PREFACE

This edition of Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No.2 is based on the only public manuscript currently
available outside Parma, Italy and as such only aims to reflect the markings of that C minor manuscript
version for bass and strings. That said, this version also includes the alternate ending found in the B
minor version for bass and piano so that this solo part can be used with either version of
accompaniment.

While every effort to only replicate Bottesini’s markings has been made, in a few instances it is not clear
where one slur marking begins or ends. Usually bowing through the passage will reveal one version to
be far more logical than another, but one passage in the 3rd movement is so inconsistent that I decided
to provide it here for the performer to make their own educated assessment.

Example: Mvt III, mm. 184-191:

(The extra dots in m.184 are ink bleed marks from the opposite facing page.)

M.184 looks clearly notated with a dot over an 8th and three slurred 8ths. M.185 has an accent on beat
2 and three slurred quarters (Bottesini typically writes the accent in front of the slur marking when the
note is both accented and under a slur). M.186 clearly shows the first slur going to the fifth note in the
measure, but the next slur does not look like it goes all the way to m.187. The most confusing of all is
m.188 where Bottesini hooks the end of the second slur but then in m.189 clearly shows the slur
carrying over to the first 8th note.

Some editions show all the slurs covering three notes while others carry them over four notes. In this
edition, I have marked the slurs as continuing into the next 8th note from m.186 onward. In practice I
find either way technically and musically satisfying. This is to say that some amount of editorial
decision-making is inevitable and I encourage the performer to seek out the manuscript when they find
a particular articulation or slur length surprising or questionable. The manuscript is available on IMSLP
along with a version of this part with the slurs removed and another version with all markings except
notes removed: ​imslp.org/wiki/Double_Bass_Concerto_No.2_in_B_minor_(Bottesini,_Giovanni)

Thank you to the individual(s) who originally scanned and uploaded this manuscript to IMSLP for all of
us to view and study. Without that initial generous contribution of time and energy for public benefit, this
free edition would not have been possible.

Isaac Trapkus - March 5, 2019.

Under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution International license, this edition may be freely used and distributed for any purpose, commercial or
noncommercial, with the only requirement being an attribution to the editor, Isaac Trapkus.
 Double Bass Concerto No.2
 
      
From the C minor manuscript for bass and strings

         
Giovanni Bottesini

           
Urtext (ed. Isaac Trapkus) (1821-1889)

 
Moderato

              
    
3 3 3
 espressivo

   
3 3

    

9

   
 
   
                
3 3 3 3 3 3 3


 3

     
dim.

 
12

         
 3 3 3 3 3

    
cresc.

                            

17 3 3 3 3

3 3 3

    


           
cresc. 3

             
  
22
3 3 3 3
3


cresc.  3

          
cresc. dim.

  
                        
26 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3

         
 3

     
cresc.

      
dim.

             
 3
  

29 3 3 3
3

           


         
3 cresc. 3 3

      
33

         
          
 3 3 3 3 

 
3 3
3

 
3

   
cresc.

 
36

This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
                  
                 
 
40

                   
  


  


  
crescendo

     
44

 
 
  
              



   
cresc.

                 
 3 3 
46

         
3 3 3 3 3

   
3


         
robusto


               
50 3 3
3

    
 3


   
  
3 3 3 3 3 3

 
3 cresc.

  


     
               
    
 

53 3
3

      

         
         



3


    

57

        


 
3 3

           
         
 
62

      



 3

        
  
      
       
        
 3
65
3

   
3 

       
cresc.

 
3 3 3

   
3

   
  
         
               
 
  
69
3 3

3
3 dim.

2 This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
          
             
  
      
            
3


74 3
3

            
     

3 3

  
3

      
3 3 3 3

           
   

79

 
       
    
  
       
     
   
3

       
3  cresc.



82

        sim.
                     


84
  

 
  
  
     
 
      



      
   
                       
86

      
 
       
   
    

     


  



 

           
 
Cadenza


91


            
                
   
 

97

3 3

            
         


      
  
 
99

       
           

 3

    
3




                    
3 3


101

3 3
This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 3
 
       
         

         
                  

103

         
                   
107



   
                  
                  
  
110


                
vibrato

            
 
       
a tempo

  
113

 

 
   
    
                                    

sim.


118


 
cresc.

                                             
    
122

  
 

        
                 
     
               
125

cresc.


4 This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
               
            
    
Andante

        
espressivo

          
     
13

 
 
   

      
cresc.

        



18

   
        
                  
 
 
20 *(accel.)

 
                
  
23

         


   


    
cresc.

   
  
   


26

 

    


      

     
cresc.

           
    
29

       
 
  
                   
32




        
cresc.

            
   
35

dim. cresc.

* Marked in pencil

This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 5
             
              
38

     


        
            
41

       
        
   
   
dim.

       
a tempo

 
44

 
            
poco rall.

   
     
         
48

     
   

  
       

 


    
cresc. cresc.

    
 
52
*(accel. poco)

  
  
 
 
 
  
     


           
dim.

     
  
55




dim.

    
        
                 
poco tratto


59

  
     
        
63

  
 
  
  
      
    
    
    
66

* Marked in pencil

6 This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
                        
    
 
Allegro

  
      
                  
 

 
23

    
     
              
   

29

        


   



            
35


 
 
 
          

  
                 

41

 
   

                  


          
cresc.

    

46

     


 
         
dim.

   
         
  
51

  
     
 
           

56

 
 







    
cresc.

         

64

  
cresc. cresc.
This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 7
  
    

        
          
      

   
71

        


         


   
  
cresc. cresc.

  

   
                



80

             


    



            
cresc.

       

  
89

     

      
   

        
      
     
96

     
     
                         

104

    


                     
      
111

  
                  
             
 


118




             
         
  
122

        
       


 
cresc.

         

 
127

8 This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
                      
 
132
   


  
                
        
136

    
                  
142

         
cresc.

        
   
146

            



       

150


   
                  
  
          

155

        
       
     
cresc.


  
159


                  


  
dim.

     
163

    


     animando
             
    
167

    





     
  

172

This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 9
  
      
                              

            
177

 
   
              


               


        
184


                                        
*) **)
cresc.



189

              


    
      
(cresc.)

  
 
199

        
  
   


   
     
      

       
207

                   
 
 


  
      
212

      
                          


 

218


                        *** (accel.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 
                  
 
223

       
 
                               

(accel.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
229

     
     
         
239 239

(original ending from c minor manuscript) (alternate ending for b minor version)

* See preface note 

** F originally printed as F *** Marked in pencil
(slur lengths unclear)
10 This urtext edition may be freely used and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.