Solo Music

New Bottesini – Never before Published

Two Romantic Songs for Contrabass and Piano by Giovanni Bottesini

ISG Publications is pleased to announce the immediate availability and New Release of Two Romantic Songs for Contrabass and Piano by Giovanni Bottesini. This beautifully printed album of two art-songs from circa 1865, Il Lamento della Ghisa and La Cloche de Village, originally written by Bottesini for voice and piano, has been transcribed, arranged, and edited by Patrick Neher. This exclusive publication is the first time these songs have ever been published for contrabass solo.

If you are a Bottesini enthusiast, or just now beginning to study the music of this great master of 19th century romanticism, you are in for a real treat! Even your teacher doesn’t know about these beautiful tunes! In one album, you can study two fine examples of Bottesini’s craftsmanship. Each song is around four minutes long and encompasses a moderate mid- range for the contrabass, yet is very lyrical and mostly step-wise (without the flashy arpeggios of many of his works). These “entry-level” works are perfect to get started on the vast Bottesini repertory, and if you are an old-hand at Bottesini, you will welcome the fresh new lyricism and charm these pieces offer to be a wonderful diversion from the flash and “bravura” of much of Bottesini’s other works. Hear Patrick Neher perform “Il Lamento…”
and Hear Patrick perform “La Cloche.”

This exclusive publication, which is perfect for students in middle to high school or college, contains one solo contrabass part and two piano parts (one in solo tuning and one in orchestral tuning). PDF License will soon be available for tablets. Please see our contrabass solos page for purchase.

May 13, 2024 by Chamber Music Composers double bass Duets News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

CD – Three Sonatinas for Contrabass

Patrick Neher and Martin Kennedy have just released a new CD album of Neher’s three Sonatinas for Contrabass. This 52 minute album was recorded the second week of March, 2024, and is a sort-of “House Concert.” No A.I. here! This performance is minimally edited and has the energy (and full-blown human character, sounds, and technical problems) of a live performance! For students of composition and of contrabass, this recording presents a good example of contemporary counterpoint, rhythmical and expressive playing, combined with lyrical, sensitive, and accessible harmonies. Frankly, you have never heard bass playing, nor piano playing like this!!

Martin Kennedy is a well-known and prize winning composer as well as celebrated collaborative and solo concert artist. Patrick Neher, now retired, has traveled the world as a soloist, but is also known for his compositions for modern dance, film, orchestra, and chamber music that features the double bass in prominent roles. Together, these two Juilliard-trained professionals have created a unique and formidable concert CD, that can easily be a reference for virtuosity in performance as well as music composition. This CD is also available by usb2 thumb-drive (files included: mps3 tracks, cover art and info).

Now Available on ISG Music’s CD pages.

March 14, 2024 by Composers Duets News Recordings Solo Music

Incantation for Viola Second Edition

ISG Publications announces the Second Edition of Patrick Neher’s Incantation for Solo Viola (1991).

This lovely soliloquy has recently been performed by Nancy Bean, violinist/violist formerly with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The performance, Sept. 10, 2023, at the German Society of Pennsylvania, was videoed by Dr. Edmund Cohen.

Hear/See the performance (below)
Incantation for Solo Viola is available on our Viola repertory page.

Incantation for Solo Viola is available on our Viola repertory page.

September 13, 2023 by Composers News Sheet Music Solo Music

Double Stop Study No. 2

Patrick Neher’s latest double stop study for contrabass, Double Stop Study no. 2 is now available on the Premiere Pedagogy page and the double bass solos page. This work is intended as an etude but is well suited to performance. (Hear Patrick Neher performing) It is approx. 06:00 minutes in length, and utilizes the entire range of the double bass. It is an expressive work with lots of challenge, on par with college and professional players.

This composition is an elegy, dedicated to continuing the memory of the charismatic, compassionate and talented bassists, Robert Black and David Neubert. These lovely humans were taken from the bass world all too soon. They will be dearly missed.

June 13, 2023 by Composers double bass News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

Character Waltzes for Bass and Piano

Neher-CharacterWaltzes

ISG Publications announces the Second Edition of Patrick Neher’s Character Waltzes for Double Bass and Piano. This work, composed in 2014, is approximately 10-12 minutes and is four lyrical and short waltzes based on theatrical characters (there are “Izia”, “Marco”, “Frankie”,  and “Josephine”).

The level of challenge is rated at 8 (out of 10) for the composition’s use of the entire range of the double bass and having challenge equal to a professional bassist’s ability. See a video performance, for more information, samples, and ordering information, please head over to our music for contrabass page. For more information on Patrick Neher and his compositions, please click here.

