Michael Montgomery: Big Bad Wolf: A Fairy Tale for Beginner Double Bass Quartet

About the Composition

Big Bad Wolf is a fun collection of five colourful and inventive pieces for the beginner bass quartet, also playable with larger forces. Remaining in 1st position, with a few easy harmonics in 4th position to add height and clarity alongside effective bass percussion, these short quartets are an ideal introduction to chamber music for the youngest bassists.

None of the pieces outstay their welcome and they can be played singly or in any order, and the addition of a short narration between the pieces is also possible.

“Discovered and collected by the Grimm brothers, the Little Red Riding Hood stories’ origins likely date back to 17th-century Europe. The quartets themselves are inspired by the five principal characters of this old story: a young and playful Little Red Cap (yes, her original name!) is summoned by her mother to deliver a bottle of wine and a cake she has baked for Red Cap’s Grandmother, who lives in a cottage on the far side of the forest. Concerned that Grandma has been feeling very tired and unwell, Mrs. Hood is convinced some sustenance will be just the thing to cheer her up.

Forever careful and vigilant, she leaves Little Red Cap with an admonition: beware of any wolves you may meet, and do not under any condition talk to them, if you please! Well, as fate would have it, she did meet, and talk with, a more-than-nasty wolf (though she seemed at the moment to take no notice of his unpleasant disposition) and this unsavoury fellow actually ate both Little Red AND her old and ill grandmother. Had it not been for the diligence of a passing Huntsman coming to their rescue it is almost certain their day would have been thoroughly ruined! As it happened, all were saved (except the wolf, of course) and they lived happily ever after.” [Michael Montgomery]

About the Composer

Double bassist Michael Montgomery, a student of Robert Rohe (Principal Bass, New Orleans Symphony) and Lucas Drew (Principal Bass, Miami Philharmonic), earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in double bass performance from the University of Miami, played full-time in the bass section of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for two decades.

He now lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, where he teaches double bass at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and privately in his home studio. Michael has composed numerous works for young double bassists (including over five dozen short bass quartets for young students) which are published by Recital Music and two American publishers.

His articles about bass performance, literature, and teaching have been published in American Suzuki Journal, Bass World, and Pastoral Music.