Ace of bass

Bottesini was one of the most influential musicians of the 19th century and a master of his art. His instrumental virtuosity and consummate musicianship eclipsed the accomplishments of his fellow artists and mesmerised everyone who heard him; critical accounts of his performances around the world abound in superlatives and he was dubbed the ‘Paganini of the Double Bass’. He is now remembered primarily for revolutionising perceptions of the double bass as a solo instrument, yet he was also a prolific composer and a respected conductor. While the rest of the world focused solely on his extraordinary prowess on his instrument, Bottesini devoted considerable energy to pursuing those two other interests, sometimes refusing solo engagements to concentrate on them.

Giovanni Bottesini was born into a musical family in Crema, near Milan, on 22 December 1821. His father Pietro, a clarinettist and composer, was influential in the Crema musical community, his uncle was a violinist and his three siblings were also musicians. Said uncle, Carlo Cogliati, started teaching Bottesini the violin at age four, but in 1835 financial