DESCRIPTION:
George Frideric Handel: Sonata in E major, HWV 373
William Langlie-Miletich, double bass
Clara Gerdes, harpsichord

Performed on Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Field Concert Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia

0:00 Adagio
1:46 Allegro
4:30 Largo
5:50 Allegro


Until the 20th century, there was an unfortunate shortage of original compositions for the double bass, and from that list it would be difficult to pick out many household names. Most of the great baroque, classical, and romantic composers overlooked the instrument in favor of the more brilliant cousins of the violin family. Many bassists still lament the loss of Franz Joseph Haydn’s concerto for violone, an early relative of the double bass. The existence of that concerto has been well documented but an extant score hasn’t been seen since Haydn’s lifetime, leaving a dearth of legitimacy in the double bass repertory.

To combat this problem—and achieve musical satisfaction—it is common for double bassists to arrange or transpose works written for other instruments, most often violin or cello. This creates a challenge for the bass player who must play the same notes on a significantly larger instrument, calling on a high level of virtuosity to convey a musical idea that would require less technical expertise on the original instrument. Even the most skilled double bassists face these uphill battles, making it all the more satisfying to see them shine so brightly as in this sonata composed originally for violin by George Frideric Handel and published in 1730. Modern scholars have questioned the authorship of the sonata, but it doesn’t keep the double bass from having its day in the sun.