. Basses 2 and 3 contrast this with a more rhythmic and harmonically interesting accompaniment but in the lower register of the instrument.
Each variation follows directly on from the previous one and is always sixteen bars in length. The melody is divided between all three players and each variation has its own distinct character and style, offering opportunities to be the soloist, the bass or a harmony line, and this is a fun piece which is playable by intermediate bassists with few technical or music challenges.
Verrimst successfully captures the bucolic and rumbustious side of the instrument, with nothing to frighten an audience, and this would be a enjoyable and lively addition to any school concert or for bassists of a youth orchestra who are asked to provide some entertainment at short notice.
Ideal to develop many playing skills, it ticks all the boxes and is worthy of still being in print well over a century after it was composed. Why compose for double bass trio? There is no documentation to confirm why Verrimst wrote for trio but composers tend to write for the instrumental forces at hand and it is likely that his class in Paris included three students at about the same technical level and hence the bass trio was born.
