Yorke-Edition

This is a superbly engraved volume with comprehensive fingering and bowing instructions prepared from an early manuscript by the Italian virtuoso Francesco Petracchi.Grade: 8

A light six-movement suite with popular French flavour. Moderate difficulty. The Habanera is recorded by Walter (Liben) the entire work by Goilav with the composer (Christophorus). AMEB (Australian Syllabus) 2004Grade: Moderate

An advanced work written mainly in the instrument's lower range; good study material.Grade: 8

For solo Double Bass and speaking musician-For Double Bass and speaking musician. Taxi! was inspired by those frantic cabs in Paris but the problems are universal. An hilarious music-theatre style piece by the French virtuoso equally successful for speaking bassist or with narrator. Grade: Medium

These two splendid pieces are fun for both the Soprano and the Double Bass and make an excellent light hearted item for a school concert.

Giovanni Bottesini ranks as one of the most famous Double Bass virtuosi ever to have lived. His Metodo Completo Per Contrabbasso or Method For Double Bass appeared in print between 1860 and 1970 in French Italian and English. The value of Bottesini's method lies in the gradual progression from simple exercises and rhythms in easy keys to virtuoso studies that use advance bowing techniques and require a thorough knowledge of the instrument. Grade: 8

Allegretto Capriccio Romanza Drammatica (Elegie) Fantasia I Puritani Fantasia Lucia di Lammermoor.

'An easy piece... Suitable for players who have been studying for about eighteen months'. Music Teacher. Dare was a Scottish composer and an amateur bassist.

Out of print for most of the 20th century this method comprises some 200 valuable progressive studies newly edited for a four stringed instrument with revised fingering and modern notation. ABRSM Double Bass Syllabus.

For 4 double basses. A very short quartet suitable as an encore. Only the top part is advanced. Recorded Berlin Philharmonic Quartet (Camerata). 2 solo DB with 2 Orchestra DB.Grade: Varying

It was a chance visit to a second hand bookshop in Nottingham that set me on the trail of Rossini's now well-known Duetto for cello and double bass. But the story begins earlier than that. In the 1960s I was studying the double bass at the Royal College of Music with Adrian Beers who was at that time principal of the English Chamber Orchestra on the front desk of the Philharmonia Orchestra and a member of the Melos Ensemble of London (then one of the leading ensembles of the world). I was working on the 'Dragonetti Concerto' as most young players do and I wanted to find out a bit about it. My teacher said he thought the autograph manuscript might be in the British Library which was all the encouragement I needed to secure a pass to the Reading Room so I could go and see for myself. There sure enough I found a large collection of Dragonetti's autograph manuscripts together with other bound volumes relating to his life. The papers had been lovingly collated and annotated by Vincent Novello one of Dragonetti's closest friends then deposited in the library before his departure to Italy in 1848 two years after Dragonetti's death. One of the volumes included a lot of letters about various engagements and music festivals copies of orders for strings Dragonetti wanted from Italy details about paintings he wanted to buy and numerous invitations to private functions. The manuscript of the 'Dragonetti Concerto' of course wasn't among the papers we now know it to have been written by Edouard Nanny a century or so later. One name that came up regularly in the documents was that of Sir George Smart. Smart had been a violinist in Salomon's orchestra and had played for Haydn at his London concerts in the 1790s. As a child he had learnt much about music from his father who had in turn been present at many of Handel's rehearsals when he was preparing some of his major works for the first time. Smart was also a fine keyboard player becoming organist of the Chapel Royal in 1822. As a conductor

A witty trio including a cakewalk and a blues. Not difficult. Three short movements. Duration c.7'.Grade: Easy

Bush who died in 1995 and lived well into his nineties was a pupil of John Ireland. Meditation is based on an old English ballad. '...not the easiest of pieces; well worth getting to grips with though.' The Strad. Duration c.10'. Op. 93 Nos. 1 & 2.Grade: 8

Relatively easy; written for the student. The second of the three movements is a tuneful Quodlibet based on folk songs.

An interesting and cleverly created cooncerto that is enjoyable and easy on the ear! Composed in 1971 by Alan Ridout here are two simple movements with strings suitable for grades 5 and 8 and are set as part of the ABRSM examinations.