Michael Montgomery: Moby Dick: A Nautical Tale for Beginner Double Bass Quartet

About the Composition

Moby Dick features five short and colourful quartets for the beginner bass quartet. In 1st position throughout, apart from a few easy harmonics in 4th position to add height and clarity, these would be ideal for quartet or larger forces and the movements can be performed in any order.

A number of playing effects have been added to create variety and interest, alongside arco and pizzicato and a limited number of notes, rhythms and time signatures suitable for young bassists. Repeats can be added if needed, alongside a narrator to set the scene for each piece, and the aim is for the bassists to have fun.

Moby Dick is a great addition to the beginner quartet repertoire enabling young bassists to play chamber music from the earliest stages of study.

Table of Contents

I. Queequeg, harpoonist extraodinaire 
II. Pequod, the whaling ship 
III. Starbuck, the chief mate 
IV. Moby Dick, the white whale 
V. Captain Ahab, hunter of whales

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.