Giovanni Bottesini: Elegia No. 1 for double bass & guitar (arr. Heyes/Rippingale)

About the Composition

Elegia No.1 for double bass and piano was published in Bottesini's Grande méthod complète de contrebasse (c.1869) to illustrate the lyrical capabilities of the instrument, and was rumoured to be the composer's favourite work. It has been recorded more than any other work by Bottesini and is one of his most attractive and accessible pieces for double bass.

Elegia No.1 is aimed at the intermediate bassist, offers musical and technical challenges in equal measure, and is an ideal ‘easy’ virtuoso work for bassists who are venturing into the higher reaches of the instrument. This edition returns to the version published in Bottesini’s Grande méthod complète de contrebasse, presumably corrected and edited by the composer.

The edition is published with a guitar accompaniment for solo tuning and also includes two double bass parts - the original bowings by the composer and a newly edited part by David Heyes.

"How he bewildered us by playing all sorts of melodies in flute like harmonics, as though he had a hundred nightingales caged in his double bass... I never wearied of his consummate grace and finish, his fatal precision, his heavenly tone, his fine taste. One sometimes yearned for a touch of human imperfection, but he was like a dead shot; he never missed what he aimed at, and he never aimed at less than perfection." [H.Haweis, 1888]

About the Composer

Giovanni Bottesini was called the 'Paganini of the Double Bass' and was the finest double bass soloist of the 19th-century. He was born in Crema (Lombardy) on 24 December 1821 and studied at the double bass at the Milan Conservatoire with Luigi Rossi, alongside harmony and composition with Nicola Vaccai (1790-1848) and Francesco Basili (1767-1850). His remarkable career as a soloist began in 1839 and lasted fifty years, taking him to every corner of the world. From Italy, his travels took him to Cuba (1846), USA (1847), England (annually from 1849), Egypt, Ireland, France, Germany, Russia, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Monte Carlo and many other countries throughout a long and distinguished career.

Bottesini was also famous as a composer writing at least 13 operas (Cristoforo Colombo, 1847 / Il diavolo della notte, 1856 / Ali Baba, 1871 / Ero e Leandro, 1879), a Messa da Requiem (1880) and an oratorio, The Garden of Olivet (1887 - first performed at the Norwich Festival), works for orchestra, 11 string quartets, string quintets, songs and many virtuoso works for double bass. As a conductor he is remembered primarily for directing the first performance of Verdi's Aida in Cairo in 1871, but was also a respected composer of Italian opera, including seasons in Mexico, Paris, Palermo, Barcelona, London, Buenos Aires and Parma.

Giovanni Bottesini died in Parma on 7 July 1889.

About the Arranger

Classical Guitarist James Rippingale discovered a love of music at an early age and, after receiving an acoustic guitar one Christmas morning, James explored many different styles from Blues and Rock to Jazz and Flamenco and loved to improvise his own music. At age 17 James was blessed to meet a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and fell deeply in love with the classical guitar, it’s rich and delicate sound world and incredible repertoire. He set his mind to studying this amazing instrument and went on to complete a degree at Leeds College of Music and travel extensively seeking out the great players and teachers he most admired and learning from them.

James has played concerts across the UK and abroad. He loves to play an eclectic blend of repertoire from the rich music of Spain to the renaissance pieces, modern repertoire and his own compositions. Concerts often include pieces from Spain, Brazil, Paraguay, Japan, Germany, America and beyond and are fuelled by a great curiosity and love of music and the guitar. He now teaches at Wells Cathedral School as a specialist classical guitar teacher and is able to share the art he loves with young players and enthusiasts.

James met double bassist and composer David Heyes while working at Wells Cathedral School and is grateful to have played with him at many concerts. This current arrangement is the result of them generating new repertoire for a lunchtime recital together in 2025.

James lives in the magical town of Glastonbury UK with his partner Sophie and their cats.