Description

Bass Trios Book 1 brings together exciting and accessible music from Tudor times to the 20th-century, alongside folk song arrangements from Macedonia and Norfolk. Ideal as …concert repertoire, for ensemble practice, or just to play with friends, each trio offers musical and technical challenges, in a range of styles and idioms, and all are player and audience friendly. This edition includes a score and three solo parts. 1. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) – Viennese Waltz
Beethoven composed a wealth of dance music during his early years in Vienna and this stylish and elegant waltz is a typical example of the early 19th-century dance music that was played throughout the city and beyond. 2. William Holborne – Gush Forth, My Tears
Very little is known about William Holborne except that he was the brother of Anthony Holborne (1545-1609), a composer and musician during the reign of Elizabeth I, and William composed a set of six vocal trios. Gush Forth, My Tears was composed in 1597 and is particularly evocative and atmospheric, with its slow moving harmonies and sustained melodies. 3. Macedonian Folk Song – Sneg Udaril (Snow Falling)
Originally for voices, Sneg Udaril is exciting to play and its 11/16-time signature, alongside driving rhythms and eastern influences, create a work which has always been an audience favourite. A drum accompaniment could be added to great effect. 4. Henry Purcell (1659-1695) – An Ape, a Lion, a Fox and an Ass
This catch (canon) for 3 voices was composed in 1686, using text by an anonymous author, and the words compare the different stages of the lives of people to the behaviour of certain animals. Each bassist plays the same music and a range of dynamics and articulations could be added to create further interest and contrast. 5. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) – Abbé Stadler
Maximilian Stadler (1748-1833) was an Austrian composer, musicologist and pianist. He was a friend of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert, and from 1803 he worked as a parish priest. Beethoven’s three-part vocal canon was composed in 1820, transcribes beautifully for Double Bass, Trio, and has a catchy tune and is possibly the most popular of Beethoven’s canons.