Monthly Archives: July 2021

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.

New Release – Mucumber’s Waltz

Mucumber’s Waltz for Three Contrabasses is an arrangement of the “…hot dogs are already cooked” aria and scene from Patrick Neher’s children’s opera; Mucumber McGee and the Half-Eaten Hot Dog (2008, based on the children’s book of the same name by Patrick Loehr). This new composition for three basses explores most of the bass range for all three parts, and is considered a pedagogical as well as a performance work. At just under 4:00 minutes, the work is playful, bright, and optimistic. And you can dance to it!

This work is ideally suited for a bass trio performance or for ensemble practice in bass studios at the grade-school and college level. See the page for bass in ensembles and the Premiere Pedagogy page to learn more and to purchase.