ISG Publications / ISG Music Promotions is dedicated to publishing, presenting, and promoting today’s composers of music for double bass, cello, strings, and other instruments in combinations and solos that provide challenge for the player and lyrical yet contemporary accessibility for audiences.

patrickneher.com
patrick neher.com
January 7, 2023 by Chamber Music Composers double bass News Sheet Music Solo Music

Second Edition – Van Hulse Sonatine-Etude

Sonatine-Etude

Camil Van Hulse’s short and spirited work; Sonatine-Etude pour contrebasse solo, has been given a face-lift. ISG Publications is please to offer the Second Edition of this popular bass solo. The work has been composed quite idiomatically for the double bass, even though Camil Van Hulse was not a bassist. The work is a perfect choice as an introduction to American contemporary classical music for bass students of all ages.
Be sure to listen to the audio examples. The piece is a lot of fun to play!

Camil Van Hulse, composer

Camil Van Hulse, was born in Belgium in 1897 and died in Tucson, Arizona, in 1988, after a lengthy career in music, particularly symphonic direction and opera composition. Though not a bass player, Camil wrote the composition, Sonatine-Etude, after hearing the incomparable Gary Karr performing works of Bottesini on the local classical music radio station. Sonatine-Etude is both lyrical and technically challenging, yet surprisingly, it is written quite idiomatically for the bass. Camil’s knowledge of orchestration is evident and the piece is a welcome addition to the repertory.

Purchase the sheet music on our contrabass page. PDF license is available for tablets.

October 19, 2022 by Composers double bass News Sheet Music Solo Music

ColorPoz Method for Contrabass

Patrick Neher ColorPoz Method

Do you want to play the bass really, really well? Are you frustrated with attitudes that make playing the bass difficult? Well, we introduce a simpler, quicker way to learn the double bass: Patrick Neher’s new ColorPoz Method for Contrabass in two volumes is now available. These unique method utilizes colored note heads to designate position and string. Truly the first of its kind, ColorPoz will have you playing in all positions, knowing every pitch on the bass, in “no time!!”

The first book of ColorPoz Method for Contrabass includes studies for 1/2, first, second, and third positions, with an added variation of extended-third. The second book of ColorPoz Method for Contrabass covers positions 4, 4-extended, 5 and 6 (numbering of positions pioneered by François Rabbath). Student and teacher feedback indicates that the colored note head system facilitates their learning of the pitches in every position much better than by the traditional method of indicating position and string with text (i.e. “I, II, III, etc” and “G, D, A, E”). The goal is to learn all the notes and positions, then it is easier to focus on being expressive with the bow and sound control. Though ColorPoz Method for Contrabass focuses on left hand technique and progressively learning the pitches in every position, the method also provides thorough study for all aspects of bass playing, and facilitates development of acute mental-mapping of the fingerboard. ColorPoz Method also provides critical studies that develop pivoting (pivot fingering), with photos and video links.

Book Two example pages

ColorPoz Method for Contrabass is edited by Cielito De Jesus and the techniques taught have received accolades from numerous, prominent teachers of double bass. Now available, Book One is $22 and includes textual instruction, 39 photographs, 12 etudes, and 2 divertimenti. Book 2 is $28 and includes textual instruction, 12 etudes and 1 concert caprice. Both books purchased together are discounted to $45. A web site of videos for every exercise and numerous supplemental videos is provided with free and unlimited access.

Please share your comments about studying ColorPoz Method with Patrick Neher at his web site (patrickneher.com) or use our contact page.

September 4, 2022 by Composers double bass News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

More on Carl Flesch Distilled by Mark Rush

Mark Rush’s Latest Violin Book

Rush-Carl Flesch Distilled
Carl Flesch Distilled – Mark Rush

ISG Publications is honored to present and to release a fabulous re-visioning of one of the most important staples of the violin repertory; Mark Rush’s new book, Carl Flesch Distilled, A User-Friendly Approach to the Flesch Scale System. This is the first violin pedagogy title in our Premiere Pedagogy Series.

Mark Rush has a distinguished career as a professor of violin and chamber music, an internationally traveled performer, and a recording artist with numerous albums. His new book is an innovative detail yet simplification of the Flesch Scale System, and focuses on the essence of this system to make scale study for violinists much more productive and less tedious. This is a superb practice book to reside on every violinist’s music stand. Available in PDF also, for tablets.
Read Stephen Brivati’s review of Carl Flesch Distilled on Violinist.com.
Read Mark Rush’s article on the creation of Carl Flesch Distilled on Violinist.com.

