The Double Bass Blog - " il Contrabbasso "

DRAGONETTI DOMENICO (new original CONCERTO) Vito Liuzzi

2012-02-11T02:05:00.002+01:00

By RECITAL MUSIC this is is another ORIGINAL Concerto by Domenico Dragonetti, edited by David Heyes. I can say only one thing: it's original, authentic because he respects the lines ith hich Dragonetti composed his pieces. It's quite long and difficult to play but it's very good for exams or recitals. very well done. Than there's a copy without fingerings or bowings so the student or the professor can decide what's better for this concerto. In another copy you will find the boings so It can easy to play it. Fingerings are a personal thing so you can decide hich are the best for your ay of playing.

Vito Liuzzi

HECTOR TIRADO: "Contrabajista sordo" (Vito Liuzzi)

2012-02-10T04:56:00.001+01:00

Cuando Ángel Antonio se me pone rebelde y quejoso, le bajo el diapasón con casos reales. No tengo muchas opciones. Esta vez me irritó tanto que le pedí que no me oyera –que escuchara– la historia de un músico puertorriqueño sordo de nacimiento que no conoce el significado de la palabra “impedimento”. Se trata de un concertista con registro auditivo para algunos sonidos graves únicamente, que escucha e identifica la música literalmente con el cuerpo. Le conté que tuve el privilegio de conocer, entrevistar y escuchar a Héctor Tirado en noviembre del 2008. En aquél momento me dijo que la palabra “impedido” no figuraba en su vocabulario ya que para él la sordera no había sido una barrera, sino un puente.

En Héctor reconocí lo que es disfrutar la vida aunque fuera “con trabajo”, y su placer en regalar alegría y esperanzas con su contrabajo. “Nunca me he sentido frustrado. Nací con la condición y aprendí a vivir con ella. Me gusta sentir el silencio. Cuando toco mi contrabajo puedo sentir los latidos del corazón, combinar el sonido con el silencio, y escuchar lo que dice mi alma para transmitirle al mundo lo que Dios quiere decir a través de mis interpretaciones”, me recalcó hace par de días. Los que saben de música perciben que Héctor es “diferente” por la forma en que “abraza” el contrabajo, y porque toca sobre pequeñas plataformas de madera, en ocasiones, descalzo. Ambos mecanismos son su forma de sentir la vibración de música que produce con sus manos y su corazón. Se vale de audífonos cuando conversa, habla por teléfono, toca en orquesta, e imparte clases y talleres.

Héctor es músico de fila en la sección de contrabajos de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico. Es además, profesor de contrabajo en los recintos de San Germán y Metro de la Universidad Interamericana; y, profesor en la Escuela Preparatoria del Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Durante los veranos toca con su maestro y mentor Gary Karr en los conciertos de Basses Loaded Karr Kamp, en Victoria, British Columbia, Canadá. En Puerto Rico ofrece charlas de motivación sobre la Propriosepción, o las formas de percibir el sonido mediante la piel. Hasta ahora tiene dos producciones discográficas: “Sentimientos Navideños”, grabada en el 2004; y, “Rielos”, que recibió el Premio Paoli 2010 como Mejor Producción Discográfica en categoría instrumental. Ambas, grabadas sin audífonos. Está en proceso de producir otras dos.

Si bien es cierto que le ha dado más trabajo que a otros dominar el contrabajo, reconoce que su motor ha sido una combinación de entusiasmo, tesón, y fe; así como el apoyo de su familia y de los profesores que la vida y el Cielo le han puesto en el camino.

Después de presentarle a Héctor Tirado a mi amigo Toñito, sólo me queda decirle que no podemos ser sordos ni refunfuñones ante lo que se puede lograr en la vida, aún en circunstancias difíciles. ¿Será que necesita una plataforma de madera? Por cierto, le agradezco que en vez de oír e interrumpir, este jueves me haya permitido el lujo de escucharme. Cualquier duda, que busque a Héctor en féisbuc.

KREUTZER: un nuovo metodo per studiarli

2012-02-03T14:10:00.002+01:00

http://www.vitoliuzzi.com/brodcast-yourself-part-4th/

Sempre parlando del tradizionale metodo del Kreutzer arrangiato per contrabbasso, vi sarete accorti di come vi siano molte ma molte arcate o colpi d' arco assolutamente inadatte od inadeguate per noi contrabbassisti. Forse l' idea primaria era quella di associare la figura del contrabbasso a quella del violino anche nei colpi d' arco ma la cosa, a mio giudizio, non ha funzionato ed a mala pena c'è il tempo per studiare solo il n. 1. Nel link che ho riportato sopra, al contrario, c'è un' idea geniale ed originale del maestro Michele Cellaro il quale è andato a sviscerare uno alla volta tutti gli studi proponendoli in maniera totalmente diversa. Se prendiamo ad esempio il n.1 questo viene proposto prima in forma diversa da quello originale nella fase iniziale, successivamente le cose si complicano un pò in maniera molto graduale fino a giungere al n. 1 effettivo suddiviso in 1a, 1b ecc. con colpi d' arco molto più contrabbassistici. Ricordo che il maestro Cellaro oltre ad aver vissuto una vita nelle principali orchestre pugliesi (Teatro Petruzzelli compre e di cui è stato primo contrabbasso per molti anni) è anche arrangiatore, compositore e direttore d' orchestra. La sua idea di base è stata cioè quella di prendere il Kreutzer e di proporlo sotto altra forma, più facilita inizialmente ma sempre col concetto di preparazione allo studio primario che poi si dovrà affrontare. Nel link indicato, si possono scaricare le 93 pagine che compongono questo nuovo ed originale metodo di studio del Kreutzer, naturalmente in forma gratuita. Dategli un' occhiata e fatemi sapere cosa ne pensate voi od i vostri maestri. Infatti è possibile che venga pubblicato fra poco, ma è anche veritiero il fatto che non vengano resi di dominio pubblico a titolo oneroso. Quindi fate girare poco, per cortesia! Questo post vuole essere solo un modo per accertare se questo metodo possa trovare fortuna o meno, ed il vostro parere è molto indicativo.

