Michal Bylina writes: "Sonata in the Viennese Style was composed as a present for my good friend Silvano Pagliuca-Mena, a Venezuelan composer and double bassist, who had composed a piece and dedicated it to me. Having received his generous gift I quickly decided to write a piece and dedicate it to him.

Although Sonatas for double bass and viola, or double bass and cello, by J.M. Sperger (1750-1812) do exist, there are no duets for two double basses - or at least nothing has been discovered yet! I thought someone should fill this gap and the idea of writing a bass duet in the Classical style was born.

This Sonata is in five movements and for double basses tuned in fourths, rather than 'viennese tuning'. It was written as a tribute to, and under the influence of, composers of the Classical period who contributed to the Viennese double bass legacy, such as Franz Anton Hoffmeister and Johann Mathias Sperger. The entire piece, as was typical of compositions from this time, is in the key of D major with the exception of the Minuetto which is in G major.

The first movement, in the style of Hoffmeister, plays around with one of his favourite motives and includes a short cadenza. The next movement (Poco adagio) begins in D major and passes through D minor, contrasting the Minuetto a la Sperger which is in G major and its trio in G minor. This movement is written in the style of Sperger and the imitations form a gentle conversation between the two players.
The fourth movement (Andante) is the most lyrical of the Sonata and also includes a short cadenza, ending with the Finale (Allegro) in the style of a short and charming rondo, also moving from D major to D minor and back to the tonic key."

Classical bassist, early music bassist, composer and one of the few Viennese bass specialists, Michał Bylina received his Bachelor degree at the Academy of Music in Kraków with Dr. Krzysztof Firlus in 2018, graduating with distinction. Since then he has studied with Korneel Le Compte at Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussels, who described him as: “Exceptionally talented, very enthusiastic, with positive attitude. A model student in all areas.” Michał was awarded with distinction during the Bonawentura Nancka Double Bass Competition (2015) and the IX International Franz Simandl Double Bass Competition (2018).
As a composer, Michał Bylina writes mostly for the double bass. His most important works include Preludes and Fugues, Baroque Fantasias and Ricercars all for double bass solo. His music was recently recognized by Bertram Turetzky, who commented: “Thank you for all that music! I'm overwhelmed with the quality of the music and the extent of your productivity.” Many of his compositions have been premiered in different countries including USA, Germany, Venezuela, Italy and Great Britain.