Unlike the protagonist in Patrick Süskind’s celebrated play ‘The Double Bass’, nobody can accuse Michael Rieber, principal double bass with the NDR Symphony Orchestra, of having a fraught relationship with his instrument. This recording, made with his musical partner Götz Schumacher on piano, is testimony to his tremendous musical enthusiasm and sensitivity.

At the heart of this very personal selection of works are arrangements from Italian operatic arias such as ‘E lucevan le stele’ from Puccini’s Tosca and ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini’s tragedy Norma. The disc also includes four bravura pieces by the opera composer and double bass virtuoso Giovanni Bottesini, among them the title track 'Il Carnevale di Venezia'.

The operatic theme is complemented by arrangements of the Scriabin Étude Op. 2/1 for piano, Chopin’s Prélude Op. 28/4, Song without Words Op. 109 by Felix Mendelssohn, and two original miniatures, Chanson Triste Op. 2 and Valse Miniature Op.1/2, by Serge Koussevitzky.