Grazie in anticipo.

Vito

KREUTZER - Studi rivisti dal m.° MICHELE CELLARO

2012-02-01T17:20:00.002+01:00

Chi non si imbattuto negli studi del Kreutzer arrangiati dal violino al contrabbasso. Penso un pò tutti. Ma il problema principale è che ci sono centinaia di colpi d' arco che non vanno proprio bene per il contrabbasso o sono per lo più ineseguibili. Allora quel genio del mio Maestro, Michele Cellaro, li ha rivisitati ma in maniera contrabbassistica in ben 93 pagine abbastanza particolari. Non so, onestamente, se questo libro verrà mai pubblicato. Forse si, e ve lo farò sapere! In pratica, ogni studio viene analizzato sotto diversi aspetti preparatori. Prima ci sono dei semplici esercizi da fare, poi questi esercizi assumono la forma di varianti allo studio vero e proprio. SI cominciano a mettere dei colpi d' arco basilari, vengono lasciate delle pagine prive di alcuna indicazione affinchè sia l' allievo ad inventarsi le varianti a lui più congeniali e sotto il controllo del docente, fino ad arrivare allo studio vero e proprio che in questa maniera è molto più facile da eseguire proprio perchè si prevedono quegli studi prepartori di cui vi dicevo innanzi. Alla fine si trova lo studio vero e proprio e con molte varianti "contrabbassisticamente" concepite, senza cose astruse che solo un violino in teoria potrebbe eseguire.
Insomma si tratta di un libro veramente unico nel suo genere e che aiuta l' allievo gradualmente ad eseguire i colpi d' arco contrabbassistici più difficili. Naturalmente si tratta di un opera pensata per il contrabbassista serio e che vuole diventare sia un virtuoso solisto che d' orchestra.

Io qui ne fornisco solo una notizia estemporanea pooichè ho questi appunti e li trovo geniali. Ma non so se il maestro Michele Cellaro abbia in mente di pubblicare. Ripeto, una qualche speranza c'è e se ciò dovesse avvenire i primi a saperlo saranno i lettori del mio Blog o del sito. Magari inserirò qualche esempio giusto per farvi capire come funziona questo incredibile testo nato dall' esperienza didattica e solistica del mio Maestro, che fra l' altro vi ha dedicato molto tempo. Gli studi sono presenti bene in questa nuova veste e speriamo bene.

Ciao ed a presto.

Vito

Off Topic:

molte volte prendo spunto anche da articoli in Inglese poichè mi sembrano molto interessanti. Lo so! Questo è un limite per tutti i ragazzi che non masticano molto questa lingua. Si può provare ad utilizzare il traduttore interno che, logicamente, non fa una traduzione perfetta ma almeno si avvicina a quello che l' autore vuol dire in generale.

ANXIETY BEFORE A CONCERTO

2012-01-30T07:36:00.002+01:00

The following article was contributed by Ryan Rivera, who has had five years of experience helping people with anxiety and related issues. These tips should prove to be valuable for people preparing for auditions and performances. Enjoy!

How to Reduce Anxiety Before a Concert

by Ryan Rivera

Playing an instrument on stage is a lot like public speaking. You’re using your instrument as a method of communicating and as you play, all eyes are on you and your performance. Even the best bass players with years of experience feel a little nervous before a big event, knowing that they need to perform at their best.

But when your anxiety is actually affecting your ability to play – when the anxiety is so strong that you experience physical and mental stress – it can be a serious problem. Playing every note correctly requires confidence, and the ability to trust in your fingers and your experience.
Reducing Anxiety Before a Concert

Whether you’re on stage with an entire orchestra or playing by with a few of your college buddies at your first gig, you need to find a way to reduce that anxiety. The stronger it is the harder the process, which is why you will need to not only try to reduce your anxiety before you go on stage, but also work on reducing your anxiety afterward.
Long Before You Go On Stage

Practice Often

Playing the bass is not just about rhythm and skill. It’s also about the connection between your mind and your body. Your fingers start to create their own memories on the chords and know the next note long before you can think of it. The more you practice, the less pressure you’ll put on your mind and the more you can trust that you know exactly what’s coming next.

Cut Out Unhealthy Behaviors

Anxiety is cumulative, so before you go on stage you need to make sure you’re avoiding any behaviors that will add to your anxiety. Get a full night’s sleep, eat healthier food, avoid drinking – you should even avoid watching horror films or going on amusement park rides. If it increases your anxiety naturally, it has the potential to increase your anxiety on stage.

Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is one of many different types of relaxation strategies that can help you keep calm. You sit on a chair or lie on your back, keeping your body relaxed. You then breathe in very slowly through your nose, starting at your stomach and then filling up your chest. Hold, then release slowly out your mouth. Repeat this 10 to 20 times and it should be able to calm you down when you feel your anxiety building.
On the Day of the Concert

Before you set foot on stage, make sure everything you need is ready. Concerns over whether you have everything you need can be distracting, and make contribute to additional levels of anxiety. By ensuring that you’re completely prepared, you can rest your mind and focus on additional relaxation strategies while calming your mind and body. If you have your own method of relaxing – like skipping stones at a park or jogging – don’t forget to do them. Any method of keeping your mind and body calm is a useful one.

After the Concert
Reducing your stage fright is not just about preparing before an event. It’s also about performing the right behaviors after the event is over. After you’re done, even if you believe you did a terrible job, always remember to do the following:
Write Down Positives
Write down all of the things you did well. Try to come up with as long a list as possible, and avoid anything negative. You need your mind to remember all of the things that went right on stage, not dwell on all the mistakes you may or may not have made. Writing it down helps you do that, because it forces you to focus on the positives.
Relaxation Exercises

Once again, now would be a good time to perform relaxation exercises. A lot of bass players like to dwell on the adrenaline as a way of congratulating themselves on a job well done. But when you’re living with too much anxiety before a concert, you need to find a way to stop associating the concert with anxiety, which means relaxing after you’re done playing as well. You can try deep breathing, or any number of relaxation strategies that are effective.
Work on Your Own Anxiety

Finally, always remember to work on your own anxiety and depression issues. Anxiety builds on itself, so the calmer you are regularly, the less debilitating the anxiety you experience before a concert will be.
Maintaining Your Love of the Music

For many people, anxiety doesn’t stop them from playing well on stage. But it does take away the joy they experience bringing that music to others and that alone is tragic – both as a potential loss to you and as a loss to those that would love to listen to you. Learn to manage your anxiety so that you can continue to enjoy bringing music to everyone and live more comfortably every day.

MILOSLAV GAJDOS (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-28T04:01:00.002+01:00

Here the grat MILOSLAV GAJDOS: just one thing, his transcriptions or revisions are the better I've ever studied.

Thank you, Maestro.

Vito Liuzzi

STEFANO SCIASCIA (audio inedito). di Pavle Merkù (vito Liuzzi).

2012-01-26T11:09:00.003+01:00

http://sites.google.com/site/stefanosciascia/in-the-news/stefanosciasciaplaysmerkulive2006

Un brano per solo contrabbasso di Pavlu Merku eseguito
dal nostro Stefano Sciascia. In breve si tratta di un solo per
contrabbasso di una certa difficoltà esecutiva e che potrebbe
interessare un pò tutti i contrabbassisti per le ampie finestre
armoniche e melodiche che si vengono a creare all' interno di
un discorso musicale molto ardito e complesso.

Stefano Sciascia non è secondo a nessuno in questo tipo di
interpretazioni minimali o minimalistiche di brani che nulla
hanno a che spartire col classicismo puro ma che nonostante ciò
ci lasciano fraintendere qualcosa.

Una bellissima esecuzione che lascio apprezzare atutti quelli che
il contrabbasso lo intendono in maniera più seria e rigorosa.

Chissà quali altre sorprese ci dovremmo aspettare da questo vero
e proprio giullare del contrabbasso che ben si esprime e si presta in
qualsiasi contesto musico-interpretativo gli si pone innanzi.

Buon Ascolto

Vito Liuzzi

THOMANN.de (vito Liuzzi)

2012-01-25T08:23:00.002+01:00

http://www.thomann.de/it/index.html?sid=1aee8f1017f113d0cfc288cf01eed547

Riporto in alto un altro sito molto conosciuto in ambiente
contrabbassistico. Ma lo indico soprattutto per i giovani
studenti che devono acquistare il primo contrabbasso.
Ce ne sono di vari tipi e marche. Penso che questo sito Cyberstore
sia il più affidabile fra quelli che ci sono in giro.

Comunico anche il sito del mio amico Raffaele (Turi-Ba) "Palladiumusic"
che vende degli ottimi contrabbassi da me testati fra i 450.00 Euro ed i 650.00.

Di più non so. C'è anche San Marino ma ho visto alcuni contrabbassi a
poco prezzo e sono veramente un disastro.

Mi raccomando: non indicate il 4/4 altrimenti vi arriveranno dei bisonti
che non saprete dove poter alloggiare.

Per qualsiasi cosa, contattatemi pure. Se posso vi risponderò presto come al solito.

http://www.vitoliuzzi.com/email-me-guestbook/

CONTRABAS SHOP (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-23T12:20:00.001+01:00

http://www.contrabass.co.uk/cstopquality.htm

Credo che moltissimi contrabbassisti conoscano il sito di cui sopra. Lo riporto a titolo di conoscenza per chi non dovesse ancora avervi smanettato sopra. E' un sito interessante dal quale si possono acquistare contrabbassi di un certo valore, come quelli riportati in link, oppure bassi di media qualità per coloro i quali dovessero avere delle some di danaro più modeste da spendere. Lo so! Si tratta di cifre sempre molto alte specie in un momento di crisi come quello che stiamo attraversando ma, del resto, non si può fare a meno di indicarlo per chi cerca un contrabbasso con il quale proiettarsi nel mondo di questo strumento.

