double bass history

[Dr_Atomic]

Does anyone know what books out there are the best for a comprehensive history of the double bass? Also does anyone know of any reliable Bottesini biographies?

[Paul Warburton]

Google this, but maybe go to a trusted site. Amazon?

[eggfan]

I went to check out that site a few days ago, and Norton flagged it as unsafe because of an "identify threat." Not saying Norton's right, but I wouldn't want to see anyone become a victim of identity theft, either, if the site's been compromised by a hacker.

[Paul Warburton]

Thanks, Ed....I'll pull the link and leave the pic....

[Dr_Atomic]

Great, thank you! My library has this book, but only in French. I'll try to find the translated version cheap if possible...


I'm also looking at the following books:

Domenico Dragonetti in England (1794-1846) : the career of a double bass virtuoso / Fiona M. Palmer.
Author: Palmer, Fiona M.
Imprint: Oxford [England] : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1997.

Introduction to the double bass / by Raymond Elgar.
Author: Elgar, Raymond.
Imprint: St. Leonards-on-sea, Sussex : R. Elgar, 1971 [c1960]

Looking at the double bass.
Author: Elgar, Raymond.
Imprint: 31 Charles Road West, St. Leonards-on-sea (Sussex), Raymond Elgar, 1967.

Der Wiener Kontrabass : Spieltechnik und Aufführungspraxis, Musik und Instrumente / Josef Focht.
Author: Focht, Josef.
Imprint: Tutzing : Schneider, 1999.

The baroque double bass violone / Alfred Planyavsky ; translated by James Barket.
Author: Planyavsky, Alfred, 1924-
Imprint: Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 1998.

Giovanni Bottesini : concertista e compositore : esecuzione, ricezione e definizione del testo musicale : atti della giornata di studi, Crema, 26 ottobre 1996 / a cura di Flavio Arpini.
Imprint: Crema [Italy] : Comune di Crema, c1999.

Giovanni Bottesini : virtuoso del contrabbasso e compositore / testi di Luigi Inzaghi ... [et al.].
Imprint: Milano : Nuove Edizioni, c1989.

Method for double bass / Giovanni Bottesini ; [edited by Rodney Slatford].
Author: Bottesini, Giovanni, 1821-1889
Imprint: London : Yorke Edition, c1981-1982.

Die Geschichte des Kontrabasses und seine Trennung vom Violoncello in der orchestralen Instrumentation / Bernhard M. Fink.
Author: Fink, Bernhard M.
Imprint: Regensburg : G. Bosse, 1974.

[Michael Glynn]

I think Lemur Music sells the Paul Brun book. You can find the Planyavsky here.

You should definitely also check out http://www.earlybass.com/ if you haven't already. It has a bunch of great information and articles on the history of the double bass.

The Paul Brun book is probably the most comprehensive, but I feel like he leans a little too far towards the view that the double bass is purely part of the violin family, rather than viol family.

[Dr_Atomic]

Terrific, thank you! That link is very helpful.

[Paul Warburton]

I'm lucky to have all three of the Elgar books. Hard to get now, I guess. "Looking At....." was the first book out that had pictures of the great basses. What little I know about bass IDing started with the pics in those books.
The one that isn't mentioned here is "More About the Double Bass".

As far as any eye opening information on the instrument, IMO, the Brun book is the boss. (IMO).

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

I'm lucky to have all three of the Elgar books. Hard to get now, I guess. "Looking At....." was the first book out that had pictures of the great basses. What little I know about bass IDing started with the pics in those books.
The one that isn't mentioned here is "More About the Double Bass".

As far as any eye opening information on the instrument, IMO, the Brun book is the boss. (IMO).

+1 on Elgar. I started out with the three Elgar books from the library and photocopied them so I could have my own. Time-consuming but really worth it!

[Dr_Atomic]

Yep I got the Elgar books from the library. Now I will probably put in a request for the library to order a copy of the Brun in English because I can tell already that I'll have trouble with the French version...