Gabriel-Marie: La Cinquantaine for Double Bass & Piano (arr. David Heyes)

About the Arrangement

La Cinquantaine (The Golden Wedding) was composed in 1884 for cello and piano and is dedicated ‘A Monsieur E. Binon, Violoncelliste de l’Opera’. Subtitled ‘air dans le Style ancien’, it has been arranged for almost every possible instrumental combination, and its approachable and easy-going style has ensured its popularity into the 21st-century.

It transcribes beautifully for the double bass, written one tone lower than the original key, and is ideal as both a teaching and a recital piece.

This edition includes accompaniments for both solo and orchestral tuning.

About the Composer

Gabriel Prosper Marie (1852-1928) studied at the Paris Conservatoire and hyphenated his name to Gabriel-Marie as a professional musician and was a prominent and active figure in Parisian musical life in the late 19th-century. He worked as a timpanist, chorus master and conductor for many years, mostly in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille and Vichy, alongside his work as a composer and music critic.

Gabriel-Marie composed music for theaters in Paris, and also much dance music, but his fame rests on La Cinquantaine.

About the Arranger

David Heyes studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post- graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra).

He has given recitals and masterclasses in 20 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, three times as chairman. David's collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and by rediscovering forgotten ones. Since 1983 more than 750 works have been written for him, music from one to twenty basses and from beginner to virtuoso, and he has premiered ten contemporary concertos with orchestra.

David began to compose in 2013 and has had music performed and recorded in 35 countries across five continents. He is a D'Addario Performing Artist, has recently commissioned a solo double bass from British master-luthier Martin Penning, and in 2025 was awarded a Fellowship from Victoria College of Music & Drama (London).