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Double Bass Does thrashing around while you play do any good?

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#221
You know, if people really cared enough what internet nutjobs said about them, this world would be paralyzed. Nobody would do a darn thing because they'd be way too afraid some moron with zero vision would poop on them. Fortunately, the world sees internet nutjobs as only a minor annoyance. If you really have a problem with the way Guy Tuneh plays, I suggest an enema because you're obviously backed up.

BTW, exaggerate much? The guy rocks back and forth a little. Big deal. Sheesh, what a bunch of uptight jokers!
 
#222
chicagodoubler said:
Mata Siguaraya Oscar D'León - YouTube

3:20
Click to expand...
OMG!! That was incredible, but they did lose me right at the end. Up until then though, the lock was so tight, but the feel was so relaxed! Really excellent.

I don't know, OP and some of you others may not want to ever check out Joe Cocker live if excessive gesticulation and funny movements bother you, but I say do what you gotta do to get it out. Mr. Tuneh sounded pretty freakin' amazing to me, he had a lot of emotion in his playing.
 
#227
Earlier today ca. 05:00 german time, Mr. Tunnehs Webdesigner was apparently working to prepare the web for the upcoming World Premiere, and for short time the following text was online for couple minutes:

----
ready to update: confirm a.s.a. possible with US team.


""<p>
<h3><i>Weltpremiere auf Kontrabass:<br /><p> Guy D. Tuneh führt Caprice Nr.9 Op.1 in E-dur von N. Paganini auf.</i></h3>
<p>
</td>
<b>Guy D. Tuneh führt erstmalig eine unbearbeitete Version von Paganinis Caprice <br />in E-Dur Op.1 im Konzert auf, Berlin <b/>
<br />
<p><b>
<font color="#ab7a05"><i> <a href="

http://www.guytuneh.com/de-media.php""
 
#228
Well i was right.

The New Video is about Paganini Nr. 9.

Now its official, so, go on guys, haters gonna hate and so on..

B. T. W.:

I was looking at the score, it is quite amazing, he playes it 1 to 1, every note it there and every accord.

(Its un-playable on bass without any transcription...., how the F++K he does it?????)

Just amazing!!!

New epoch in bass performing just begin!
 
#231
"Just amazing"? Really? Or just a curiosity doomed to only be heard by bass players? I wonder. Whilst it is an admirable undertaking to try and play these kinds of pieces on the bass, the simple fact remains that there is an awful (operative word) lot of extraneous noise, poor intonation, and generally not very nice sound happening in this Guy Tuneh recording. Interesting that a previous poster chose to include a recording of an artist who has transcended the technical issues of the piece and presented a musically interesting as well as technically flawless result.

I know that reads as a pretty harsh critique of what has clearly been a lot of effort on the part of mr. Tuneh but I honestly think if you can't make it sound at least as good as the original then in general it's better not to bother. His concept of sound (I'm going on the material that obviously pleases him as he has it all over youtube) is clearly lacking when placed next to even young students of the violin and cello world nowadays. This annoys me because it seems that were he to present some pieces which were more technically within his grasp he could make some real music. Clearly he has quite a presence as a performer and shows no lack of confidence. There's a lot of music out there which whilst less outwardly virtuosic, can be used to make a serious case for double bass a real solo instrument. Rinat, Bozo, Edgar. People making a really good go of doing precisely that, with both original bass music and transcriptions of music for other instruments.

Don't misunderstand me, of course I hope mr. Tuneh feels free to hack his way through as much Paganini as he wants to, put it all over youtube, etc. I honestly couldn't care less. But when some mysterious sockpuppet keeps coming up on talkbass and raving about how he's premiering the next pioneering bit of artistry which other people have doing better on the original instrument for decades, I reserve the right to find that quite bloody annoying. End.
 
#234
@ cold elephant,

My point of view: Its not about playing it as if it would be Violin BUT on bass, or playing it as good as violin, you are speaking about copying other interpretations and maintaining traditions by using bass. (some would say tradition will expire without fire/creativity). Having looking at the score, sorry guys, my opinion, even the violins are missing a point with that caprice. To do what the others are doing doesn't mean its the right thing to do. Mr. Tuneh was never into it, the guy has his own tradition and style (i guess he is paying the price for being/doing it his way).

Its about to gain a/"the"" bass character into it and still enjoying the fact that the bass stay unique on its own. (without trying to be Violin or cello etc. and YES most of those to try to perform those kine pieces on bass, are doing it!, they just TRY TO BE other instruments on bass. why? the bass as an instrument is so amazing & versatile)

The sound of the recording is unfortunately relative poor (like many of Mr. Tunehs recordings) that explains: "lot of extraneous noise, and generally not very nice sound happening in this Guy Tuneh recording." as You mentioned in your reply.
Funny, its like "because of the plate, someone can't enjoy the food", sorry but to me it seems to be like a very uptight and narrow way of viewing things.
About the "poor intonation", as you call it (B.T.W - this "poor intonation" is not less better by those other nobel performers that you've mentioned, especially in case like this ) ,but still - ye well, so much harmonics and crazy accords, the high chance that here and there some deviations appears, come, don't do as if you have no idea about what is bass playing!, guess nobody is perfect! so Mr. Tuneh didn't use "digital help" as many others are doing those days, great, he reminds us whats all about!.
(funny take the time to listen to some of the old recordings of Casellas, Kreisler, Brendel or even Koussevitzky, perfection is NOT the best side of those guys/recordings).