With accolades from professional and amateur violinists alike, here are what just a few celebrated performers are saying about Mark Rush’s new book:
“I thoroughly enjoyed this well conceived and beautifully executed re-imagining of one of the essential building blocks of violin technique. I look forward to sharing this with my students and also working on it myself as well. Bravo!” ~ Steven Moeckel, Concert Master, Phoenix Symphony, Santa Fe Opera

“Carl Flesch Distilled is a welcome addition to the library of violin technical studies. Mark Rush has taken the Flesch Scale System and simplified the format into a logical visual and theoretical sequence easily understood by students.” ~ Mimi Zweig, Professor, Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University

“… a fresh and imaginative presentation of the Carl Flesch Scale System that makes the benefits of this classic fully accessible to any violinist.” ~ Kevin Lawrence, Professor, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Artistic Director, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival

“The Flesch scale system has been a go-to resource for violin teachers for almost 100 years. Professor Rush introduces scale practice in a more gradual way, and his ideas on fingerings help with the process of memorization and gaining confidence with intonation. I highly recommend this volume for any teacher… or for students who have been frustrated with the complexity of the original.” ~ Charles Wetherbee, Associate Professor of Violin, Colorado University – Boulder

“Mark Rush has taken the beloved Carl Flesch Scale System and has reverently preserved its most essential core, while providing wonderfully clear and helpful additions; perfect for students of all levels, making this classic book more approachable and useable for everyone. What a great idea, wonderfully executed!” ~ Lina Bahn, Associate Professor of Violin, Thornton School of Music, Univ. of Southern California

“What a pleasure to see this valuable contribution to the pedagogical literature which is exactly what it advertises: distilled, thoughtful, and above all,  accessible, while retaining the original inspiration and intent of Carl Flesch. Well done, indeed!” ~ Paul Kantor, Professor of Violin, Shepard School of Music, Rice University

See all of ISG Publications titles at: https://isgpublications.com

August 31, 2022 by Composers News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music violin

Swing Set for Contrabass (2021)

ISG Publications is please to announce the new release of Patrick Neher’s concert etude, Swing Set for Contrabass. As part of our Virtuoso Creation series and our Premiere Pedagogy series, these challenging set of four lyrical etudes can be performed as a short (about 07:00 minutes) concert solo, or can be part of your daily study to facilitate both your technique and musical interpretation skills. There are some “extended techniques” required of the piece, including some humming/singing in pitch.

Patrick Neher’s new piece, Swing Set for Contrabass, is a lyrical and dynamic solo work that can be a wonderful addition to any bass player’s library, but a professional level of performance is required.

Purchase Swing Set for Contrabass on our contrabass page or our pedagogy page.

June 8, 2022 by Composers double bass News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

Giampaolo Bracali – Soliloquy

Second Edition

ISG Publications is please to release the Second Edition of Giampaolo Bracali’s competition solo, Soliloquy. The late Maestro Bracali composed Soliloquy for the 2005 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition, and it was the required new music piece for the competition. Though played by numerous bassists at the time, it seems to have been forgotten. With this issuance, we’d like to remind bassists of this seminal work. It is mostly lyrical and utilizes the entire range of the bass. Though a tad challenging for most bassists, it is a great study piece as well as a deeply thoughtful concert work. The Second Edition is attractively covered and printed with good contrast for your music stand. A PDF version for tablets is also available.

Please see our Contrabass Solos page for more information and purchasing.

May 24, 2022 by Composers News Sheet Music Solo Music

Character Suite for Contrabass and Piano

Patrick Neher – Character Suite for Contrabass and Piano, (or for Contrabass Solo, or for Contrabass with another bassist accompanying), is the latest title added to ISG Publications’ Premiere Pedagogy Series of innovative compositions for students and teachers.

Written for Cielito de Jesus and her students, this composition explores four “characters” and how to develop musical personality. The four movements can be performed individually or as a group and total approximately 10:00 minutes. The movement titles indicate the characteristics to develop: Foup and Twils (allegro moderato), Under Dripping Palms (andante), Plumb Foup (allegro), and G’mma’s Waltz (allegro). The solo bassist can perform in orchestral or solo tuning, as both piano parts and accompaniment bassist parts come with both tunings. Hear demonstration recordings of Character Suite on Patrick Neher’s personal web page (click the Book Two tab).

Bassists are encourage to study the pieces with a teacher, and the teacher can play the accompaniment bass part or the piano. But these pieces can also be rewarding to perform solo, with no accompaniment. This innovative way of making music provides potential for spontaneous creativity. In fact, the soloist could specify where he/she wants to be accompanied and by whom – the bassist or the pianist. Fun!

