Welcome to the Solo Bass Literature section, an online bibliography designed to classify and present all compositions ever written for double bass in a solo role. More specifically, all the solo bass compositions of which some record could be located, whether as a record of manuscript, print, performance record from the past, or even a record of lost or incomplete composition. With such a conception this bibliography differentiates itself from the majority of preceding bass music bibliographies, which have often focused on time period, the genre form or the printed editions format. The goal of this bibliography however is to unify all of these profiles in one single registry, and encompass literally all records of solo bass music that are available on global level.
This bibliography however, and given the magnitude of the undertaking, will be considered a Beta-Project in-development for some time in the future. The updates are envisioned in regular intervals and will feature sections that cover all the authors whose last names start with a particular letter of alphabet. Thus the project starts with A composers and will end with Z composers, when the work is completed.
For more information on the organization of this section please consult the Classification Criteria & Organization and Record Format chapters, both here and within each Solo Compositions subject page. Likewise, and should you be interested in any particular piece listed that you may not find online, please be welcome to contact me directly through the ABP Contact page, and I will be glad to assist you.
Igor Pecevski
August 29, 2025
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Classification Criteria & Organization
By Solo Bass Composition this bibliography understands a composition for single double bass as perceived in a modern sense of the word. That composition may feature a bass without any accompaniment, or with some kind of accompaniment, provided commonly by piano or an ensemble. From the historical point of view, the question may be asked at what point did this “modern double bass” emerge, and the answer is: with first historical solo compositions that modern bassists perform today on modern instruments. In practice that would imply the solo classical compositions of Viennese Classicism starting ca. 1760s.
However, since many of the period Violoni types were conceived to reach into the 16 foot register, which essentially approximates the register of the modern double bass today, one may ask whether there is some solo literature for bass even from the late Baroque period and pre 1760s decades? The modern research is not conclusive on this point, although there are views that even Ignaz Holzbauer Violone Concerto may be considered a solo bass concerto. Likewise, there appear to be solo pieces affiliated with G Violone, and these will certainly predate the Classical period solo compositions. Therefore, when the research is settled on the issue of involvement of G Violone as a solo instrument, and such pieces are identified and documented in scholarly works as written for solo bass instrument that can reach into the 16 foot register, then such pieces may also be included in this bibliography as solo bass compositions. Prior to that point the classical solo repertoire will be considered as the one that offers us the earliest samples of the solo bass literature.
The cataloging project itself is designed to grow in consecutive steps both with new additions to the subject areas, but also by broadening the width of coverage (sources used) within those same subject profiles. The exact progress of update work is in this phase of development still uncertain, as many of the procedures and rules are still in the process of formation. Therefore, the progress of this catalog may depend simply on the complexity of synchronization between data formats and the amount of cataloging work required to cover all the registered sources. Likewise, all the details on the bibliography and sources consulted in making these listings will be presented when the catalog is completed, and a final format for authentication and presentation of catalog data decided on.
Record Format
The Record Format for individual compositions was established in order to present uniformly the composer’s name, the composition title, and the composition year (as much as it can be determined) along with some additional data of relevance that was located along. The purpose of record format is not to mimic the traditional library bibliographic record with its many descriptor fields, but to simply indicate the existence of a particular composition.
With some records however you will find plenty of extra data included with the record, and even links to manuscripts and online recordings. With some other records, even certain parts of the basic citation may lack. For example, for some compositions the year of composition was difficult to establish or may be missing altogether. Likewise, the life span years for certain composers may be missing or be incomplete.
Please bear in mind that although the citation of presented data may appear as a simple task, the research, confirmation and evaluation of compositions in just a simple “composer-composition-date” format, has proven to be a complex endeavor that often requires considerable time in order to clarify authorship, or dating ambiguities. For those users that may already be familiar with classical music bibliographies and thematic catalogs, it should be said that in order for this database to be completed, the cataloging and research work will require a creation of a number of individual thematic catalogues that have not been created yet.
The additional areas of interest that pertain to composition origin, its history, editions, performances and historical recordings are in plans for future. However, to incorporate them all at this time, would present too much of an effort within this initial Beta-Phase development of the catalog.
The typical composition entry that you will encounter here will consist of the fields presented in the Record Format Map, which you will find within each individual Solo Bass Music page affiliated with this section.
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Created by Igor Pecevski
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Last Update:
Posted: Augusr 29, 2025
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