A compilation and study of twentieth-century double bass solos from the orchestral literature

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to identify in the twentieth-century orchestral literature, noteworthy solos written for the double bass. Each solo is examined from a variety of viewpoints, including: its musical context (i.e., within a larger work), musical techniques and styles, pertinent information regarding the solo's history (how and why the solo came to be written for the double bass), technical insight, and the solo's pedagogical value. Following this, a clear and accurate rendering of the music is given. The composers included in this study include: Bartok, Berg, Britten, Colgrass, Ginastera, Gorecki, Henze, Kodaly, Mahler, Milaud, Penderecki, Prokofiev, Ravel, Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Sibelius, and Stravinsky. By studying how these solos have been written over the one hundred years of the past century, one can see how composers have or have not followed the evolution of the instrument itself. This document will use the information gained through this study to trace the development of how the double bass has been used and perceived as a musical instrument by composers throughout the century.