Double bass excerpt · Audition repertoire
Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
IV. Presto, Recitative
The instrumental recitative for cellos and basses before the vocal entry. Speech-like, rhythmically free, and section-defining.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Double bass
- Composer
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- Work
- Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
- Movement
- IV. Presto, Recitative
- Era
- Classical (c. 1750–1820)
- Composed
- 1824
- Clef
- Bass clef
- Level
- Audition, professional standard
- Audition list
- Yes, standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
A wide range of stroke lengths and weights across a short passage. Bow planning is essential.
Where it goes wrong
Freedom has to be shared: a section recitative only works if everyone shapes it the same way, so the conventional phrasing matters more than a personal one.
Style
It is written speech. The rhythm is notated precisely but must sound spoken, which means the phrasing carries the meaning rather than the metre.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's bass curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded bass playback throughout.