I have that feeling that Mr. Tuneh is not into being perfect, why can't he just make for once and for all a good quality recordings? and so on...
I guess he has is own reasons...

And about me being "mysterious sockpuppet keeps coming up on talkbass and raving about how he's premiering the next pioneering bit of artistry which other people have doing better on the original instrument for decades..." well, i think in that point of view and not only in that point, we have different opinion, and you know what? Great, Amazing isn't it?!

I still think, that with this video/Idea a new step have been done. (for those to understand it and even for those who cann't).
 
#235
angelika -



For your own sake I hope you never come into contact with a really respected soloist and try to lecture them on the merits or failings of their own playing in relation to mr. Tuneh's.

I really have a problem with mr. Tuneh's playing because I think poorly recorded attempts at pieces which are technically and seemingly musically too complicated for him do all double bassists a great disservice. Unlike the violinists and pianists, people who want to say something as a solo double bassist have to fight against decades (if not centuries) of ignorance and prejudice, brought about by a profusion of players who just couldn't get round the instrument effectively for whatever reason. If you listen recordings of say, the soli passage in Verdi's Otello, it is quite easily possible to find playing on record even within the last 70 years or so that frankly wouldn't stand up against student level nowadays. This is not the case for other instruments. People like Guy Tuneh, in my opinion, further the stereotypes of bass players being masters of ruining great music. However he is particularly dangerous because instead of being that guy in the 18th or 19th century who infuriated his conductor by simplifying his orchestral parts to the point of nonmusicality, (which you can read about in Berlioz' treatise on orchestration) he approaches things the opposite way by playing stuff that he can't possibly dream of getting round as a soloist, and then posting it all over the internet for everyone to see. And what's worse is that people like you, angelika, appear and hold up his efforts as something for us all to aspire to.

"Its about to gain a/"the"" bass character into it and still enjoying the fact that the bass stay unique on its own" - seems to me to be your poorly thought out justification for all the terrible sound that mr. Tuneh makes. Unfortunately for your argument, and fortunately for solo bass playing, this is 2012. The level of younger people around at places such as the Curtis school in the States who can play everything from Bach to Cesar Franck with confidence and aplomb, plus the efforts various internationally established soloists worldwide all show a Tuneh-champion like you to be ignorant of the level that people have worked hard to push bass playing to these days.

As for Guy Tuneh making a new idea or taking a new step with these recordings, don't make me laugh. This is perhaps the most uninformed and insulting assertion of all. You want innovation? Joel Quarrington, to name but one example. And unsurprisingly, at least in the circles I move in, he commands much more respect than Guy Tuneh will ever do with his playing.

Finally, I retract my previous concessions towards believing there is much hope for Tuneh after hearing him botch yet another piece of music, this time the Villa-Lobos Fantasia for cello and piano (check it out on youtube). Constantly lifting the bow off the string and smashing it down again for no discernible reason, the bow gets stuck and the pitch bends within even the first phrase due to suspect application of speed and weight, and the grating sul pont sound on some of the long notes where he really goes to the bridge is frankly hideous. And don't get me started on the intonation, except this time I don't think that he has the issue of overwhelming left hand difficulties or poor recording quality to hide behind. The video makes it obvious he is simply not in control of these factors. In any other field of string playing such a basic lack of control of the bow which is to say by extension, the music, would be deemed completely unacceptable from someone styling themselves as a 'soloist'. It seems to me that every single egotistical gesture he comes out with is motivated by how he looks, and the result is a frustrating caricature of a performance with no attention to beauty of sound.

I struggle to see how anything he does, be it promoting this nonsense or actually playing and recording it, (I can't decide which is worse) shows anything other than a total lack of respect for his instrument and his instrumental community. And this is why I feel annoyed that yet again I've given him airtime.
 
#237
I don't 'hate' anyone, I just don't care one iota for his playing and I find it mystifying that anyone would, let alone appear on this forum and fight his corner so doggedly in defiance of overwhelming reason and logic.
 
#238
angelika said:
Well i was right.

The New Video is about Paganini Nr. 9.

Now its official, so, go on guys, haters gonna hate and so on..

B. T. W.:

I was looking at the score, it is quite amazing, he playes it 1 to 1, every note it there and every accord.

(Its un-playable on bass without any transcription...., how the F++K he does it?????)

Just amazing!!!

New epoch in bass performing just begin!
Click to expand...
Only that this piece has been played before on the bass as you state, only it was done in 1986 by one Nico Abandolo in the Munich competition. I believe he was a prize winner and one could easily ask another Berlin bassist, namely Esko Laine if he remembers this as I believe he was there...
I do know there are others here who could back this up.

Again kudos to Tuneh for his personal achievements but I am afraid this is no world premier.
 
#240
Yawn.

As I posted months ago, if any of y'all want to post videos of your own superior bass playing, we'd love to see it. We can compare the bassist in question to vids on youtube all day long, and reference personal preference, but this community, myself included, would love to see the naysayers play better.

Critique away, til the cows come home. Post something that approaches Mr. Tuneh's proven record of excellence, and then we stop sounding like lazy yelpers who got a cold potato at an otherwise stellar restaurant.

I'm not saying he's Edgar Meyer, but the respect factor here has dwindled horribly, and once again, "A noble instrument should be regarded nobly."

Haters= lazy, and most possibly, inferior players. True story.
:smug:
 
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