Schubert: Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821 (Urtext Edition)

The Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821, was written by Franz Schubert in Vienna in November 1824, about a month after he had returned to Vienna from his second stay in Zseliz. The sonata is the only substantial composition for the arpeggione (which was essentially a bowed guitar) which remains extant today. 

This edition for the double bass has been created from the autograph manuscript and although played an octave lower in pitch than the arpeggione, has not altered any octaves of any passages throughout the composition.

The piano accompaniment is an Urtext edition and contains a copy of the original manuscript within the publication. On the full score are the piano and the original arpeggione line alongside the piano part. 

Second, to this Schubert wrote a violin part, Stephen Street has combined the differences of the arpeggione line and the separate violin part into a new edition to note comparisons. From this, the double bass edition was made, showing the differences between the two parts and in some cases (like chords) showing alternative 'ossia' staves to give the performer a choice in how to perform certain passages. Chords have been voiced in a way that tries to best represent the voice leading in the original manuscript.

The edition contains a piano part for double bass in both solo tuning and orchestral tuning. The stimulus again behind this edition was to make the music easily accessible to bass players in both tunings.