"Wolf Totem" by Tan Dun, premiered in 2015 by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, is a musical homage to Mongolia's nomadic people and their bond with the land and the endangered wolf. TSO Principal Double Bass Stuart Thomson, soloist in this concert, first performed the work with the TSO as part of the world premiere season. Traditional Mongolian instruments blend with contemporary orchestration, evoking the mysticism of the steppe. The solo double bass, rooted in the pentatonic scale, weaves a narrative of the landscape's vitality and harshness. Through lively galloping motifs and mournful passages, the concerto captures the duality of Mongolian life. The finale showcases the double bass's versatility in an extended cadenza.

Performed live as part of Tan Dun's ‘Wolf Totem’ on 16 March 2023 at Federation Concert Hall, nipaluna / Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

PROGRAM
Tan Dun, Double Bass Concerto, ‘Wolf Totem’

Conductor: Eivind Aadland
Double Bass: Stuart Thomson
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra