Teppo Hauta-aho (1941-2001) was the most prolific composer in the history of the double bass and composed for every ability level, from the beginner to the virtuoso. His music is evocative and atmospheric, shaped by jazz and contemporary styles, and the influence of the dramatic and bleak landscapes and vistas of his native Finland are captured throughout his engaging and accessible music.

In one extended movement, Duettino Basso V contrasts jazz, classical and contemporary styles alongside arco and pizzicato, employing much of the range of the double… bass, and lasting around 3-4 minutes. Bass 1 plays arco primarily, usually in treble clef often employing simple but evocative and atmospheric melodies played in harmonics. Bass 2 plays exclusively pizzicato and underpins the piece with a strongly direct and confident jazz-inspired syncopated accompaniment. The contrasting musical styles creates a work of great imagination and skill, typical of the music of Teppo Hauta-aho, and Duettino Basso V follows a line of successful Double Bass, Duets which would be suitable for any audience or occasion. There are few technical challenges for the good intermediate bass duo but scope to create and explore many soundscapes and musical landscapes, demonstrating the possibilities of the double bass.