A somewhat recent work (2007) which is a tremendous addition to the double bass repertoire is Sofia Gubaidulina’s “Acht Etüden für kontrabas solo” (Eight Studies for double bass solo). The work is an adaptation the composer made of her 10 preludes for solo cello, which were originally called etudes. She struggled with the title – etudes or preludes, in the end etudes won for us bassists which is fitting seeing as each etude has specific named techniques (pizzicato, arco etc.) that the movement is built around. All of that being said, the expressive nature of these works makes for a meaningful listening experience. Watch the video above or stream it on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music or any streaming service!