ABSTRACT
Nineteenth-century Italian conservatories taught the bass as a three-string instrument tuned in fourths (A-D-G), using 1–3–4 fingering, and overhand bow technique. Carlo Montanari was a pupil of the first bass professor at the Conservatory in Parma, Francesco Hiserich. The first volume teaches orchestral register up to the first octave. The second volume is for the development of solo techniques and is written at sounding pitch, a standard practice at the time. The nineteenth-century methods taught a left-hand shape that was rounded, to avoid touching the other strings. Italian methods taught the overhand bow hold: second, third and fourth fingers held together, sometimes stated as “with considerable force.” Earlier methods deemed thumb position something for concertizing soloists or simply pitches that belong to the cello. All the Italian methods taught holding the bow in the right palm with the thumb braced on the fingerboard.
