Hugo Schlemüller: Solos for the Young Bassist for double bass & piano (edited by David Heyes)

About the Collection

Solos for the Young Bassist includes three fun and accessible pieces by Hugo Schlemüller. Originally for cello and composed in the late 19th or early 20th-century, they transcribe beautifully for the young bassist, offering musical and technical challenges in equal measure. The piano accompaniments are supportive and colorful adding rich sonorities and rhythmic interest.

Ideal as concert repertoire, these lively pieces are ideal for the young bassist working in the lower positions, offering effective musical and technical challenges in the orchestral register of the double bass.

Forward, March! is a lively, energetic, and extended march using half, first, and second positions. The opening theme is full of character and drives contrasting a middle section that is more lyrical and sustained.

Our Soldiers (March) has strong rhythmic momentum, going no higher than 3rd position, and is ideal as both a teaching and recital piece.

Scherzo is fast and fun with technical and musical challenges aplenty and the most advanced of the three pieces.

About the Composer

Hugo Schlemüller (1872-1918) was a German cellist, composer, and teacher. He performed as a cello soloist in Munich and Leipzig and from 1902 was a teacher at the Hoch Conservatoire in Frankfurt am Main. He composed many study books for young cellists alongside virtuoso pieces and concertos, also worked as a music critic and writer, and in 1910 he founded his own music publishing company. In 1916 Schlemüller was drafted into military service, in August 1917 he gave up his position at the Hoch Conservatoire and he died in 1918.