Buona visione.

Vito

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DOUBLE BASS TRANSCRIPTIONS

2012-01-21T19:09:00.001+01:00

Because of their intrinsic instrumental knowledge, double bass players have been the foremost transcribers of double bass music. Lucas Drew points out their importance in the history of the instrument: "Wherever one looks at a history of the double bass in an encyclopedia or dictionary, he finds three names: Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846), Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) and Serge Koussevitsky (1874-1951). Each of these performers-composers as well the graduates of the Prague Conservatory such as Franz Simandl (1840-1912) contributed an important part of our original and transcribed literature. In fact, for a hundred years (1820 to 1920), it possibly was the main part of the double bass player's literature." 1

Such transcribed literarature has been crucial to the process of exploding the myth that the double bass is fundamentally an orchestral rather than a solo instrument. Turetzky agrees that this process is not fully accomplished yet: "Some of these hallowed institutions that do offer a contrabass degree do not even require recitals! A perusal of the contests for young instrumentalists reveals that the contrabass is not included much of the time, even when contest guidelines say "string instruments." 2

Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846), the first internationally celebrated player of the double bass, was known for cultivating the practice of transcription when making chamber music with friends: ". . . the playing of [violinist Nicolas] Mori [1796-1839], [violoncellist Robert] Lyndley [1776-1855] and Dragonetti in the sonatas of Corelli, in which the double-bass was heard at its best."3

Italian musicologist Francesco Caffi (1778-1874) called Dragonetti "Paganini de' contrabassi." Deeply impressed with Dragonetti's performance of transcribed music, he reported: ". . . a Haydn quartet, alternating with [Antonio] Capuzzi [1755-1818] the first and second violin parts. . . I was a witness to this universal wonder whenever his prodigious solo sounded as every instrument would have emulated."4 In another picturesque episode, not long after having moved to London in 1749, Dragonetti offered himself to premiere some violin duos with the composer Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824). The unexpected outcome was also described by Caffi: "Accepted the commitment, and scheduled the try-out day, Viotti, believing that Dragonetti played the violin. . . : Dragonetti came in, bringing, however, the huge violone. Viotti felt tricked, 'What kind of joke is this?,' he angrily said; but the other one replied laughing: ‘this is not a joke, this is my violin; and it has always been. Let's try it out, if you do not like it, we give up.’ They played in fact; and Viotti was amazed and asked to switch parts and see how Dragonetti would do: double wonder; and the conclusion was that they played together at the concert."5 Caffi finishes reporting the episode by saying that the premiere of the duets, in which Viotti and Dragonetti again traded parts, was successfully acclaimed.

Dragonetti settled in London in 1794 and met Joseph Haydn there in 1795, when the latter was visiting England for the second time. Later, during a trip to Italy, Dragonetti took time to pay Haydn a visit in Vienna. It was sometime in this period that Dragonetti met Beethoven. Thayer describes Dragonetti as one of Beethoven's only two important acquaintances in the year 1799, and the deep impression he made on the composer: ". . .the greatest contrabassist known to history. . . Dragonetti was not more remarkable for his astounding execution than for the deep, genuine musical feeling which elevated and ennobled it. . . Beethoven and him soon met and were pleased with each other."6 Thayer continues to tell the famous story of Dragonetti playing a transcription of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 5 No. 2 with the composer on the piano: "Beethoven had been told that his new friend could execute violoncello music upon his huge instrument, and one morning, when Dragonetti was called at his room, he expressed his desire to hear a sonata. The contrabass was sent for, and the sonata, No. 2, of Op. 5, was selected. Beethoven played his part with his eyes immovably fixed upon his companion, and, in the finale, where the arpeggios occur, was so delighted and exited that at the close he sprang up and threw his arms around both player and instrument."7

Thayer was one of the first scholars to speculate to which extent Dragonetti's playing transcribed music influenced Beethoven's orchestral double bass parts: "The unlucky contrabassists of orchestras had frequent occasions during the next few years to know that his new revelation of the powers and possibilities of their instrument to Beethoven, was not forgotten."8 Dragonetti spent some time with Beethoven again during his second stay in Vienna in the year 1808. There are no references to musical cooperation between the double bass player and the composer, but, by the end of Beethoven's life a tale sprang out among orchestra musicians: "Umlauf conducted it [the premiere of the Ninth Symphony in London in 1825] and Kletrinsky and Schupanzigh were the leaders. All the basses played in the recitative but they had the story that it was written for Dragonetti only."9 True fact or not, such a story was seriously taken by Dragonetti himself who played the mentioned passage, which is scored for violoncellos and double basses tutti, as a solo double bass (with no cellos or other basses!) in the early performances of the work in England by the Philharmonic Society of London. Anthony Scelba, one the leading experts on Dragonetti reached the conclusion that "While it seems unlike that Beethoven was consciously thinking of Dragonetti when he was composing the famous double-bass passages in the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies [the trio of the Fifth’s scherzo, and the recitative in the Ninth’s fourth movement, respectively]. . . it is only reasonable to assume that the composer's treatment of the instrument would have been affected by Dragonetti's powers."10