The level of skill required to play these pieces is in the moderate to advanced junior high or high school range, but college students and professionals alike will be challenged to be creative with the material. Thus, the four character tunes are oriented toward multi-skill level, they are listenable, and are especially fun to play!

Purchase Patrick Neher’s new Character Suite at our contrabass solos page.

May 7, 2022 by Chamber Music Composers double bass News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

New Release – Prokofieff Ballade op.15 for Contrabass and Piano

Prokofieff - Ballade, op. 15 for contrabass and piano
Prokofieff – Ballade, op.15 for Contrabass and Piano (ISG Publications, 2022)

As part of our Virtuoso Performer Series, ISG Publications is please to release Serge Prokovieff’s spirited and contemporary Ballade, op. 15, recently edited and transcribed for contrabass by Patrick Neher. Ballade was originally composed for cello and piano, but the composition lays well on the contrabass and has many “bass-like” characteristics. Patrick Neher has always been inspired by Prokofieff’s music, and Ballade is one of those pieces that is “perfect for the bass,” so he edited and arranged the work for contrabass. This unique publication is an excellent vehicle for a bassist and pianist to explore a wide range of potential expression and emotions. Certainly a “tour de force” work for the pianist, the composition is also complex enough for the bassist to provide years of challenge!

Dedicated to Nikolai Pavlovich Ruzsky, Serge Prokofieff wrote Ballade for Cello and Piano in 1912, and yet it still sounds contemporary, as if written just yesterday! It has a freshness that is timeless. The work is especially challenging for pianists. Clearly Prokofieff’s technique of playing the piano is well on display in this piece, requiring substantial “extended” techniques that even the most accomplished pianists will have to develop to play the work’s emotional content as intended.

Ballade was first performed in Moscow, February 1914, by Prokofieff, with cellist, Yevsey Belousov. The first publication of the work was in 1915 by publisher, J. Jurgenson. This new edition comes with the piano score spiral bound and the contrabass part staple bound. A PDF version is in the works. Purchase the sheet music on ISG Publication’s contrabass solos page.

February 11, 2022 by Chamber Music Composers Duets News Sheet Music Solo Music

Bottesini Melodia #2 and Introduction & Gavotte – Second Editions

Bottesini’s lovely Melodia #2 for Contrabass and Piano (ISG ©1999) has been reissued. The Second Edition of Melodia #2 includes both piano parts for the contrabass in orchestral and solo tuning, and is carefully edited to reflect Patrick Neher’s concert recording of the work. This re-issue is in beautiful print and on standard concert folio sized archival paper. A PDF version is in the works.

And ISG has reissued Bottesini’s Introduction and Gavotte. The Second Edition provides this popular work with both solo tuning and orchestra tuning piano parts. Carefully edited, this edition is a reflection of the recordings and live performances of Patrick Neher.

Purchase the Second Edition of Bottesini Melodia #2 and Bottesini’s Introduction and Gavotte from ISG’s contrabass solos page.

November 24, 2021 by Chamber Music Composers News Sheet Music Solo Music

New Release Pedagogy – Negri Two Studies

LUIGI NEGRI was a not-so-famous bassist of the 19th century. Born in 1837, he managed to make a name for himself even though overshadowed by Giovanni Bottesini. As a former student of Bottesini’s teacher, Luigi Rossi, and as successor to the head of the conservatory in Milan, he had a fair number of bass students and produced numerous compositions and etudes.

These two studies, Gran Studio no.1 and Studio no. 24, are from a compilation of studies that Negri produced around the year 1862. The book consisted of mostly violin studies (by such teachers as Kreisler), adapted by Negri for bass. But the two published here by ISG Publications are his original compositions and deserve to be re-published. They give us insight into the demands of bassists at the time – when Donizetti, Puccini, and Verdi were writing operas with very challenging (sometimes) bass parts!

Though not the most inspired of compositions, bassist will today be mightily challenged by these two studies, to play in the 19th century opera buffa style and Play in Tune!! You can obtain your copy of these two studies of Luigi Negri at our Pedagogy Page or our solo contrabass compositions page.

July 22, 2021 by double bass News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

Concert Solos for Contrabass 2021

ISG Publications is pleased to announce a new album of four concert solos for contrabass by Patrick Neher. These pieces were composed in February through April of 2021, during the world-wide pandemic. Three of the four compositions are written for and dedicated to contemporary bassists, whom you may know: Cielito de Jesus, Jason Heath, and Frank Proto. Each composition is lyrical and expressive, and challenges a bass player to really “dig in” to the bass, honing his/her interpretive skills and delighting in accomplishing music that has such deep expressive potential, utilizing the contrabass’ great range of pitch. The titles of the pieces are: For Love of the G String, Grandma’s Attic, The End of March, and Divertimento for J.

