Description

Teppo Hauta-aho’s Mini-Bass Symphony is aimed at the good beginner ensemble,
with some low thumb position passages for Bass 1, but all the other …parts remain in
bass clef using a limited number of notes, positions and challenges, enabling a wide
range of standards to play together. Anyone who knows the atmospheric and idiomatic music of Teppo Hauta-aho will
enjoy the simple challenges of this piece which creates magical tapestries of sound. The Mini-Bass Symphony can be played with 10 basses or massed basses, and
each of the four short movements offer interesting and accessible music for young
bassists – aged 8 to 80! A range of playing techniques are used to create a tapestry
of musical landscapes and textures and the use of simple harmonics in the lower
positions adds to the clarity of the piece. It has been performed in Britain and
America many times and has been a favourite at Bass-Fest whenever it has been
performed. The Mini-Bass Symphony was composed in 1986 for a mini-bass project in the UK,
although was never performed, and was revised by the composer in 2005 prior to its
publication by Recital Music, This edition includes a score and 10 individual parts.