Dragonetti had some of his double bass transcriptions published in life. His versions of Mozart's Grand Waltz and Two Celebrated Pollacas by Jaeger and F. H. Himmel (1765-1814) were published by N. Corri Edinburgh, c. 1820. His arrangements of some organ fugues by Bach were published by Coventry & Hollier in 1836. Composers were so deeply impressed by Dragonetti's virtuosity that they could even change his transcriptions into original works for the double bass: "George Onslow [1784-1853] wrote thirty-four quintets for strings. These were originally composed for two violins, one viola, and two cellos, but as a cellist was missing on one occasion, Dragonetti, the famous contrabassist offered to play the part on his instrument. The innovation pleased Onslow so much that he rescored most of the works referred to, arranging them for violins, viola, cello and bass."11

Of the stories about Dragonetti, his encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most picturesque. In 1809, during his stay in French-occupied Vienna, Dragonetti was asked by a friend to play for Napoleon in order to have a favor granted. Afraid of being arrested, Dragonetti hesitated, but finally agreed. Although this is not corroborated elsewhere, Brun reports that Napoleon wanted to hear him play transcriptions on the double bass: "It was reported that Napoleon had once heard Dragonetti play violoncello and bassoon concertos on the double bass after he granted the double bass player a wish. As Dragonetti spoke a jargon of Italian, English and French, Napoleon was unable to understand Dragonetti's answers; impatient, Napoleon asked him to express himself on the double bass, certain that he would be able to understand Dragonetti's thoughts."18

Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889), possibly the most influential double bass soloist in the history of the instrument, built his career as a performer, composer and conductor surrounded by the bel canto style of the Italian opera. The majority of his double bass compositions are highly influenced by Italian opera, or indeed, are operatic paraphrases such as La Sonnambula fantasy and the Carnival of Venice variations. He was a recognized opera conductor, but it was not uncommon for him to get a full opera house for playing transcriptions of arias on the double bass between acts. Some of the arias which belonged to Bottesini's repertory of transcriptions were S�r�nade du Barbier de S�ville, Final de la Somnanbula, and Air d'il Trovatore from the operas by G. Rossini (1792-1868), V. Bellini (1801-1835), and G. Verdi (1813-1901), respectively. Bottesini's well-known Grand Duo Concertante for violin, double bass, and orchestra, is in reality a transcription from the original for two double basses and orchestra.

The history of double bass solo playing in association with transcriptions seems to have developed chronologically behind that of most instruments. While transcribed music in general enjoyed most popularity in the second half of the nineteenth century, transcriptions for the double bass reached their peak in the first half of the twentieth century. This period coincides with the development of the modern double bass schools: the German school with Franz Simandl (1840-1913), the Italian school with Isaia Bill� (1874-1961), and the French school with �duard Nanny (1812-1943), and the emergence of a greater number of virtuosos. Serge Koussevitsky's (1874-1951) preference for transcriptions as a double bass soloist in the early twentieth century illustrates this situation. His repertory was basically constituted of nine of his transcriptions which included Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, Max Bruch (1838-1920)'s Kol Nidrei Op. 47, Henry Eccles (c.1645-1711)'s gamba sonatas, a John Galliard (c.1687-1749)'s cello sonata, two etudes from Scriabin (1872-1915)'s Op. 74, and Ravel (1875-1937)'s Pi�ce en forme de habanera.

The Comprehensive Catalogue of Available Literature for the Double Bass by Murray Grodner, the first study to thoroughly survey double bass music worldwide, shows in its second edition of 1964 that over half of the repertory for solo double bass and piano consisted of transcriptions at that time. It also shows that it was through transcriptions that the music of significant composers became available for the double bass. Although Grodner lists the bulk of today's known eighteenth-century solo double bass repertory as original, it was actually written for the violone. Since the violone differed substantially from the double bass in construction, number of strings (five or six instead of four), and tuning (for example, the Viennese solo tuning contra F, contra A, great D, great F-sharp, great A instead of contra E, contra A, great D, great G), its solo repertory should be considered a transcribed repertory when performed on the double bass. One should add to this vast solo repertory important orchestral passages such as the solos in the trios of the menuetts of F. J. Haydn’s symphonies Le Matin, Le Midi and Le Soir (1761?).

The scholarly researches on musical autograph manuscripts, the trend towards urtext editions and the great evolution of idiomatic instrumental writing in the first half of the twentieth century developed into a purism that reserved little room for transcriptions. English composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934)'s viewpoint on the "degeneration of present-day music" illustrated well this situation in 1920: ". . . the scores of long-dead musicians are pressed into service. No one is immune . . . In this direction irresponsible 'editors,' 'adaptors,' and 'transcribers' are as much to blame as the dancing cranks. It is time a law was passed to keep good music from being violated."

