SOLO TUNING See RM722 for Orchestral Tuning The 'Dragonetti Concerto' was first published in 1925 by Alphonse Leduc in Paris as No.23 of Edouard Nanny's 'Les Classiques de la Contrebasse'. For many years no one questioned its authenticity, but as more research into Dragonetti's original works for double bass was made, concerns began to arise. Many of Dragonetti manuscripts survive in the British Library, thanks to Vincent Novello who donated them in 1849, three years after Dragonetti's death and on Novello's retirement to Italy, but there is no original manuscript for this work. As bassists began to edit and perform a wide range of Dragonetti's works it became clear that this concerto bore little resemblance to any of his other pieces. The work does, however, have many similarities to Nanny's Concerto for double bass, also to his other solo works and even studies from his Method. Eventually most people came to the conclusion that this work is not an original work by the great Venetian bassist but is by Edouard Nanny, and in the style of the late 18th-century. Having said that, this is still a charming and evocative work which has much player and audience appeal and is very easy on the ears. Many of the challenges for the soloist are technical and, almost a century after its first publication, it is still as popular as ever. Published in 1925, the first movement was performed at London's Wigmore Hall on 15 April the following year by Victor Watson (double bass) and Sidney Crooke (piano), and was described a 'Contrabass Concerto by Dragonetti-Nanny. ERRATA: Piano part: page 8 (1st movement), bar 87 - final chord of bar in right hand should be D/E/G# - a dominant 7th chord in A major Edouard Nanny was an important French double bassist and teacher, also composing and transcribing many works for double bass. He was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 24 March 1872 and he studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Professor Verrimst, also teaching there from 1920-1940. He performed often as a soloist, also working as an orchestral bassist with many orchestras such as the Paris Symphony Orchestra, Concerts Lamoureux and the Orchestra de l'Opera Comique, and in 1901 he founded the Henry Casadeus Society of Old Instruments, chaired by Camille Saint-Saens, and intended to revive the works from the past centuries. Nanny's Method for double bass is still in print, over 90 years since its first publication and both volumes contain a wealth of excellent technical studies and exercises which are as relevant today as they were in the 1920s. His other volumes of studies are mostly out of print and Recital Music plan to reprint some of his orginal works for double bass, transcriptions and educational music to keep alive the name of Edouard Nanny into the 21st-century. Edouard Nanny died in Paris in 1942.

Arranger : David Heyes The Transcriptions Series series Recital Music publish a wealth of original works for double bass alongside a popular, accessible and growing range of transcriptions for bassists of all ages and abilities. Most transcriptions published by Recital Music are by David Heyes, who has a successful and proven track record when arranging for double bass. Czardas for violin and piano is Monti's only famous work, believed to have been composed in the early years of the 20th-century, and has been composed for almost every instrument, every instrumental combination, and performed by every gipsy orchestra or ensemble. The slow rhapsodic introduction quickly leads into the main theme which is full of rhythmic fire and gipsy passion. A slow section, primarily in double stops, is then repeated in high harmonics before a brief return of the fast viruosic music which leads into a reprise of the Czardas material, but now in the tonic major. A fast and energetic finale brings the piece to a rousing and successful conclusion. This exciting new arrangement by David Heyes offers musical and technical challenges in equal measure and the edition includes accompaniments for both solo and orchestral tunings. An arrangement for double bass quartet is in preparation. Italian composer, conductor and violinist, Vittorio Monti was born in Naples on 6 January 1868 and died on 20 June 1922. He studied at the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella with F. Pinto (violin) and Paolo Serrao (composition) and moved to Paris in 1886 where he studied violin with Camillo Sivori, Paganini's most famous pupil. For many years Monti was a member of the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris, also conducting the orchestra on occasions, and composed ballets, operettas and instrumental music during his years in the French capital.