German - English.

This book offers a varied spectrum of very easy pieces from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern eras, including works by Beethoven, Charpentier, Haydn, Humperdinck, Mozart, Praetorius, Reinagle or Schubert, as well as easy folk tunes and canons, which are excellent for class teaching. The repertoire enriches the daily exercises and any double bass tutor. All pieces can be played in half and first position, using easy rhythms and meters, easily playable major and minor keys, easy bowing and articulation as well as easy dynamics from piano to forte, crescendo and decrescendo. All pieces are included on CD. This book is a treasure trove for beginners and can be used even earlier than the first book in the series "Easy Concert Pieces" (Schott ED 22551).

'You were often on my mind when I was writing', wrote Robert Schumann to Joseph Joachim who had encouraged him to write this concerto. In view of Schumann's illness, however, Joachim began to have his doubts about the value of the work. In his will, Joachim prohibited the first performance until the 100th anniversary of Schumann's death in 1956. After detailed editorial work, the premiere was brought forward to 1937.

The theme of the middle movement probably formed the basis of Schumann's Geistervariationen ('Ghost Variations'), the character of the third movement is that of a grand polonaise. Yehudi Menuhin who performed the world premiere of the unedited version of Schumann's solo part saw in this piece 'the bridge between Beethoven's and Brahms' concertos'.