Another composer on the crusade against transcriptions was Paul Hindemith (1895-1963). Hindemith's hypercritical viewpoints on originality in music led him to become the most important composer to develop the original repertory for neglected instruments. In fact, he was the first major composer in the history of music to write an important solo work for the double bass (again, the violone is not being considered). His Sonata for Double Bass and Piano was written in a single breath on 17 and 18 August, 1949, during a two-week holiday in Taos, New Mexico. On the other hand, Hindemith failed, to understand the need to develop a quality repertory of pre-twentieth-century music for some instruments. His violent criticisms on transcriptions were presented in the Charles Elliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University in 1949-1950: "A very popular activity that satisfies such longings [the performer's public success] is producing arrangements of other people's creations. How do you do it? You take some older music written for harpsichord, organ, or any other relatively unattractive instrument or group of instruments, and dress it up with all sorts of more fashionable trimmings. For the connoisseur this is an artistic procedure of about the same value as providing a nice painted skirt and jacket for the Venus of Milo, or dolling up the saints of Reims and Chartres with tuxedos, mustaches, and horn-rimmed spectacles. Yet, if accused of ordinary falsification, you only need to point out that without your efforts those wonderful compositions would remain unknown to the great public or that some sparsely covered branches of instrumental literature need some afforesting. It is of course understandable that musicians who for want of creative talent cannot experience the power of the vivifying fire directly, try to catch at least a little reflected spark of it. . . since Bach himself was a great arranger of other composer's pieces, our arrangers love to cite his name as a vindication of their own work. They forget that an arrangement is artistically justified only when the arranger's artistic effort is greater than the original composer's."

Although he did not mention specific examples, Hindemith surely directed his criticisms to controversial transcriptions from the first half of the twentieth century such as Leopold Stokowsky (1882-1977)'s orchestral transcriptions of J. S. Bach keyboard music and Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)'s transcription for cello and full orchestra of a harpsichord concerto by Mathias Georg Monn (1717-1750). Ironically, a significant number of Hindemith's compositions, including major works such as Nobilissima visione and Symphonie Mathis der Maler, were transcribed by the composer himself. It is convincing in these transcriptions, however, his argument that "the arranger’s artistic effort" was "greater than the original composer’s." Indeed Hindemith approved Gary Karr (b. 1941)’s idea to play the last variation of the third movement (mm. 76-92) of his Sonata for Double Bass and Piano one octave higher, what can be appreciated in Karr’s excelent rendition in the recording Apr�s un R�ve. This exemple shows that the practical side of performers-transcribers many times prevails upon theory. Here, the usually stubborn Hindemith abdicated from his method of calculating chord roots and the concept of harmonic fluctuation, which he advocated in the first volume of The Craft of Musical Composition (and began to put in practice in his music from the 1940’s onwards), to favor a brighter performance.

The rejection of transcribed music that marked the musical scene in the first half of the twentieth century only began to echo in double bass circles in the second half of the century, when composers had already turned to the increasingly attractive colors of extreme instrumental registers. Contemporary double bass expert Bertram Turetzky, an advocate of the use of the low register of the instrument and orchestra tuning for solo, describes this transitional period: "The Sonata for String Bass (1964) by Peter Phillips, is a classic example of solo music written with a heightened awareness of the instrument's physical and acoustic/sonic realities. This sonata was not a victim of cello-envy, a contagious disease that swept the compositional world [of double bass music] during the 1950's and began to disappear in the mid 1960's. Turetzky played, and still plays, a major role in the development of original solo double bass compositions, which owes him for much of the post-World War II repertory. While he has helped to change the image of the instrument ". . . [satirically] exemplified by Saint Sa�ns [1835-1921]'s L'Elephant," and the repertory of "mostly cello-conceived compositions transcribed one octave lower and slower," Turetzky apparently seems reluctant to the need for a quality double bass repertory transcribed from music of all periods.

Exponents of the double bass world are unanimous to recognize the poor quality of the double bass repertory's staples. For Russian virtuoso Rodin Azarkhin (b. 1931) ". . . the Koussevitsky concerto [is] admittedly a rather superficial opus. . . " Barry Green (b. 1945), also a transcription advocate and the author of The Inner Game of Music, shows no enthusiasm for the traditional repertory: ". . . too much of what I consider to be second-rate music, for instance, the Dragonetti-Nanny Concerto." Stuart Sankey (b. 1927), one of the most successful double bass pedagogues and transcribers of the twentieth century, summarizes the restricted repertory of the instrument: "Solo music for the bass falls into three specific categories - works by established composers who write in many genres, pieces written by bassists for their own instruments and then the broad scope of transcriptions." He goes on to justify the need for transcriptions: "Mozart has a somewhat off-beat aria for bass voice with string bass obligato. Dittersdorf has some concertos, and there are other by even more minor figures of that period - mostly insignificant. Master composers of the 19th century practically ignored the bass. . . Most of the 19th century bassists wrote for their own instruments, and much of their product is highly forgettable."

The long standing tradition of transcriptions in the history of the double bass have significantly influenced the compositional style of the instrument’s original music. Composers, following the path open by transcribers, tended to focus on the high register of the double bass and use the solo scordatura contra F-sharp, contra B, great E, great A, which is a whole step above the normal tuning. At times, performers resorted to even higher scordaturas. For example, Koussevitsky tuned his instrument up a third for his Berlin recitals in 1906. One of the reasons for that procedure was the less projecting sound of the gut strings used then. Although some bassists such as Rodney Slatford think that this procedure has not been necessary since the advent of steel strings, solo strings became very popular in double bass recitals. Today, even higher scordaturas are common, such as tuning the first string to small C (the so-called "high C" string). Many times, trancribers solved problems resulting from the transcribing tonality by ingenuously using new scordaturas. Stuart Sankey, for example, changed the perfect fourth between the third and fourth strings into a perfect fifth in his versions of Mozart’s aria Per questa bella mano and F. Schubert (1797-1828)’s Arpeggione Sonata. Composers, taking a step further, have experimented more radical scordaturas. Gunther Schuller asks for a tritone between strings I and II in his Double Bass Quarteto and Alcides Lanza, in his piece Strobo I, demands to tune the two top strings of the bass as high as possible and the two botton ones as low as posssible.

