František Černý was a Czech bassist, teacher and composer. He was born on 23 January 1860 in Pardubice and studied at the Prague Conservatoire (1876-82) and in Paris, where he later became a member of the Orchestre Colonne-Lamoureux from 1884-1890. He returned to Czechoslovakia in 1890, when he was appointed Principal Bass of the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague (1890-1900), and it was at this time that he discovered the wonderful Grancino double bass of 1693, later owned by Oldrichs Sorejs and František Pošta.
Černý was an outstanding teacher and taught at the Prague Conservatoire for 31 years (1900-31) and many of the leading Czech bassists at the beginning of the 20th-century were taught by him. He was not a prolific composer and most of his works were written for the double bass, including a Method (1906), 30 Etudes-Caprices (1923), Technical Studies in Thumb Position (1927), 4 Concertos and ten salon pieces for double bass and piano.
Černý studied composition with Antonín Dvořák and much of his music reflects the salon style of the late 19th-century. All his works are melodic and appealing, combining the late-Romantic idiom of Dvořák and Brahms, with Czech lyricism and influences, and he makes full use of the solo capabilities of the double bass.
František Černý died in Prague on 3 September 1940.
Bass Clef Duets Book 4 features nine engaging and accessible duets which are ideal for concert use, sight-reading practice or just to play with a…
Bass Clef Duets Book 4 features nine engaging and accessible duets which are ideal for concert use, sight-reading practice or just to play with a friend. They can be played an octave higher than written, for more advanced students who are working in thumb position, and the edition includes a score and two individual parts.
None of the duets outstay their welcome and players could change parts if the duet is repeated, alongside adding their own dynamics and bowings, to create a unique performance each time.
The nine duets are taken from Černý’s Method for Double Bass, published in 1906 but long out of print, and the musical and technical challenges are straightforward encouraging bassists to develop ensemble skills in the bass clef register of the instrument.