Patrick Neher’s new Concert Solos for Contrabass 2021 album of four contemporary compositions is available on the contrabass solos page at ISG Publications.

See Jason Heath’s review of one of the pieces in this album, Divertimento for J

June 29, 2021 by Composers News Sheet Music Solo Music

Luigi Negri – Romantic Pieces, Second Edition

ISG Publications is pleased to release the Second Edition of Five Romantic Pieces for Contrabass and Piano by Luigi Negri (written circa 1885). These popular pieces, originally and exclusively published by ISG Publications in 2005, and edited by Remo Ricci, have had a face-lift, with a new cover and spiral bound piano part (piano part available for contrabass in orchestral or solo tuning), for easier placement on the piano music stand. In addition, the pages are now the Euro-standard size of 9″ x 12″ (verses our FIrst Edition 10″ x 13″) again, making the sheet music a bit less cumbersome, and easier for us to produce the covers in full color! Both parts have the original title pages reproduced so that the players can be inspired by the hand-written title pages of the 19th century! One final upgrade, all five pieces of Luigi Negri are available in one album. Purchase of the individual pieces will be available until stock is exhausted. After that, only the album of five pieces will be available.

Much like the music of Giovanni Bottesini, Luigi Negri also adapted many opera tunes of his day, for contrabass. Negri was a student of the same teacher as Bottesini, and was well known in his time for his virtuoso performances and inspiration teaching. For many bassists, the music of Negri is more accessible and welcome diversion from that of Bottesini.

ISG Publications is the sole world-wide publisher of these five romantic pieces: Capriccio “Rigoletto”, Fantasia “Sonnambula”, Capriccio “Alisir d’Amore”, Fantasia “Poliuto”, and Reminiscenze “Stabat Mater” (original vocal works by Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, and Rossini)

For Purchase go to the Contrabass Solos page of ISG Publications

June 16, 2021 by Chamber Music Duets News Sheet Music Solo Music

New Release: Pedagogy Series, Double Stop Study #1

Patrick Neher has released his new Double Stop Study no. 1 for Contrabass. As an additional title to the Premiere Pedagogy Series of innovative study works, this new etude is also perfect for concert. It’s a 7 minute work that covers the entire range of the double bass, both technically and musically. Double Stop Study no. 1 is a perfect piece for bassists wanting to learn how to play double stops in a contemporary style, while honing their musical interpretation chops!

Purchase the sheet music on ISG Publication’s contrabass page or pedagogy page.

February 1, 2021 by Composers News Pedagogy Sheet Music Solo Music

NEW RELEASE: Wheelock Soliloquy

Donald Wheelock – Soliloquy for Solo Cello

Wheelock Soliloquy for solo cello
Wheelock Soliloquy for Cello

Written in 2004 for Matt Haimovitz, Donald Wheelock‘s Soliloquy for Solo Cello has recently been released in this attractive edition from ISG Publications. The sheet music is published in a clear, performance-ready format that is readily accessible by amateurs and professionals. The Soliloquy is a solemn and expressive piece that spans most of the range of the cello, with deep lyricism and technical challenge, yet is always accessible to audiences of all ages. Total duration of the piece is approximately 5 minutes. Matt Haimovitz plays the Soliloquy on YouTube.

Purchase the sheet music “directly from the publisher” on our Cello Pages.

June 28, 2019 by Composers News Solo Music

Sonatina #4 for Contrabass

Patrick Neher’s latest opus is Sonatina #4 for Contrabass and Piano. This lyrical but virtuosic work is about 24 minutes total and includes two movements: February (Moderato, rhapsodic and very lyrical) and March (Allegro vivace giocoso). Completed in January of 2019, the Sonatina was written for the Dixie State University bass festival (February, 2019), and is dedicated to composer and bass player, Frank Proto. See video example. Buy the sheet music here.

January 24, 2019 by Chamber Music Composers News Sheet Music Solo Music

Romance for Contrabass and Orchestra

Romance for Contrabass and Orchestra, by Patrick Neher (2018) This short (7:30) vignette is not a difficult piece. Orchestra is small: One of each: oboe, bassoon, clarinet, trumpet, euphonium (or bass trombone), tuba, tympani, triangle, and a moderate strings section.

This piece is published in three additional formats:
~ for solo cello and orchestra.
~ for solo bass and small wind ensemble
~ for chamber orchestra alone (no soloist)

Go to our purchase site to rent or buy

September 12, 2018 by Chamber Music Composers News Recordings Sheet Music Solo Music Symphonic Music With soloist

Archives