Another important aspect of double bass transcriptions is the dynamic interaction between the innovative techniques achieved through the performance of transcribed music and the evolution of original writing for the instrument. Practices such as artificial harmonics, double-stops of various intervals, several kinds of pizzicato, the use of the double bass as a percussion instrument, combinations of the bass and the bassist’s sounds and indeed, imitation of period instrument’s alleged sounds are becoming a common part of the double bass vocabulary. Even the traditional techniques are not fully exploited yet. The performances of Aton�n Dvor�k (1841-1904)'s Violoncello Concerto Op.104 on the double bass by Azarkhin, Barry Green, and, mostly admirable, by Gary Karr, have opened new doors for the instrument's idiomatic writing. Aware of the revolution in double bass playing resulting from transcriptions practices, composers seem to be more open to the performer’s viewpoints. For example, Ernst Mahle (b. 1929), one of the most important Braziliam composers of today and, undoubtedly, the most prolific of solo and chamber double bass music, agreed with my suggestion to incorporate some register changes and cadencial double stops in his Concertino para Contrabaixo e Orquestra de Cordas in order to bring more the soloist to the fore and enhance the virtuosic characteristics of the work. Transcriptions have ultimately become an integrating territory where performers and composers communicate.

Finally, there are other reasons that justify the practice of double bass transcriptions: they can historically balance recital programs, provide varied pedagogical materials at all levels, help master left-hand techniques and sightreading at specific ranges of the instrument, and make possible the pleasure to perform from simple ancient Chinese songs to irresistible arias from Italian operas. Double bass players can surely delight audiences and themselves with Jacopo de Bologna (1340-?1360)’s fourteenth-century madrigals in charming versions coloured with ethereal natural harmonics by . . . guess who? Turetzky!

PINO ETTORRE su ARCHI MAGAZINE- Concorso Archi e Vinci (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-20T10:01:00.002+01:00

www.archi-magazine.it/ultimo_numero_it.htm

vorrei seggnalare a lei e al popolo contrabbassistico che segue il suo interessante blog la bella intervista di Giuseppe Ettorre sul numero di Gennaio/Febbraio 2012 di ARCHI magazine. Con lui discorriamo di studio, repertorio, jazz e nuove tecnologie, ma anche dell'importanza della pratica orchestrale e operistica. Inoltre con il concorso "Archi e Vinci", in palio un set di corde per Contrabbasso Pirastro Passione "Solo" (il regolamento per partecipare e pubblicato sulla rivista).

RINAT IBRAGIMOV: the excellent player (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-18T17:30:00.003+01:00

http://www.ibragimov.co.uk/

One of the most important soloist of our era !! Go and vist his website!

Vito Liuzzi

YOAN GOILAV - (vito Liuzzi)

2012-01-16T09:33:00.002+01:00

Joan Goilav è stato per me uno dei maestri di perfzionamento molti anni or sono e devo dire che la sua grande preparazione e carica umana erano assolutamente impareggiabili.

In questo breve post lo vorrei ringraziare per tutto quello che mi ha dato e soprattutto la ricerca di una certa eleganza stilistica nell' eseguire un brano. Ognuno di noi può interpretare un brano secondo come lo sente maggiormente ma bisogna ricordare, diceva Goilav, che un certo contegno esecutivo è sempre apprezzabile. E questo spero di averlo preso da questo incredibile Maestro che su di me ha avuto tanta influenza. Ricordo poi i suoi Lp che non dovrebbero mai mancare nella discoteca di un vero ed autentico contrabbassista.

Al Maestro Goilav.

Vito Liuzzi

STEFANO SCIASCIA -new web site (vito Liuzzi)

2012-01-15T09:25:00.003+01:00

http://sites.google.com/site/stefanosciascia/home

http://www.stefanosciascia.it

E' con immenso piacere che vi presento il NUOVO SITO WEB del Maestro Stefano Sciascia. Era tanto tempo che ci aspettavamo da questo grande artista un sito più a sua immagine e somiglianza, e adesso lo abbiamo ricevuto in dono.

Spero che voi tutti lo possiate visitare poichè ricco di Cd, della sua storia, di tante bellissime foto e di mollto altro.

Auguri maestro Sciascia per questo tuo ultimo, ma non da ultimo, sforzo.

Fans di Stefano Sciascia anche su Facebook, attenzione!!

Vito

English:

It's a big honour for me to present the NEW STEFANO SCIASCIA website. It's very beautiful to visit with a lot of his history, great pothos and so on.

Best wishes maestro Sciascia.

Vito

STEFANO SCODANIBBIO: remembering (vito Liuzzi)

2012-01-12T09:13:00.000+01:00

The music world was stunned to learn of the death of double bass soloist and composer Stefano Scodanibbio on June 10th from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). He was only 55 years old. "Stefano Scodanibbio has been responsible for more important additions to the double bass repertoire in recent years than any European bassist," wrote Michael Cameron in his review of Stefano's CD release Voyage That Never Ends, a 45-minute soundscape that Stefano performed in its entirety when he made his ISB convention debut in 1997 at the University of Iowa. What is now become his final ISB convention performance was in 2009 at Penn State University, another profoundly moving experience for those lucky enough to be there.

