Bottesini: Concerto di Bravura for double bass and piano (Urtext Edition)

About the Composition

One of the most rewarding parts of creating this Urtext edition has been discovering a new piece. At first, I thought it must have been an alternative name for Capriccio di Bravura but on inspection, it was a substantial work I had not seen before. At first glance, the piece seems a little different from what Bottesini usually would write. 

Although it is clearly his pen marks, his style of composition, and in his catalog of music, it has a very different structure to his other works. The piece is divided into four sections: Andante Mosso, Allegro Moderato, Andante, and finally Allegretto. This does not follow the typical three movements of his other concertos or the Rondo form of Grande Allegro di Concerto. Throughout the piece there are rubato recitative sections, like those of an opera scene, giving the work a great sense of freedom. 

There are no publishers that currently print this piece; however, I have found two published editions that are out of print. One is by FAC Publishing, the other being Ars Viva Verlag in 1951.

-Stephen Street

Please note

The double bass part is written at sounding pitch as per Bottesini’s autograph manuscripts.