Pergolesi’s Sinfonia is originally for cello and continuo and could have been written for his patron in Naples, Domenico Marzio Caraffa, the Duke of …Maddaloni, who was an amateur cellist.
This new edition is aimed at the intermediate bassist, with an accompaniment based on the continuo realisation by Joseph Schmid (1868-1945), with four contrasting movements which are both charming and elegant. The two slow movements explore the lyrical and sonorous potential of the double bass, alongside faster movements which are lively and animated.
The final movement was used by Igor Stravinsky in his popular ballet Pulcinella, composed for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe in Paris, featuring solos for double bass and trombone.
The edition includes piano accompaniments for both solo and orchestral tuning.