Dozens of works were written for him, and he created new techniques, extending the colors and range of the double bass. In 1987 in Rome, he performed a four-hour non-stop marathon, playing 28 pieces by 25 composers. As a composer, his catalogue includes more than 50 works, principally for strings, including Sei Studi for solo contrabass, Three String Quartets, Concertale for contrabass, strings and percussion and Six Duos.

In June 2004 Stefano premiered Sequenza XIVb by Luciano Berio in his own version for contrabass, from the original for cello. In 1983 he founded the "Rassegna di Nuova Musica," a new music festival held annually in Macerata, Italy.

By a lovely coincidence, on Friday, May 25th, 8 PM at The Stone in New York City, Cleveland Symphony bassist Scott Dixon, along with Matteo Cesari (bass flute) and the Del Sol String Quartet, will perform music of Stefano Scodanibbio. Read more about his important and far too-short career. We're so sorry that this voyage had to end, and the ISB extends its deepest sympathies to Stefano Scodanibbio's family, friends, colleagues and fans everywhere. Click here to make a donation to the ISB in Stefano's memory.

STEFANO SCODANIBBIO DEAD at 55 year old (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-11T08:42:00.000+01:00

Macerata, January 10, 2012 - Stephen Scodanibbio died in the night between Sunday and Monday. Scodanibbio died at age 55 in Mexico, in the city 'of Cuernavaca, after a long illness.

"To paraphrase John Cage, I can say that Stephen was a musician Scodanibbio magic.''Cosi 'Maximum Puliani, a professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Macerata and at the DAMS of Bologna, remember Scodanibbio." Only with his master Fernando Grillo - continued Pulliani - I had the same sense of wonder and fascination for the art of composition resulting from a stringed instrument. The bass Stefano was rather an immense world of sounds, sometimes harmoniously ordered extraordinarily percussive hours. "

STEFANO SCODANIBBIO E' MORTO A 55 anni (vito Liuzzi)

2012-01-11T08:21:00.001+01:00

Macerata, 10 gennaio 2012 - Stefano Scodanibbio è morto nella notte tra domenica e lunedì. Scodanibbio è morto a 55 anni in Messico, nella citta' di Cuernavaca, dopo una lunga malattia.

"Parafrasando John Cage, posso dire che Stefano Scodanibbio era un musicista magico’’. Cosi’ Massimo Puliani, docente all’Accademia di Belle Arti di Macerata e al Dams di Bologna, ricorda Scodanibbio. "Solo con il suo maestro Fernando Grillo - continua Pulliani - ebbi la stessa fascinazione e quel senso di stupore per l’arte della composizione derivante da uno strumento a corde. Il contrabbasso per Stefano era invece un immenso mondo di suoni, ora armonicamente ordinati ora straordinariamente percussivi".

NEWS- CATALIN ROTARU and JULIANA D' AGOSTINI CD NOW AVAIBLE (Vito Liuzzi)

2012-01-10T06:26:00.003+01:00

http://www.soundset.com/cd_detail.php?disc=133&fb_source=message

GO HERE AND BUY THIS HIGH RECCOMEND CD (the cd of 2012)

These are Rotaru words:I have some good news! The CD is now available for download on the "Soundset Recordings" website (for a very low price $12) and in a few weeks it will also be on iTunes. They will also make a physical CD for people interested in getting a real CD, although, as they told me, the future will be in downloadable media as physical CDs will cease to exist. Anyway, we still have to upload some info, like bio and reviews but at least people have access to it now

ISB- INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY of BASSISTS (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-10T05:34:00.004+01:00

ISB- INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY of BASSISTS (vito liuzzi)

For all serious doubelbass players I suggest to become a MEMBER of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF BASSISTS.

It's another world.

vito Liuzzi

CATALIN ROTARU & JULIANA D' AGOSTINI (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-08T08:49:00.003+01:00

Probably we are arrived at the final countdown: a little bit of patience and the marvellous Cd with Juliana D' Agostini will be soon avaible on the international market!!

I am in negotiations with another CD label, called "Sound Set" and they will make it available also for download on their website as well as iTunes. As soon as it's ready I will let you know first!!! Grazie Maestro! (Catalin Rotaru)

Vito: siamo forse alla fine di uno psicodramma incredibile!!!

GERD REINKE - The thumb positions (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-07T06:43:00.006+01:00

http://www.doublebasscds.de/

or

http://www.gerdreinke.de

NEWS: GERD REINKE has written a new book about THE THUMB POSITIONS (click on the links and you will be redirect)

EUGENE PHILIPS (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-06T08:55:00.001+01:00

EUGENE PHILIPS
(a great double bass player and teacher)

BETRAM TURETZKY

2012-01-06T08:33:00.001+01:00

BERTRAM TURETZKY
(I grandi della musica contemporanea)

BARRE PHILIPS (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-06T08:32:00.001+01:00

BARRE PHILIPS
(I grandi della musica contemporanea)

THIERRY BARBE' (vito liuzzi)

2012-01-06T07:06:00.002+01:00

http://www.myspace.com/thierrybarbe

Il maestro Barbè non ha un sito web vero e proprio ma chi è interessato in questo grande personaggio del contrabbassismo mondiale può cliccare sopra. Il sito di Myspace è ben fatto e si trovano molte informazioni.