Who composed the over-dramatic piece I heard?

October 30, 2010 4:02 PM

Who composed the over-dramatic piece I heard?

Several years ago I heard this wacked-out, over-the-top dramatic classical piece on the radio, a string quartet I think it was. The announcer said it was composed by one of the best Bass players of his time (19th century I guess) but I don't remember the composer's name. To continue my poor description: it was like Rossini on steroids, like the cavalry riding to the rescue again and again. The announcer was in on the joke, and the musicians seemed to be hamming it up. Does anybody have any idea who it could have been?

posted by Rich Smorgasbord to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Wait, was the whole thing a joke? Was it some Peter Schickele dickery?
posted by rossination at 4:08 PM on October 30, 2010

No, it was real. Supposedly the guy was the best bass player of his time.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 6:19 PM on October 30, 2010

Bottesini wrote 11 string quartets. One of those, maybe?
posted by dr. boludo at 6:32 PM on October 30, 2010

I'm with Dr. Boludo: could well be Bottesini. Edgar Meyer has revived some of Bottesini's work.
posted by brianogilvie at 7:33 PM on October 30, 2010

I'm so glad you asked! Years ago I heard an orchestra playing something like this outside on a piazza in a small town in Tuscany. I couldn't believe what I was hearing: I thought the piece was nearly over and coming to a tempestuous end, but it kept going, and going, and going. I wondered what kind of crazy person could have written such a piece, and what possessed those musicians to play it, and I stood there unable to tear myself away until it was demonstrably over, i.e., the musicians were actually putting away their instruments.

So thanks. I'm going to have to check this guy Bottesini out.
posted by tangerine at 10:21 PM on October 31, 2010