The occasion for this piece was the 50th birthday of Prof. Günther Klaus. The song "Happy Birthday to you" is introduced by a quotation from the double bass concerto by Dittersdorf, before it sounds "waltzing" and in major and minor and is interrupted in between by "Hoch soll er leben" until it ends with a festive chorale character. The whole piece lasts just three minutes and is written in such a way that it can be played by a professional double bass player without much preparation. The serenade is an opportunity to present a colleague with a musical bouquet once a year. It is also available in arrangements for 4, 5, 6 and 8 double basses.
