Description

Basses Four Book 2 brings together three fun pieces that are aimed at the
intermediate quartet. They are colourful and inventive, offering musical and
…technical challenges in equal measure, and written in engaging and appealing
styles which is typical of Tony Osborne’s upbeat and adventurous musical
language. 1. Italian Tarantella
Composed in 1996 and revised in 2013, this fun quartet is ideal for the good
intermediate bass quartet and is also playable with larger forces. A lively and
rhythmic accompaniment drives the music along and the melodic material is shared
between basses 1-3. Bass 4 provides a strong and important bass line and Tony
Osborne successfully captures the feeling and mood of a sunny Italian landscape
with a group of dancers performing a fast and energetic dance which is enjoyed by
all. 2. Pastyme with Good Companye
Based on the partsong by King Henry VIII, the use of open fifths and repetitive
rhythms evoke the world of Tudor England, with its raw energy and brash sounds.
Effective with massed basses and a firm favourite at many double bass workshops
around the world. It was first published in 1997 which celebrated Tony Osborne’s
50th birthday and commemorated the 450th anniversary of the death of King Henry
VIII. ‘Pastyme with Good Companye. The Kynges balade’, originally for 3 voices,
was one of the most popular tunes of the period and was composed in the early
1500s. Henry was trained in music from an early age and 34 of his original
compositions survive, both vocal and instrumental. He ascended the throne in 1509
and was monarch until his death in 1547. “This simple but powerful arrangement is successful in recreating the pungent
sounds of renaissance instruments such as shawms, sackbuts, and the delightfully
obnoxious racket.” (ISB) 3. Real Cool
Dating from the 1980s, this lively quartet is full of jazzy rhythms and influences. “Real Cool is in exactly the same vein as All in a Day’s Work. The jazzy melodic and
rhythmic clichés are all here as well; showing that there’s nothing wrong with a cliche
when handled real cool.” (Double Bassist) “A light jazz inspired piece for bass quartet. Those familiar with jazz phrasing will
understand immediately the effect that Mr Osborne is after.” (ISB) Born in 1947 into a musical family, Tony Osborne studied at the Royal Academy of
Music (London) with John Walton (double bass) and Richard Stoker (composition),
and divided a busy career between composing, teaching, and performing. A prolific
composer and arranger, Tony’s original compositions include works in almost every
genre, notably Chaconne Syncopations and Wainwright’s Ways for brass quintet, Celebration Fanfare for brass ensemble, the musical A Fine Time for Wine, a
beautiful and dramatic Requiem, and many works for string orchestra. Tony’s music
for young bassists is very much at the heart of the teaching, Repertoire, particularly
his jazzy and enjoyable bass trios and quartets, and he had the rare ability to create
wonderful music which is always player and audience-friendly. In 2001 Tony Osborne was elected an ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of
Music) for his pioneering and important work for double bass and was a featured
com- poser at Bass-Fest for over ten years. He was a very successful BIBF
Composer-in-residence in 2002-3, was a judge for the British Composer Awards and
a judge for the BIBF Composition Competition from 1999 until 2015. Tony Osborne died on 30 March 2019 at the age of 71.