Although the double bass has been around for centuries, the instrument’s solo repertoire has historically been woefully thin. Contemporary composers have been rectifying that situation, but only a handful of concertos were written to feature the largest member of the violin family. This limited number of solo works has meant that nearly every serious bassist has played a majority of the repertoire, so it’s exciting when a piece gets reimagined, even in the slightest of ways.
The duo Warren & Flick did just that with Giovanni Bottesini‘s “Elegy No. 1 in D Major” by arranging the piece for double bass and guitar. Bassist Jacob Warren plays the piece just about as beautifully as anyone, and Grant Flick (who typically plays violin) gives the piece a more modern flair in his accompaniment.
“The double bass melody remains true to the original, while the accompaniment part has been rewritten for G-D-A-E plectrum instruments such as mandolin, octave mandolin, tenor guitar, tenor banjo, and more!” They write on Double Bass HQ. “The harmony has also been adapted in places to evoke a more contemporary sound.”
Bottesini was an Italian composer, conductor, and double bass virtuoso who lived from 1821 to 1889. “Elegy No. 1 in D Major” was first published in his “Grande méthod complète de contrebasse” around 1869 to demonstrate the bass’s lyrical capabilities. It helps prove the bass can sing, says Joel Quarrington, former principal bassist of the London Symphony Orchestra.
“This is my favorite solo piece for double bass. I first played it when I was 14 years old; every year that has passed since has brought me closer to an understanding of its essence,” he tells the Strad. “It is a masterpiece of instrumental bel canto, and its place is alongside the great arias of Bellini and Donizetti: its notes are tender, nostalgic outpourings tinged with melancholy, with continuously expressive lines. Bel canto demands poetry in breath, color and the elegant shaping of every phrase. The whole piece should be in a slow pulse in four, so that when we take our time at the ends of bars as the music divides into quavers, it creates a beautiful floating quality that captures this feeling of bittersweet reminiscence perfectly, as though we are lingering over a fond memory.”
Bottesini’s “Elegy” is often performed with piano accompaniment, and sometimes with orchestra. Flick’s warm strumming and fingerstyle bring the piece into the 21st century. You may notice it’s no ordinary guitar. He’s playing a five-string octave guitar that’s tuned C-G-D-A-E. As mentioned in their explanation above, the fifths tuning makes the part accessible to other instruments, such as the mandolin.
Warren & Flick’s version of Bottesini’s “Elegy No. 1 in D Major” is featured on their latest album, “Cormorant,” available on Bandcamp. If you’re looking to hear more amazing (and new) works for the double bass, be sure to give it a listen.
Check out their performance above and follow along with the sheet music for Bottesini’s “Elegy No. 1 in D Major”:
