THE WORLD AT HIS FEET

Known principally as a revolutionary double bassist, Giovanni Bottesini was also a prolific composer and conductor. In celebration of his 200th birthday, Stephen Street looks at the life and career of a remarkable artist – and introduces us to his catalogue of works

FIGURE 2 Bottesini with his Testore bass (with a tuner missing from the pegbox)

TULLY POTTER COLLECTION

The extent to which Giovanni Bottesini (1821–89) was adored in his lifetime or how much he revolutionised the double bass is difficult to convey. Described as ‘the greatest artist in the world’ (Freeman’s Journal, 1886), astonishing people with the ‘perfection of his playing’ (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 1884), the Italian virtuoso clearly earned his famous epithet: ‘the Paganini of the double bass’.

This year, the bicentenary of his birth, offers a perfect opportunity to revisit Bottesini’s work and evaluate his legacy. Alongside his extensive repertoire for double bass, he composed operas, sinfonias, a requiem and a ballet, as well as chamber music which remains largely unheard today. What better time to explore his forgotten catalogue and the techniques outlined in his ground-breaking method?

A LIFE IN MUSIC

Bottesini grew up surrounded by musicians and immersed in music. His father, Pietro, a clarinettist and composer, undoubtedly exerted a strong influence on his early development. However, his greatest early mentor was Carlo Cogliati, a musician renowned for revolutionising the music scene in Bottesini’s home town of Crema by transforming local orchestras and teaching many developing musicians. Cogliati started teaching Bottesini the violin from the age of four, claiming (in an interview with Giovanni Solera) that he ‘never had a more intelligent pupil’, and Bottesini stayed under his mentorship until his death in 1833. Bottesini also sang solos in the church choir, played the kettledrums and spent time studying the piano. After Cogliati’s death, Bottesini’s father sought a place for him at the Milan Conservatoire. However, of the available scholarships, the only one Bottesini would accept was for the double bass, and it is said that at the age of 14, after only four lessons on the instrument, he secured his place. In an 1887 newspaper interview he recalled remarking to the examiners in his audition, ‘When I know where to place my fingers I should play out of tune no more.’

The many years spent learning the violin allowed Bottesini to transfer quickly to the double bass, bringing with him techniques he subsequently used to revolutionise the playing of it. He excelled in his studies, completing them three years earlier than expected, ‘not because I thought I had mastered my instrument, but because I wished to have leisure to devote myself more to composition’, he claimed in 1887.

An expanding worldwide transport network allowed Bottesini to become one of the first touring musicians, quickly propelling him to celebrity status. His performances transformed the public’s perception of the double bass, bringing it to the front of the stage and leaving queues of admirers wanting to see him play. His tours, life and works have been documented in Chris West’s new biography, The Paganini of the Double Bass: Bottesini in Britain (2021, reviewed last issue).

Images of Bottesini show a pale man with a striking moustache (figure 1). Contemporary accounts describe how he used to half-close his ‘small grey eyes’ while playing, as if conjuring the next phrase. Then, when finishing a difficult passage, he would open his eyes in a flash – with a trademark smile delighting his loyal audiences. Off stage, he was more introverted, yet approachable, and delighted in telling tales of his extensive travels. He married twice, though stories abound of a more complicated romantic life than that might suggest.

Bottesini’s constant companion was his 1716 Carlo Antonio Testore double bass, which he affectionately referred to as ‘my baby’ (figure 2). Bottesini discovered the instrument in a marionette theatre, covered in cobwebs, having been left there by its previous owner. He was so captivated by its beautiful sound that he would practise late into the evening, often forgetting to eat. Bottesini purchased the bass thanks to a gift from the Milan Conservatoire and money borrowed from a relative, and it quickly became synonymous with him, eventually becoming the most famous double bass in history.

HE HALF-CLOSED HIS EYES WHILE PLAYING, AS IF CONJURING THE NEXT PHRASE. THEN, WHEN FINISHING A DIFFICULT PASSAGE, HE WOULD OPEN HIS EYES IN A FLASH – WITH A TRADEMARK SMILE DELIGHTING HIS AUDIENCES

BOTTESINI’S DOUBLE BASS TREATISE

It is fortunate that Bottesini left us his Complete Method for the Double Bass (first published in French in 1869, then Italian in 1870, and English in 1872), in which his own distinctive approach is outlined. Included in its preface is an ideal to which we might well aspire today: ‘Truth for Science – Beauty for art – Usefulness for the pupil’.

The first half covers the lower positions needed for playing ‘in the orchestra’. The second half expands the instrument’s range by addressing thumb position and harmonics, outlining the techniques needed to play ‘as a solo instrument’. The treatise includes his preference for three strings: he felt that the lowest fourth string was detrimental to the sound. Bottesini also used black bow hair and strings that were not metal-wound. It was rumoured he used only silk strings, but that notion is disproved by both a letter in which he ordered gut strings from the maker Ruffini and a first-hand account describing his gut strings.

THE ‘BOTTESINI’ BOW

One of the most influential practices Bottesini popularised was the use of the French bow on the bass. In fact, it became so associated with him that it was nicknamed the ‘Bottesini’ bow. Having begun his studies on the violin, Bottesini was accustomed to an overhand grip, and Luigi Rossi, his bass teacher, was a great advocate of this technique and taught what he called an adapted cello method. Bottesini was disdainful of the German bow, claiming that, ‘By the use of the ordinary (German) bow you make a noise but no song.’ Bottesini and Rossi were not alone in their preference: early frescos in the churches of Bottesini’s home town depict violone players from an earlier period using this same overhand grip.

Bottesini describes how the double bass bow can vary dramatically in length, giving detailed measurements of between 55cm and 70cm. In two newspaper interviews from 1887 he explains how he experimented with different bows before finding which worked best for him. His experimentation is visible in the few photos we have, which show differing bow lengths and marked differences in head shapes. Bottesini helped develop the French bass bow, culminating in the well-balanced ‘Tourte’ style we recognise today (figure 3).

FIGURE 1A rare photograph glued on a postcard sent by Bottesini to Uruguay from Buenos Aires, 19 May 1879. It is a depiction of him when he conducted Aida in Cairo while living in Egypt 1871–7. Written on the postcard: ‘Everything went well’

DIOCESAN RESEARCH CENTRE OF CREMA/COLLEZIONE ENRICO FERRARI

USING THE BOW

As well as changing the bow, Bottesini transformed the way that bassists used them. Incorporating techniques from the violin, he expanded the bass bow’s capabilities in terms of sounds it could produce and techniques it could execute.

One technique borrowed directly from the violin is bariolage, utilised brilliantly in his Concerto di bravura (Double Bass Concerto no.1, 1840; figure 4), Gran duo concertante (1846 version for violin and double bass) and Grande allegro di concerto (1857 or earlier). Despite the harmonic limitations of the tuning and the physical nature of the bass, Bottesini ingeniously combines open strings and harmonics to achieve this effect on it, and does so in a way that allows the bow to ricochet across the strings.

Bottesini also continued to expand the expressive qualities of the double bass by employing up-bow and down-bow staccato, neither of which had previously been associated with the instrument. A good example is found within his Capriccio di bravura, where the staccato dots included under the slur suggest this technique (figure 5).

Although these techniques were known at the time, Bottesini brought them into his repertoire in a way that normalised their use. In doing so, he transcended the perceived limitations of the instrument, enabling audiences to appreciate how much was possible. He is to be thanked for bringing the bass from the back of the concert stage and placing it firmly in the solo spotlight.

FIGURE 3 Different types of double bass bow. The Dragonetti and Bottesini ones are as pictured in the English edition of Bottesini’s treatise (1872); the image of the German bow is taken from the Franz Simandl method (1874)

HARMONICS

Most associated with Bottesini is the employment of harmonics to extend the range of the double bass. This allowed him to perform not only melodies in the highest register but also repertoire originally written for other instruments. Consequently, much of his own music fits on to the harmonic series of the open strings in orchestral tuning, A, D and G, and their relative minors. However, on occasions when notes in a particular passage do not fit the instrument’s natural harmonics, Bottesini instructs players to pull the string to the side or ‘vigorously’ pinch the string, thus changing the existing pitch (figure 6).

FIGURE 4 Excerpt from Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto no.1, Concerto di bravura, showing use of bariolage

FIGURE 5 From the autograph manuscript of Bottesini’s Capriccio di bravura for double bass and piano, housed in the Biblioteca Palatina di Parma Double bass part, bars 34–6, showing the use of up-and down-bow staccato

FIGURE 6 Some of Bottesini’s instructions on the use of harmonics, taken from his treatise (1872)

Bottesini would occasionally employ artificial harmonics, stopping the string with his thumb and touching the string at a higher point with his finger, allowing him to achieve a certain pitch or make an existing harmonic speak more clearly. This is brilliantly exemplified in his Gran duo concertante (figure 7).

Bottesini does not use different note heads or markings to signify harmonics. He saw them simply as an extension of the range of the instrument and therefore left open to the performer the choice of when to switch in and out of fingered positions. In practice, however, it is often clear when a certain passage requires harmonics.

Bottesini viewed harmonics as a useful way of enabling the double bassist to play music not originally written for the instrument. In the English edition of his treatise he states:

‘It cannot be denied that the Contre Basse has made a great advance, if it can play the Violoncello part exactly as it is written in a Quartett of Beethoven, by employing occasionally a few harmonics, which by their sensitive nature will bear comparison with any other instrument.’ Bottesini also employed harmonics to great effect in his transcriptions of works: a perfect example is the short phrase from his ‘I puritani’ Fantasia (the version for cello, double bass and orchestra) in which the B sharp most definitely needs to be ‘vigorously’ pinched (figure 8).

REDISCOVERING THE CATALOGUE

Although remembered today as a performer, Bottesini saw himself primarily as a composer and conductor. His extensive legacy remains largely unknown; however, a recently completed catalogue by the Bottesini Urtext project (www.bottesiniurtext.com) means we can now unearth these forgotten musical gems. It is a catalogue of remarkable breadth, comprising numerous operas, orchestral and vocal works, as well as works for the double bass as a solo instrument, with piano, with orchestra, and in duet. Bottesini singlehandedly redefined the double bass repertoire, composing new pieces and exploring the potential of transcription, with 24 of his 48 pieces for double bass being arrangements of popular works.

For string players, Bottesini composed a wealth of chamber music, much of which has never been published. He wrote a total of eight quartets, four quintets, two pieces for string ensemble and a handful of solo violin, viola and cello pieces as well as all the works for double bass. Of the eight quartets, six are confirmed; the seventh has been attributed to Bottesini, but the eighth, despite being listed in the catalogue of the Milanbased publisher Francesco Lucca, seems to have been lost.

Bottesini was fond of playing the viola in string quartets and consequently wrote some of his own to perform on his Gagliano instrument, not wanting to forsake his love of the upper stringed instruments. These quartets express a great deal without causing technical difficulties for the performers, which makes it even sadder that they are not standard repertoire today, as they are so enjoyable to play.

STRING QUARTET NO.2 IN B FLAT MAJOR (1861)

In 1861, Bottesini wrote three string quartets, all for his friend Paolo Rotondo. These were part of his efforts to promote the string quartet as an art form: that year he also co-founded the Società del Quartetto di Firenze, the first quartet society in Italy, followed by the Società del Quartetto di Napoli in 1862.

FIGURE 7 From an early manuscript of Bottesini’s Gran duo concertante (1846), held at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and likely to be the earliest known version of the score. It is written at sounding pitch and shows how he wrote for a mixture of natural and artificial harmonics

FIGURE 8 From a manuscript of Bottesini’s ‘I puritani’ Fantasia (version for cello, double bass and orchestra), housed at Stanford University. Double bass part, bars 92–6 – showing aB sharp that needs to be ‘vigorously’ pinched as it does not fit the instrument’s natural harmonics

FIGURE 9 The first page of Bottesini’s String Quartet no.1 in B flat major, as published in the new urtext edition (2020)

COURTESY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The B flat major is the first of these 1861 quartets, and is one of Bottesini’s brightest and warmest. Each of the four movements brims with romantic passion and exquisite melodies. Drawing on Bottesini’s extensive experience, each instrumental part is written idiomatically, sharing equal importance. Bottesini’s love for Mendelssohn shines through in all his quartets – and in the slow movement of the B flat major he even includes a quote from the 1842 ‘Wedding March’.

This early quartet is the first piece to be republished by the Bottesini Urtext project – poised to capture the hearts of audiences once more (figure 9).

STRING QUARTET NO.3 IN D MAJOR (1861)

Bottesini’s most famous quartet during his lifetime was the third, in D. Also written for Rotondo, it won the Concorso Basevi string quartet composition competition in 1862. As part of his prize, Bottesini saw his quartet included alongside Beethoven and Mozart in a publication celebrating the competition.

In common with all Bottesini’s quartets, this one has four movements, and is one of five which have the slow movement after the minuet and trio. Bottesini commonly used sonata form in the first and last movements; however, he would spend an uncommonly long time exploring a theme, with the second theme becoming a variation derived from the first. In a nod to Haydn, Bottesini also included a slow introduction to both the first Allegro and the finale of this quartet.

STRING QUINTET NO.4 IN F MAJOR (1888)

In comparison with the quartets, Bottesini’s quintets are more exuberant, finding greater variation within the idiom. While we expect to see the double bass in all Bottesini’s quintets, it features in just the first. The Fourth Quintet in F major, his last, was one of the final additions to his catalogue, completed in Naples in 1888, not long before his death.

This work drew considerable attention from the press: the Gazzetta musicale di Milano enthusiastically claimed, ‘Bottesini’s Quintet is destined to win the praise of all lovers of good music; praise that is all the more appreciable in that it rarely happens that Italian composers in this special genre of music are able to receive it.’ Widespread praise for the piece likened its Moderato to Schubert’s String Quintet and its scherzo to the Minuet in Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’ Symphony. Its Adagio was mistaken for Mendelssohn, and it culminates in an even more magnificent finale.

Bottesini’s quintets are warm and engaging, full of operatic cantabile; yet in places, his turbulent harmony is positively arresting, showing him to have been a master of the form. It is a great shame that these works have largely been forgotten, but Leon Bosch’s recording with his I Musicanti ensemble is due for release this month, and the urtext editions are poised for publication.

BOTTESINI’S BICENTENARY

It is to be hoped that 2021 signals a turning point for Bottesini’s music, with performers and audiences enjoying – through the Bottesini Urtext project, various new publications and new recordings – his work and understanding the pivotal role he played in the development of the double bass. Returning Bottesini to the concert stage would surely be a fitting way to mark the bicentenary of this remarkable performer and composer. Verso cose più grandi!

Thanks go to Leon Bosch and Chris West for their help and support in writing this article.