Scherzo in A minor

Solo and Orchestral Tuning
Solo and Orchestral Tuning
Frantisek Gregora

Product code:

RMD1249

£4.50

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Description

Scherzo in A minor was newly revised by David Heyes in 2019, the bicentenary of the birth of František Gregora, with the solo double bass part transposed into G minor and accompaniments provided for both tunings.

The music is rhythmic and vibrant, with a strong momentum throughout contrasting a more lyrical middle section marked Cantabile, ending with an energetic flourish which is exciting and technically challenging.

Full of character and invention, this new edition is a great addition to Recital Music’s ongoing Czech series of publications.

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Description

Scherzo in A minor was newly revised by David Heyes in 2019, the bicentenary of the birth of František Gregora, with the solo double bass part transposed into G minor and accompaniments provided for both tunings.

The music is rhythmic and vibrant, with a strong momentum throughout contrasting a more lyrical middle section marked Cantabile, ending with an energetic flourish which is exciting and technically challenging.

Full of character and invention, this new edition is a great addition to Recital Music’s ongoing Czech series of publications.

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Contents

About the Composer

Czech bassist-composer František Gregora (1819-1887) was Bottesini’s almost exact contemporary, albeit two years older and, although he was a respected soloist and composer his music has, on the whole, been largely forgotten.

Born in Netolice, Bohemia on 9 January 1819, he showed early musical talent playing organ, piano, violin, flute and clarinet before transferring to the double bass. In 1844 he entered the Vienna Conservatoire where he studied double bass with Antonín Slama and composition with Gottfried Preyer.

After graduation, Gregora returned to Bohemia and settled in Písek where he lived until his death on 27 January 1887. He became an important local musical figure as organist, choir-master and music teacher, and was soon nicknamed ‘the travelling bass virtuoso’, having given many recitals in the local area.

František Gregora was a fairly prolific composer and his output includes sacred and secular choral music, chamber and orchestral works alongside a wealth of solo music for double bass.

About the Arranger

František [Franz] Simandl (1840-1912) was one of the leading bassists and teachers of his generation and studied double bass at the Prague Conservatoire with Josef Hrabě. He became a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and taught at the Vienna Conservatoire, teaching many bassists who exported the Czech double bass school to every corner of the world. Although Simandl’s music has fallen from favour in recent times, he was a pioneer of his day and his New Method for Double Bass helped succeeding generations to build and develop the standard of double bass playing today.

About the Editor

David Heyes (b.1960) studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). He has given recitals and masterclasses in 20 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, three times as chairman. David’s collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and by rediscovering forgotten ones. Since 1983 more than 700 works have been written for him, music from one to twenty basses and from beginner to virtuoso, and he has premiered ten contemporary concertos with orchestra. David began to compose in 2013 and has had music performed and recorded in 29 countries across five continents. He is a D’Addario Performing Artist and has recently commissioned a solo double bass from British master-luthier Martin Penning.

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