Chamber Players: Don't Forget the Bass!
John Feeney talks about the bass and its prevalence in Classical-era music
There is a rich, extensive chamber- music repertoire for double bass that has been largely forgotten. Yet, the bass—with its distinctive timbre, resonant overtones, and strong rhythmic articulations—is a favorable addition to any ensemble. In chamber-music contexts, these qualities are invaluable, but bass is largely excluded from chamber-music programming, sometimes supplanted by a second cello part.
For more than 30 years, I have researched chamber music scored for double-bass instruments: there is a treasure trove of music that deserves to share the concert spotlight alongside the string quartets, piano trios, and brass and woodwind quintets that seemingly have monopolized the chamber-music world.
Much of this repertoire is from the Classical era.
A word about the term basso is in order. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, basso often applied to a fully figured continuo line, as with most sacred vocal and orchestral music. In the 18th and into the 19th centuries, basso also could designate any bass line in a one-on-a-part configuration, such as a string quartet or divertimento. In many small- ensemble genres, basso does not preclude the employment of a double bassist comfortable playing in either the eight- or 16-foot registers.
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