Double bass concerto

A double bass concerto is a musical composition, usually in three parts or movements (see concerto), for solo double bass with an orchestra. Many of the first concerti for solo bass were written in the late classical period by Domenico Dragonetti and Johannes Matthias Sperger. Several concerti were also written by Johann Baptist Wanhal, Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, and Joseph Haydn, although Haydn's has since been lost. Giovanni Bottesini made enormous contributions to the solo double bass repertoire, and among his many works are two virtuosic concerti for double bass and orchestra. In the 20th century, many composers created new works for the instrument, including Serge Koussevitsky, Eduard Tubin, Hans Werner Henze, and John Harbison.^[1]

The double bass has not been a popular choice for a solo instrument, mainly due to the difficulties of balancing the soloist and orchestra so that the former is not overshadowed. The low register of the double bass makes it difficult to project; to help resolve this problem, many composers (most notably Bottesini) wrote solo parts in the high register of the instrument. Few major composers of the classical and romantic eras were disposed to writing double bass concerti, as there were few instrumentalists capable of taking on the demands of playing as a soloist; it was only through the efforts of virtuosi like Dragonetti, Bottesini, and Koussevitsky that the double bass began to be recognized as a solo instrument. As the twentieth century began, the standard of double bass technique improved by a significant degree, making it a more popular choice for composers.

Selected list of works for double bass and accompaniment

• Kalevi Aho
  • Double Bass Concerto (2005)
• Giovanni Bottesini
  • Gran Concerto in F♯ minor
  • Concerto No. 1 in B minor
  • Concerto No. 2 in B minor
  • Concerto No. 3 in A major (capriccio di bravura)
• Antonio Capuzzi
  • Concerto in D (F) major
• Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf
  • Concerto in E♭ major
  • Concerto No. 2 in E Major
• Domenico Dragonetti
  • Concerto in G major, D290
  • Concerto in D dur
  • Concerto in A major no 3
  • Concerto in A major no 5
  • Concerto in A major (Nanny)
• Hans Werner Henze
  • Double Bass Concerto (1966)
• Franz Anton Hoffmeister
  • Concerto No. 1 in D major
  • Concerto No. 2 in D major
  • Concerto No. 3 in D major
• Jiří Hudec
  • Burleska for double bass and orchestra (1981)
• Gordon Jacob
  • Concerto for Double Bass (1972)
• Serge Koussevitsky
  • Concerto in F♯ minor, Op. 3 (1902)
• Virgilio Mortari
  • Concerto per Franco Petracchi
• Edouard Nanny
  • Concerto in E minor
• Einojuhani Rautavaara
  • Angel of Dusk, concerto for double bass and orchestra (1980)
• Anthony Ritchie
  • Whalesong (2006)
• Nino Rota
  • Divertimento Concertante for double bass and orchestra (1968–1973)
• Johannes Matthias Sperger
  • Concerto in D major, No. 15
• Eduard Tubin
  • Double Bass Concerto (1948)
• Johann Baptist Wanhal
  • Concerto in E♭ major
• Aldemaro Romero
  • Concierto risueño
• Serge Lancen
  • Concerto pur contrebasse et cordes
• Fernand Fontaine
  • Concerto As dur
• Rolf Martinsson
  • Double Bass Concerto
• Stefan Boleslaw Poradowski
  • Double Bass Concerto
• Fredrik Högberg
  • "Hitting the First Base" Concerto for Double Bass and Strings
• Pere Valls i Duran
  • Gran Concert Obligat
• Thomas Goss
  • Double Bass Concerto in E Minor

References