Giovanni Bottesini - Biography, Partial list of works, The Paganini of the Double Bass

Musician, a master of the double bass, born in Crema, N Italy. He was also successful as a conductor and composer, and his works include symphonies, overtures, and several operas, including Cristoforo Colombo (1847) and Ali Babà (1871).

Giovanni Bottesini (December 22, 1821 - July 7, 1889) was an Italian composer of classical music, a conductor, and a virtuoso of the double bass.

Biography

Bottesini was born at Crema in Lombardy. Only two were available: double bass and bassoon. He prepared a successful audition for the double bass scholarship in a matter of weeks. This money financed the acquisition of an instrument of Carlo Giuseppe Testore, and a globe-trotting career as "the Paganini of the Double Bass" was launched.

In 1849 he made his first appearance in England, playing double bass solos at one of the Musical Union concerts.

When conducting opera, Bottesini would frequently bring his double bass on stage during the intermission to play fantasies on the evening's opera.

In 1861 and 1862 he conducted at Palermo, supervising the production of his opera Marion Delorme in 1862, and in 1863 at Barcelona.

Bottesini wrote three operas besides those previously mentioned: Il Diavolo della Notte (Milan, 1859); He also wrote The Garden of Olivet, a devotional oratorio (libretto by Joseph Bennett), which was produced at the Norwich festival in 1887, eleven string quartets, a quintet for string quartet and double bass, and many works for the double bass, including two concertos for solo double-bass, the Gran Duo Concertante (originally) for two double basses, Passione Amorosa for two double basses, and numerous pieces for double bass and piano.

Partial list of works

Works for Solo Double-Bass (Partial)

Adagio melanconico appassionato (Elegie par Ernst) Allegretto-Capriccio Allegro Di Concerto "Alla Mendellssohn" (aka "Gran Allegro") Aria da Bach Auld Robin Gray Barber of Seville Bolero Capriccio Di Bravura Carnival of Venice Cerrito Concertino Concerto for Violoncello and double bass G major Concerto No. 1 in F# Minor for Double Bass and Orchestra (also known as concerto for students in some publications/arrangements/lower transpositions, studienkonzert in German publications) Concerto No. 2 in B Minor for Double Bass and Orchestra Gran Duo Concertante Elegy in D no. 3, "Romanza Patetica" Fantasia Beatrice di Tenda Fantasy on "La Sonnambula" Gran Duo Passione Amorosa (Andante) Introduction And Gavotte Melodia Melody in E minor Rêverie Tarantella in A minor Three duets for two double basses Variations on the aria "Nel cor piu non mi sento" (by Giovanni Paisiello)

Operas (Complete)

Colón en Cuba (Cristoforo Colombo) - Opera in one act. L'assedio di Firenze (1856) Il Diavolo della Notte (1858) Marion Delorme (1862) Un amour en Bavière Vinciguerra il bandito (1870) Alì Babà (1871) Ero e Leandro (1879) Cedar (1880) La regina del Nepal (1880) Nerina La figlia dell'angelo o Azäele Babele

Sacred Works

Garden of Olivet

Instrumental Music not including the solo double bass

Morceaux - Viola and piano, Autographed score, Naples Rêverie - Viola and piano, Autographed score, Naples Capriccio - Cello and piano, Autographed score, Milan August 25, 1863 Three melodies - Cello and piano, Autographed score, Milan Rêverie - Cello and piano, Autographed score, Naples Various String Quartets Various String Quintets

The Paganini of the Double Bass

Bottesini was widely acclaimed, and his virtuosic skill in the bass parallelled that of Paganini himself on the violin. Because of the contributions of Bottesini (along with those of Sperger and Dragonetti) to bass technique, many have come to view the double bass as a diverse and versatile instrument. Most notably there are many virtuoso bass players who draw inspiration from the early renaissance of the double bass.

Bottesini's bass was said to be a unique instrument with an even more unique sound. The instrument was owned by several, unknown bass players and would have been lost when it nearly met its end in the 1830s as it sat backstage in a marionette theater in Milan. Bottesini was also one of the first performers to adopt the French-style bow grip for the double bass.