Lorenziti: Gavotte for double bass & string quartet (Orchestral Tuning)

History of the Composition

Lorenziti’s Gavotte has been in print for almost a century and was popularised by the American virtuoso Gary Karr, who added a story called ‘The Fly and the Elephant’ to the music which he performed at numerous children’s concerts. The piece is fun and energetic, using the entire range of the double bass, and is popular with audiences of all ages.

About the Arrangement

Lorenziti’s Gavotte is a lively and enjoyable work aimed at the intermediate bassist and utilises much of the range of the double bass, including high harmonics. It is a useful introduction to the upper reaches of the instrument and is fun to study and perform, also ideal for any audience or occasion. The accompaniment is simple and supportive and this 'old classic' was popularised by the American virtuoso Gary Karr in his Children's Concerts.

Who was Lorenziti? David Heyes believes that the Gavotte was written by Édouard Nanny but in the style of a previous age and more information here.

The version for double bass and string quartet (orchestral tuning) can also be played with string orchestra accompaniment.

Recital Music publishes three editions:

1. Double Bass & Piano
2. Double Bass & String Quartet
3. Double Bass Quartet

Édouard Nanny

(1872-1942) was the leading French bassist of his generation, taught at the Paris Conservatoire for 20 years, and is recognized as the founder of the modern French double bass school.

Alongside a wealth of transcriptions for double bass, Nanny also composed a series of original works which are worthy of revival in the 21st-century. His music is elegant and charming, exploiting the lyrical and technical possibilities of the double bass, and all are useful as both study and concert repertoire for the progressing and advanced bassist.

An anniversary is a good time to reassess a composer’s work and Recital Music will create new editions of a number of Nanny’s original works and transcriptions this year.

Édouard Nanny is an important figure in the development of the double bass during the first four decades of the 20th-century, particularly in France, and much of his educational music is still in print today. He made an amazing contribution to the double bass world and deserves to be celebrated and remembered.