Pequeños solistas (Little soloists), Pieces for double bass and string orchestra

Camille Saint-Saëns. El elefante (MibM)   El carnaval de los animales

Camille Saint-Saëns. El elefante (FaM)   El carnaval de los animales

Giovannino. Sonata (FaM)   Preludio, Sarabanda y Aria

Giovannino. Sonata (SolM)   Preludio, Sarabanda y Aria

Domenico Dragonetti. Tres valses (FaM)

Domenico Dragonetti. Tres valses (SolM)

The double bass is the string instrument that took the longest time to develop technically, due to the physical difficulties it presents. For this reason, the repertoire, for many years, was rather scarce and the possibility of playing with an orchestra as a soloist almost non-existent.

This is the main reason that moved me to dedicate this work to him, which follows the line of the first book, dedicated to the cello, and seeks to open up possibilities for young double bass players.

The fact that it is such a low-pitched instrument has also been a small challenge, since if the range in which the orchestra moves is very sharp or if the writing is dense, the soloists would not be heard. On the other hand, the double bass presents the peculiarity of the frequent use of scordatura, so that each piece is in two different keys in order to facilitate its use.

Ana Valero Lobato