Teppo Hauta-aho: Pizzicato Pieces Book 2 for unaccompanied double bass

About the Collection

Pizzicato Pieces Book 2 includes four enjoyable, innovative, and accessible pieces for the advancing double bassist. Teppo Hauta-aho is a past master at creating colorful and player-friendly pizzicato pieces for players of all ages and abilities.

Table of Contents

1. Kampi & Kompi, composed in 1996 and revised in 2000, are two contrasting pieces that are lively and rhythmic with a jazz feel and drive.

2. Two Pieces for TDR, composed in 1995/96 and dedicated to Thierry Dominique Roggen, are in Latin-Jazz and Swing styles. Aimed at the progressing bassist and remaining in bass clef throughout, these would be ideal teaching and also recital pieces for the young bassist.

3. Two for Ray is dedicated to the memory of the jazz legend Ray Brown and was composed in 2003. Two short pieces, lasting less than a minute each, contrast jazz and contemporary styles in music, which would be suitable for any audience or occasion.

4. Pizz-Aria 1 (1996) is an extended rhapsody full of melodic and lyrical charm alongside effective musical and technical challenges. Using more than a two-octave range, with the occasional opportunity for improvisation, this is an exciting piece with rhythmic energy and drive, contrasting a slower introduction and brief but effective coda.

Reviews

"These are fine performance pieces that allow the play to explore many possibilities of pizzicato playing while advancing their technique in this area. They are suitable for all, but the most elementary levels and their varying lengths enable them to slot neatly into most programs." [Double Bassist]

"This set of advanced concert studies moves on from Teppo's first collection of pizzicato pieces and contains many more technical challenges. Of the four titles within, half have two separable movements, thus giving six possible performance pieces. Some are explorations in improvisatory style; others in developing rhythmic patterns. Some are jazz-based (two being dedicated to the late Ray Brown). The set concludes with an extended etude using many double stops. In some ways, Pizzicato Pieces 2, although harder overall, complements the first volume by providing a wealth of material to support the learning and performance of advanced pizzicato technique." [ESTA News & Views]

About the Composer

Teppo Hauta-aho (1941-2021) was the most prolific composer in the history of the double bass and composed for every ability level, from the beginner to the virtuoso. His music is evocative and atmospheric, shaped by jazz and contemporary styles, and the influence of the dramatic and bleak landscapes and vistas of his native Finland are captured throughout his engaging and accessible music.