This is an excerpt from a study that David M. Sickle published in the Winter 1990 edition of the International Society of Bassists journal. I thought it would be of interest to many of my readers. It is a survey of 53 North American orchestras and what repertoire (excerpts and solos) they asked for their double bass auditions. This is the final repertoire list and the number of times requested by the various orchestras. This study was done 16 years ago and things have certainly changed in the 53 orchestras surveyed, but this list should still give students an idea of the repertoire required for a professional audition in the United States and Canada. Also, I omitted the pieces which were asked by only one orchestra–many are obscure, and if only one out of 53 North American orchestras asks for that particular piece it should not be a number one priority for practicing.

Solo of Choice……………………………………34
Bach: any Cello Suite……………………………9
Bach Bourees from Cello Suite No. 3…………..5
Bottesini Concerto in B………………………….5
Vanhal Concerto………………………………….4
Koussevitzky Concerto…………………………..4
Dittersdorf Concerto…………………………….3
Baroque Sonata…………………………………..2

Excerpts…………………………….Times Requested

Beethoven Symphony No. 9……………………..36
Beethoven Symphony No. 5……………………..32
Strauss Ein Heldenleben………………………….26
Mozart Symphony No. 40………………………..21
Strauss Don Juan…………………………………17
Verdi Otello………………………………………..17
Mahler Symphony No. 1………………………….16
Mozart Symphony No. 35………………………..15
Britten Young Person’s Guide…………………….14
Brahms Symphony No. 1………………………….13
Brahms Symphony No. 2………………………….12
Prokofiev Lt. Kije…………………………………..12
Stravinsky Pulcinella………………………………12
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5…………………..10
Mozart Symphony No. 39…………………………10
Ginastera Variaciones Concertante……………..10
Beethoven Symphony No. 7………………………9
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4…………………….9
Mahler Symphony No. 2……………………………9
Bach Suite No. 2 in B………………………………8
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique……………………8
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4…………………….7
Bach Violin Concerto in E………………………….6
Beethoven Symphony No. 3………………………6
Schubert Symphony in C Major…………………..6
Smetana Bartered Bride……………………………6
Saint Saens Elephant………………………………5
Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra…………………5
Wagner Meistersinger Prelude…………………….5
Mozart Symphony No. 41………………………….5
Haydn Symphony No. 8……………………………3
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6…………………….3
Brahms Symphony No. 4…………………………..3
Haydn Symphony No. 88………………………….3
Haydn Symphony No. 31………………………….3
Verdi Rigoletto……………………………………..3
Mozart Marriage of Figaro…………………………2
Strauss Death and Transfiguration………………2
Bruckner Symphony No. 7…………………………2
Schoenberg Chamber Symphony…………………2
Franck Symphony in D…………………………….2
Dvorak Symphony No. 9…………………………..2
Mozart Per Questa Bella Mano……………………2
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3……………….2
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet……………………….2
Rimsky–Korsakov Scheherazade………………….2
Ginastera Concerto for Strings…………………..2
Verdi La Forza Del Destino………………………..2