Elegy in D

Giovanni Bottesini (1821–1889) was called the "Paganini of the Double Bass" — a virtuoso so extraordinary that Verdi chose him to conduct the premiere of Aida in Cairo in 1871. His Elegy in D is the most lyrical and widely performed of his shorter pieces for double bass and piano. Playing at the top of the instrument's register with singing tone, the bassist must sustain long, expressive phrases that would challenge a cellist or violinist. The piece demonstrates that, in the hands of a great player, the double bass can sing with the same vocal warmth as any instrument in the orchestra. It appears on virtually every international double bass competition.