The long awaited Sassmannshaus method “Early Start on the Double Bass” is now here. At last students of the largest instrument in the string family can make use of this tried and tested method for beginners, developed by Egon Sassmannshaus for the other string instruments and applied here to the double bass by Holger Sassmannshaus and J. Peter Close. This method will meet the needs of the growing number of young bass students. “Early Start on the Double Bass” encompasses everything that one would expect from a Sassmannshaus method: an easy start, progression at a suitable rate, many cross-references to the other string instruments, songs and scales in different positions from early on, as well as many duets. Lively and colourful illustrations by Charlotte Panowsky complete the edition. For more than three decades “The Sassmannshaus Tradition” has been the household name for excellence in beginner string methods in German-speaking countries. The English editions for violin, viola and violoncello, which were introduced to the international market in 2008, have proven to be very successful, particularly in the United States. Kids to the Bass! While children learning other string instruments can start as early as the age of four, the appropriate age to begin the double bass is approximately eight (possibly even six); this allows for a faster progression than on the other string instruments, and the method consists of only three volumes. The first volume will be published separately in an English and a German edition; the following two volumes will have German and English text in each book. Original compositions by Boguslaw Furtok enrich the volumes. - Based on the tried-and-tested Sassmannshaus methods for violin, viola and cello - Volume 1: Separate editions in German and English - Volumes 2 and 3: Bilingual, German/English editions - Moderate increase in difficulty - Position playing, duets - Includes new original compositions to B. Furtok - Volume 3 with piano accompaniments to 7 pieces The authors Holger Sassmannshaus is a double bass player with the Niederrheinische Sinfoniker in Mönchengladbach/Krefeld. He also teaches the double bass and performs with several other ensembles. J. Peter Close is a teacher for violoncello and double bass in Munich.

Bohuslav Martin (1890-1959) was a prolific Czech composer writing many large scale works. The composer moved to Paris in 1923 where he began experimenting in a variety of composition styles. His String Trio was published in 1951. Martin himself was a violinist and many of his experiments in composing for solo instruments and small ensembles saw him write for his own instrument and for the familiar strings. String Trio is made up of two movements; 1) Allegro and 2) Poco moderato. With a typical performance lasting about 15 and a half minutes the String Trio for Violin Viola and Celloprovides advanced string players with an exciting challenging and inspiring ensemble work addressing a variety of musical features. Martin 's String Trio is essential to aspiring string ensembles.

These String trio arrangements of some of Bach's many 'inventions' (published by SJ Music in two volumes) will bring pleasure to all who play them. The 2nd Violin part as an alternative to the Viola part makes them accessible with or without a Viola player on hand.

Max Reger's two String Trios stand alongside Mozart's Divertimento in E-flat major (K. 563) and Beethoven's Op. 9 trios at the pinnacle of the genre. In their style and technical demands Regerhas clearly taken these admired classical forebears as his guide. Both trios are classicist in nature and delight the listener with their relaxed and occasionally even joyful character. No wonder that they proved highly successfulat their premières in 1904 and 1915! For his edition the Reger specialist Michael Kube has examined the autograph scores and the first editions of both works. This edition in parts also comes in a miniature score withexactly the same text published in Henle's Study Score Series (HN 9722).