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UNACCOMPANIED DOUBLE BASS MUSIC

SOLO DOUBLE BASS MUSIC

This page presents unaccompanied double bass music and solo bass repertoire. It features diverse contemporary and classical double bass solos, along with original compositions ideal for solo performance and recitals.

BIG MOUSE

for unaccompanied double bass

UNACCOMPANIED DOUBLE BASS MUSIC

Duration:
3:30 minutes
 
Instrumentation:
double bass
 
Year Composed:
2020
 
Written For:
Eran Borovich
 
Premiere Performance:
27 July, 2026
Tel Aviv, Israel
Eran Borovich, double bass
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About Big Mouse

Big Mouse for solo double bass imagines a small creature navigating a world far larger and more complicated than itself. The piece follows a mouse as it wanders through a labyrinth—sometimes urban, sometimes psychological—encountering obstacles, sudden turns, tight passages, and moments of unexpected clarity. The bass becomes both narrator and protagonist, shifting between stealth, agitation, curiosity, and determination. Through rhythmic vitality, flexible phrasing, and a playful sense of scale, Big Mouse transforms the instrument into a nimble explorer negotiating a maze that is always changing.
 

For the Performers

Level: Suitable for professional bassists and advanced students; requires agility, control across registers, and strong rhythmic precision.

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Programming: Fits well in contemporary solo bass programs, character‑driven recitals, and mixed new‑music concerts. Its narrative energy makes it an effective contrast within larger programs.

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Competitions: Strong choice for showcasing rhythmic clarity, flexibility, and expressive imagination.

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Style: Contemporary, rhythmically driven writing with quick contrasts and a playful, character‑based approach.
 

Program Notes

Big Mouse for solo double bass traces the journey of a mouse that suddenly finds itself inside a labyrinth—part cityscape, part puzzle, part inner world. As it searches for a path forward, the creature encounters obstacles that interrupt its flow: tight corners, abrupt surprises, and moments of disorientation. The music mirrors this restless navigation through sharp rhythmic gestures, sudden shifts in texture, and passages that alternate between stealthy motion and bursts of energy.

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Big Mouse was written for Eran Borovich.

Solo Double Bass Works (20th–21st Century)

  • Beth Anderson – May Swale (Solo double bass, 1982)

  • Lera Auerbach – Monolog (Solo double bass, 1996)

  • Lera Auerbach – Memory of Tango (Solo double bass, 2002)

  • Bára Gísladóttir – SILVA (Solo double bass, 2023)

  • John Deak – B.B. Wolf (Solo double bass, 1980s)

  • David Ellis – Sonata for Unaccompanied Double Bass, Op. 42 (Solo double bass, 1977)

  • Hans Fryba – Suite in the Olden Style (Solo double bass, 1930s)

  • Deirdre Gribbin – Maps of Awakening (Solo double bass, 2021)

  • Sofia Gubaidulina – Sonata (Solo double bass, 1976)

  • Sofia Gubaidulina – Eight Etudes (Solo double bass, 1974)

  • Sadie Harrison – Sparring with Shadows (Solo double bass, 2013)

  • Teppo Hauta-aho – Kadenza (Solo double bass, 1983)

  • Dorothy Hindman – Time Management (Solo double bass, 2004)

  • Eva-Maria Houben – Archipelagos (Solo double bass, 2000s)

  • Sándor Jemnitz – Sonata for Double Bass Solo, Op. 36 (Solo double bass, 1935)

  • Joëlle Léandre – Taxi (Solo double bass, 1987)

  • Joëlle Léandre – A voix Basse (Solo double bass, 1981)

  • Annea Lockwood – Deep Dream Dive (Solo double bass, 1973)

  • Missy Mazzoli – Dark with Excessive Bright (Solo double bass, 2018)

  • Florent Ghys – Crocodile (Solo double bass, 2015)

  • Peteris Vasks – Bass Trip (Solo double bass, 2003)

  • Bertram Turetzky – Celebrations Book 6: Seven Pieces for Unaccompanied (Solo double bass, 1970s)

  • Barre Phillips – Basse Barre (Solo double bass, 1970)

  • Isaiah Bille – Organalis (Solo double bass, early 20th century)

  • Max Winningham – Manifestations (Solo double bass, 2024)

  • Angelique Poteat – Pacificus (Solo double bass, 2024)

  • Rebecca Saunders – Fury (Solo double bass, 2010s)

  • Amy Williams – Don't Tell Susan (Solo double bass, 1992)

  • Ian Wilson – Pianura (Solo double bass, 2004)

  • Lior Navok – Big Mouse (Solo double bass, 2020)

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