Gran Duo Concertante
Encyclopedia
The Gran Duo Concertante was composed by the Italian double bass
virtuoso
Giovanni Bottesini
(1821-1889) in 1880. Originally written for two double bass
es and orchestra, the piece was premiered by Bottesini and Luigi Negri
, a former classmate of the composer. Negri was a student of Luigi Rossi at the Milan Conservatory at the same time as his more well-known colleague.
The piece is a single, sprawling movement
and usually lasts around 15 minutes if played up to tempo
, but this estimate can vary greatly due to the artists' interpretation of the music. While double concertos were generally composed for different instruments, Bottesini did not seem to consider the questionable practicality of a piece that requires two very talented double bassists. Camillo Sivori
, a disciple of Niccolò Paganini
, transcribed one of the bass parts for violin soon after its premiere. Sivori's version is that most commonly heard today, although his contribution is rarely acknowledged and even most bassists are unaware of the piece's original instrumentation.
Bottesini also wrote another concerto for two double basses entitled "Gran Duo Passione Amorosa" in a more traditional, three-movement format.
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
Giovanni Bottesini
Giovanni Bottesini
Giovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
(1821-1889) in 1880. Originally written for two double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es and orchestra, the piece was premiered by Bottesini and Luigi Negri
Luigi Negri
Luigi Negri was an Italian double bass virtuoso of the romantic era. Known mostly during his lifetime as a conductor of opera, Negri's reputation as a double bassist has long been overshadowed by his contemporary, Giovanni Bottesini....
, a former classmate of the composer. Negri was a student of Luigi Rossi at the Milan Conservatory at the same time as his more well-known colleague.
The piece is a single, sprawling movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
and usually lasts around 15 minutes if played up to tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, but this estimate can vary greatly due to the artists' interpretation of the music. While double concertos were generally composed for different instruments, Bottesini did not seem to consider the questionable practicality of a piece that requires two very talented double bassists. Camillo Sivori
Camillo Sivori
Ernesto Camillo Sivori, was an Italian virtuoso violinist and composer.Born in Genoa, he was the only pupil of Paganini. He also studied with Restano, Giacomo Costa and Dellepiane....
, a disciple of Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
, transcribed one of the bass parts for violin soon after its premiere. Sivori's version is that most commonly heard today, although his contribution is rarely acknowledged and even most bassists are unaware of the piece's original instrumentation.
Bottesini also wrote another concerto for two double basses entitled "Gran Duo Passione Amorosa" in a more traditional, three-movement format.