The Gran Duo Concertante for two
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
es and orchestra was composed by the Italian
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
virtuoso
A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...
Giovanni Bottesini
Giovanni Bottesini (22 December 1821 – 7 July 1889) was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.
Biography
Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist ...
in 1880. The piece was premiered by Bottesini and
Luigi Negri, a former classmate of the composer. Negri was a student of
Luigi Rossi
Luigi Rossi (c. 1597 – 20 February 1653) was an Italian Baroque composer. Born in Torremaggiore, a small town near Foggia, in the ancient kingdom of Naples, at an early age he went to Naples where he studied music with the Franco-Flemish comp ...
at the Milan Conservatory at the same time as his more well-known colleague.
The ''Gran Duo Concertante'' is a single, sprawling
movement and usually lasts around 15 minutes if played up to
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
, but this estimate can vary greatly due to the artists' interpretation of the music. While double concertos were generally composed for different instruments, Bottesini did not seem to consider the questionable practicality of a piece that requires two very talented double bassists.
Camillo Sivori, the disciple of
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices f ...
, transcribed one of the bass parts for violin soon after its premiere. Sivori's version is that most commonly heard today, although his contribution is rarely acknowledged and even most bassists are unaware of the piece's original instrumentation.
Bottesini also wrote another concerto for two double basses entitled "Gran Duo Passione Amorosa" in a more traditional, three-movement format.
Bottesini
1880 compositions
Compositions for double bass
Compositions by Giovanni Bottesini
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