Ludwig Streicher

[Snakewood]

Does anyone have any information on this great bassist? I saw the Bernstein/Mahler DVD boxset and he was principal in several of the Wiener Philharmoniker recordings.

Of the Bernstein Boxet, Mahler Symphony No. 1 as captured on 10/1974 there was a Principal bassist (Vienna Phil) who I had never seen before. He was a smallish fellow, skinny, black hair, black moustache. Anyone know who is this?

[Dr Rod]

It could have been Schneickhardt (spelling?)

[Snakewood]

Does anyone know the system they had in Vienna in terms of string seating? Seems that Streicher was sometimes seating 2nd, 1st, and even 4th. Did they have more than one principal player?

[bassist14]

hello snakewood,

if you click here:
http://www.ludwigstreicher-festival...._streicher.htm
and scroll down to the english text, you can read a little bit about ludwig streicher.

hope it helps.

bassist14

[Snakewood]

bassist14, thank you for that wonderful link! You did the entire bass community a huge justice by providing more information on this wonderful bassist.

[olivier]

Originally Posted by Snakewood

bassist14, thank you for that wonderful link! You did the entire bass community a huge justice by providing more information on this wonderful bassist.

Check out that foot holding the bass on that pic: http://www.ludwigstreicher-festival....HERtocando.jpg It's an important aspect of the Streicher technique if you play standing.
There's also a device you may put on the bass so that the instrument is actually held by the legs of the player and the left hand can really pull the string into the fb... I hope some adepts of that technique will chip in for more details...

[anonymous0726]

Love the tuners! I hate to have to find a bag that would fit them, though...

[Damon Rondeau]

A giant among bassists, Streicher looks like he was about 5 foot 1. That foot thing would never work for me.

[Snakewood]

5'1" ? But he had his endpin out. Surely if you're that height and a bassist you'd need a 1/2 size instrument? I'm a smallish guy as well, about 5'6"-5'7" and I find that I'm using one or max two notches on the endpin

[olivier]

I don't know about the Maestro's height on earth, but people seamed to be mostly impressed by the size of his hands. It appears his dedication was huge too...

[Esteban Lobos D]

i study the streicher method and theres a streicher student(james rapport who was 1st in the camera orchestra of vienna for 21 years, and principal in the israel phil like 3 years or something like that, i can't remember well) that comes more or less often to chile, and he have given lot's of classes to my db teacher, and last year he gave me my first 2 classes, and one year next (this month 3 weeks ago) he gave me 3 more classes

i don't use the foot thing, neither my teacher does, i's kind of an optional thing, if you get to feel comfortable with it then you use it.
i very much enjoy the streicher method, it's a difficult one, it starts from the begining with lots of arco problematics, and enharmonics reading and extreme situations on almost every exercise. but i get the feeling that there must be lot's of understanding of the method by the teacher in order to teach it, because i've heard some people complaining about it of being slow or too difficult.
well i get the musical equilibrium studying the rabbath method too, they complement very well.(they're like opposite characters)

i once saw a video of streicher giving classes and what you can see there is that he speaks very loudly, i dont understand much german, but sometimes i feel that he is very upset explaining things

[Snakewood]

[quote=
i once saw a video of streicher giving classes and what you can see there is that he speaks very loudly, i dont understand much german, but sometimes i feel that he is very upset explaining things [/QUOTE]

Indeed, in the mahler/bernstein boxset he doesn't even pinch a smile/blink during the most emotional sections. Infact no one in the Vienna bass section ever did, they're like robots, very very good robots lol

[Esteban Lobos D]

lol
the mystery is finally solved
they were robots indeed

and by the way, where can i get that dvd?

[olivier]

I thought only Rufus Thomas was one of them robots

Happy New Year everybody

[Esteban Lobos D]

feliz año nuevo for everyone!

[JayR]

I've never seen Streicher play (heard his recording of the bottesini, though, damn good. On par with Edgar's), but I have a DVD of the berlin phil doing beethoven 3 and 9 from a couple of years ago. Watching the bass section. I noticed a that they play very frequently with the bow at a very sharp (45+ degree) angle to the string. Is this a standing tradition in germany I've never heard of before? I've been looking for older videos of berlin or vienna and havent been able to find any.

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by JayR

Watching the bass section. I noticed a that they play very frequently with the bow at a very sharp (45+ degree) angle to the string. Is this a standing tradition in germany

hello jayR

only in vienna, as far as i know. are you shure you have seen that from the berlin philharmonic?

playing solo ludwig streicher mostly played in a 90 degree angle, as you can see in the pictures of the link i posted above.
(and as i remember from the times i have met him in person)

bassist14

[JayR]

I'm positive it was berlin phil, though its a very recent recording (2003, I think?) Does playing with the bow at that kind of angle serve any purpose? I sure as hell can't make that sound good.

[Snakewood]

Originally Posted by Esteban Lobos D

lol
the mystery is finally solved
they were robots indeed

and by the way, where can i get that dvd?

It is Deutch Gram recordings/video. Bernstein/Mahler 1-10 plus das lied von der erd. Wiener Philharmoniker, London Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, 9 of the 10 symphonies are Wiener, Mahler 2 is London, das lied is Israel. Mine was purchased for 170.00 CAD at HMV.

[Esteban Lobos D]

my english collapsed with that info
but thanks!