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Double Bass Bottesini concerto no. 2 audition piece

T

thedbassist

Sep 10, 2006
282
0
#1
I recently got a supposed bottesini concerto in orchestral tuning, but I think its in solo. My question is: for the first movement, is the first note and e or f#? My copy says e, thanks for your input.
 
#5
I'm talking about the bass part, I bought bottesini's concerto no. 2 in a minor(in orch tuning, solo is in b minor), but it is the same as in b minor in solo tuning, the first movement starts on and e then f#, g#, then a triplet of a, b, c. The 2nd movement starts on and f then c to c#.
 
#7
solo tuning is where you read notes a step below what you're playing because the strings are a step up above in pitch than what they usually are, ochestral tuning parts are raised a whole step compared to solo tuning parts for solo pieces.
 
#8
As far as the bass part goes, whether or not a pice is for solo tuning, you'll be reading it as if it were in standard/orchestral tuning. For standard literature, no matter what tuning you're using, you're always going to play this AS IF you were in orch tuning. Thus, no matter what you purchase, you'll always see an E notated as the starting pitch. Whether or not that E is the actual sounding pitch is a different story.

What you need to look at is the piano part. If the piano is playing in B-minor, you either need to get a solo set of strings and change your tuning on the bass, or get a piano part that is in A-minor so it will line up with the bass part you currently have.
 
#11
okay, I just would of thought they would of raised the bass part a whole step instead of just changing the key to a minor, thanks, the piano part is in a minor, have they made any pieces in orchestral tuning in b minor, or is that possible?
 
#12
thedbassist said:
okay, I just would of thought they would of raised the bass part a whole step instead of just changing the key to a minor, thanks, the piano part is in a minor, have they made any pieces in orchestral tuning in b minor, or is that possible?
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We'll what you could do is get Bottesini's Concertino in C minor (its the C minor version of his B minor concerto). The bass part would be in B minor and you could use the piano part (solo) form the B minor concerto.

I don't know why you would want to. In most auditions that ask for Bottesini No. 2 they usualy expect it to be played in A minor unless they say "solo tuning only". Bottesini No. 2 is so standard that you should probably learn it normal.
 
#13
I was just wondering, thanks for the advice, I haven't really been on the audition circuit considering I'm not even out of high school, so yeah, thanks again for helping me understand, why would it be c minor and not c sharp minor?
 
#14
Totally ignore the post about a c minor bass part. the bass part always reads in a minor whatever the tuning.

in orchestral tuning the piano is also in a minor.

in solo tuning the bass reads in a minor and the piano in b minor.

in the c minor edition, the bass also reads in - you've guessed it - a minor. the piano is in c minor. the c minor edition is used for C-F-Bb scordatura as heard in the recording by thomas martin who i think probably used this key for historical accuracy type reasons.
 
#16
cold elephant said:
Totally ignore the post about a c minor bass part. the bass part always reads in a minor whatever the tuning.

in orchestral tuning the piano is also in a minor.

in solo tuning the bass reads in a minor and the piano in b minor.

in the c minor edition, the bass also reads in - you've guessed it - a minor. the piano is in c minor. the c minor edition is used for C-F-Bb scordatura as heard in the recording by thomas martin who i think probably used this key for historical accuracy type reasons.
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I knew of the tuning but I would have no idea that the C minor version is in A minor. To me that sounds wierd. What would some one without that tuning. Just play up higher than the notes say? That seems verry complicated.
thedbassist said:
yeah, Mine is in a minor, where do you get strings Bb F and C? Just down tune a g and raise the A a half a step?
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They probably make strings but I would us a standard A up a half step. Then a Solo E up and then a regular high C string. I don't know how right this is, but it would be my best guess.
 
#18
Sorry, I meant the b minor version(of the piano) was in a minor. So my piece is called bottesini's concerto no. 2 in a minor because it is in orchestral tuning so the piano had to go down to the key of a minor, the solo piece's piano is in b minor, which is the original key the piano(or orchestra) was meant to play in.
 
#20
PaulCannon said:
The original key? C minor.

The key that most orchestra parts come in now? B minor.
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This is interesting. In my edition of the Bottesini No. 2 it says that the original key for orchestra is C minor and the original key for piano is B minor.

This makes me think about his first concerto. Was his Concerto No. 1 in B minor then Bottesini wrote it up to F# minor or did he write the F#minor one and then write a chop version in B minor?
 

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