I understand more than most that when playing in the great octave a Bass can sound muddy. Thats why most solos for bass don't go that low. Though when performed well, a solo in the lower register can sound incredible. especially when performed by a full bass section. A good example of this is the Bass solo at the beginning of the fourth act of Verdi's Othello. I have talked about this excerpt before this just goes to show how well written that opera is. Now when is comes to a solo Double Bass the parts are almost always written in the middle and higher registers (small octave to fourth octave). These solos really show the Basses true voice. A voice that sings with an earth shaking rumble that melts the heart.
A Bass virtuoso and composer who was the best at showing this in his compositions is Giovanni Bottesini. He not only is my favorite Bass composer, but is also one of the greatest players in history. Bottesini figured out ways to use harmonics that no one else had even realised were there. Not only did he adapt the way we play the bass he was the first composer to bring solo bass to opera. With his compositions written for solo Bass and vocals he showed how beautiful they sounded together.
To me this shows that the Bass is an instrument that can be used for almost any style of music. It also is a good example of how beautiful of a solo instrument that it is. If you dont believe me just listen for yourself, then if you have time let me know what you think. Which instrument do you think is the most beautiful solo instrument?