# The standard bass audition excerpts

Public reference list, ordered by difficulty. Consult the orchestra’s current audition notice for its required selections and edition.

- [Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, I, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/beethoven-5-i-bass), The four-note motif, played in unison across the low strings. Rhythmic clarity is the entire test. Intermediate; Classical; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mozart: Symphony No. 40, I, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/mozart-40-i-bass), The pulsing accompaniment that opens the symphony, and the running bass line that follows. Tests classical style and rhythmic discipline. Advanced; Classical; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Brahms: Symphony No. 2, I, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/brahms-2-i-bass), The low string figure that opens the symphony, the three-note motif everything else is built from. Quiet, exposed, and entirely about sound. Advanced; Romantic; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, III, Trio](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/beethoven-5-iii-bass), The most requested double bass excerpt in the repertoire. The Trio fugato, played by the section alone, fast and quiet. Audition; Classical; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mozart: Haffner Symphony, IV, Presto](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/mozart-35-iv-bass), The standard classical bass excerpt. Fast running passagework that has to stay light, clear, and exactly in time. Audition; Classical; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mahler: Symphony No. 1, III, bass solo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/mahler-1-iii-bass-solo), The unaccompanied solo bass statement of Frère Jacques in the minor. The most famous solo in the orchestral bass repertoire, and completely exposed. Audition; Late-Romantic; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, IV, recitative](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/beethoven-9-iv-recitative-bass), The instrumental recitative for cellos and basses before the vocal entry. Speech-like, rhythmically free, and section-defining. Audition; Classical; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, bass passages](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/strauss-heldenleben-bass), Fast, wide-ranging low string writing that crosses the whole instrument. One of the hardest excerpts on the standard list. Audition; Late-Romantic; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mozart: Symphony No. 39, IV, Finale](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/mozart-39-iv-bass), Fast classical running passages across the instrument. A standard test of clean shifting and light articulation at speed. Audition; Classical; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Mahler: Symphony No. 2, I, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/mahler-2-i-bass), The tremolo-driven low string opening. Aggressive, rhythmically exact, and demanding a large sound without loss of definition. Audition; Late-Romantic; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Verdi: Otello, Act IV double bass passage](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/verdi-otello-bass), The unaccompanied low string writing before Otello’s entrance in the final act. A standard opera-audition excerpt and completely exposed. Audition; Late-Romantic; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Strauss: Don Juan, opening](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/strauss-don-juan-bass), The low string part of the opening gesture, fast, wide, and requiring the section to match the upper strings exactly. Audition; Late-Romantic; Bass clef. Standard audition excerpt.

## Preparing for the audition

### What should I listen for when preparing an orchestral excerpt?

Check rhythm, intonation, articulation, sound and the role of your part in the full score. Listen for a reliable entrance and a steady pulse through the difficult transition. The actual panel and audition notice determine the selection criteria; Arco does not rank those criteria on their behalf.

### How do I know which excerpts and editions to prepare?

Use the current notice from the orchestra or school, including its instrument, round, cuts, bar numbers and edition instructions. This reference library is a starting point for practice, not evidence that a passage appears on your particular audition list.

### How far in advance should I start preparing?

Work backward from the confirmed date with your teacher. Separate unfamiliar notes and fingerings from passages you can already play, then leave time to join sections and rehearse a complete run. The right preparation period depends on your starting point and the actual list; no fixed number of weeks guarantees readiness.

### Should I use the bowings printed in my part?

First follow any instructions and marked parts provided by the organisation. Discuss unmarked bowing and fingering decisions with your teacher, checking the whole phrase and orchestral context. A familiar tradition can be useful, but it does not override the instructions for your audition.

Canonical source: https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/bass/auditions