Tag Archives: New Release

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.

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.

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.

NEW RELEASE for Bass Duet

Patrick Neher – April in G for Contrabass Duet

  • Neher - April in G bass duet
    Cover
  • Score and parts

April was supposed to be a beautiful month of creative endeavors, concerts, and flowering trees. Instead it is a bit dreary – never the less, Patrick Neher has composed a wonderfully fun duet for double bass players, April in G. The composition uses the entire range of the bass (of course) and explores passionate lyricism, virtuosic technique, and expansive chordal textures. The piece is truly fun to play and to listen to, but requires a professional skill level of playing (or of those aspiring to be professional).

A challenging and fun new duet for the repertory, April in G is ready to be performed when we start going to concerts again.

Purchase the sheet music (basses in ensembles) here.

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.