Giovanni Bottesini’s Bel Canto Treasure for Bassists
An extraordinary virtuoso who gave new life to the double bass
Audiences have always been captivated by the high-flying feats of instrumental virtuosi. By the middle of the 19th century, the starring role of the virtuoso had come into full bloom and was manifested by the popularity of “salon pieces.” These vehicles for the virtuoso performer were short, flashy works sometimes adopting the bel canto style of Romantic Italian opera (a style that stressed ease, purity, precision, and evenness of tone). Even the double bass, one of the most unlikely of solo voices, enjoyed a renaissance during this age of instrumental masters. “Reverie” is one of several salon pieces left to us by Giovanni Bottesini, the extraordinary virtuoso who revolutionized the technical and musical possibilities of the double bass.
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