Presents
Giovanni Bottesini
String Quintet No.2 in e minor-World Premiere Edition
For 2 Violins, Viola & 2 Cellos
Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) was born in the northern Italian town of Crema. His first music lessons were from his father a professional clarinetist and composer. He studied violin locally and applied for a scholarship to the Milan Conservatory and might have pursued a career as a violinist but for the fact that there were no openings for violinists, only one for a bass player. He hastily took up the bass and won the scholarship. His talent was such that after graduating he was able to embark on a solo career and soon became known as the Paganini of the Double Bass. He traveled widely not only throughout Europe but he also visited the United States and briefly served as principal double-bass in the Italian opera at Havana. Apart from his triumphs as a performer, Bottesini was a conductor of European reputation, and conducted at several important opera houses including the Théâtre des Italiens in Paris as well as the Lyceum Theatre in London. He was chosen by Verdi to conduct the first performance of Aida. Besides several operas and many works for double bass, he was a co-founder of the Chamber Music Society of Florence and composed several string quartets as well as a number of string quartets and quintets. His works for bass remain standard repertoire for accomplished double bassists to this day.
The String Quintet No.2 in e minor was composed around 1862. Unlike his first, the Gran Quintetto in c minor from 1858 in which Bottesini played the bass part at the premiere, Quintet No.2 calls for a second cello like the quintets of Boccherini and Schubert and not a bass. The opening movement, Moderato, begins with a lovely, yearning theme. Both cellos are given important roles throughout. The second movement is a charming, somewhat quick paced Menuetto followed by a boisterous, almost raucous, trio section. In some ways, the third movement, Adagio sostenuto, is the Quintet's center of gravity. The cellos open affairs with a sad, distressed main theme. As the movement progresses, tremendous climaxes, created by frequent tremolos, appear. The finale, Allegro vivo, is bright, upbeat and full of foreward motion.
Our world premiere edition was carefully edited from the original manuscript by senior editors Garik Hayrapetyan and Raymond Silvertrust. You may have noticed from the soundbites that the second cello part was played by a bass which shows that it can be so played. This is a gorgeous work we are proud to make available and recommend it for concert performance and also to experienced amateur ensembles.
Parts: $29.95
Parts & Score: $39.95
