The Solo part of Verdi's Otello is not only a wonderfull and interesting piece, but a real point of change in the history of double bass in Italy: since that moment, every italian orchestra had to start to use four strings instruments, that susbistitued the old three strings, because more functionally to take the role of bass in an orchestral repertory that had to be more and more grave in extension; this solo, in fact, start with an E, 4th empty string.

Another fact, the finger system originally written in the Ricordi's score, was realized by our beloved Giovanni Bottesini !