The Swan

[pskelly]

Does anyone know of a recording on double bass of The Swan by Saint-Saens?

Thanks,
Pete

[Snakewood]

Bernstein Century - Children's Classics: Prokofiev, Saint Saens, Britten.
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic. (Sony, Classical.) 1962, re-mastered 1998.

*Gary Karr plays the Swan in the Carnival of Animals

[reedo35]

you can download a great version from Jorma Katrama here:
http://www.wippit.com/AlbumDet.aspx?...0&StrCatType=S

[pskelly]

Thanks for the help. I heard an 11-year-old cellist play it on an HBO show called 'The Music in Me.' I have to learn it!

[andrewc4000]

you might want to listen to a cellist playing it and not a bassist, as it sounds better on cello. for that, i would reccomend pablo casals or jacqueline du pre

[tbassist4]

well, a piece will naturally sound better on the instrument it was written for, and especially in this case since Saint-Saens was a good composer for cello, but that does not mean that it cannot sound beautiful on another instrument. Think of the Eccles Sonata. I actually think this sounds much better on double bass than it does on violin. I've heard the first movement on violin and I understood why it has gone through the stringed instruments to become a big bass piece.

EDIT: Although, it does sound very nice on Viola, I recently heard a recording of this. The player added very nice ornamentation and such. I would argue that it is more the player though, a piece can sound beautiful on nearly any instrument in the hands of the correct player.