Giovanni Bottesini

1821-1889

To say that Giovanni was born into a musical family is perhaps an understatement. His father Pietro was both a clarinettist and a composer, his uncle was a violinist and his three siblings also turned out to be virtuoso musicians.

He was born in the small town of Crema near Milan and was taught violin by his uncle from an early age.

He studied double bass at the Milan Conservatoire but left early to pursue an interest in composition. However by the 1840’s he was performing solo pieces as well as touring as the double bassist for the Italian Opera Company.

Concerts in Vienna and across Europe might have been normal but he also toured Cuba, Mexico, the US and Brazil.

He became renowned for his virtuosity as a double bassist and for some of his compositions featuring the instrument which rarely gets a look in as a solo instrument.

As his reputation grew so invites to perform at Buckingham Palace and for the Tsar in St Petersburg followed.

The Italian publisher Ricordi persuaded Bottesini to publish his Complete Method for Double Bass as a lasting legacy for the instrument. He died in 1889 leaving some 48 works featuring the double bass (together with 14 operas and a requiem mass).

Famous throughout the world in his time, his work is now largely forgotten and rarely performed.