Double Bass hardest peice ever?

[jazzbassnerd]

4'33" would be a toughy.Especially on bass. To get those eighty eight different keys to be silent on the bass would be extreme.

(I do feel like I have to mention that I love John Cage)

 

[TheGrayBassGuy]

^Exactly!

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

Here's an amusing little piece presented as a sight reading challenge in another forum:

http://therhombus.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=53407&view=findpost&p=922894

 

[Rob Sleeper]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Tarantella in A minor by Bottesini. That piece is pretty hard.

 

[mcnaire2004]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Tarantella in A minor by Bottesini. That piece is pretty hard.

It's hard but not in the top

 

[reedo35]

Here's an amusing little piece presented as a sight reading challenge in another forum:

http://therhombus.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=53407&view=findpost&p=922894

I guess you missed posts #18 and #19.

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

I guess you missed posts #18 and #19.

People need to see it to believe it.

EDIT: And it may not turn out to be the hardest piece once people realize that the direction "Like a dirigible" is not a metaphor but is meant to be taken literally.

 

[LM Bass]

I found Lachenmann's "Mouvement" very challenging.
Just listening with the score and trying to decipher which instrument was making which sound took hours. Learning the part was some serious shed time as well. Hearing all the ensemble parts and where I fit in, during the performance, was daunting, but fun.

LM

 

[Ty_Boogie]

Here's an amusing little piece presented as a sight reading challenge in another forum:

http://therhombus.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=53407&view=findpost&p=922894

wow!!!!!!!!

That looks like a schematic for a Star Trek, type computer.......

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

wow!!!!!!!!

That looks like a schematic for a Star Trek, type computer.......

For more on John Stump's music, visit Invalid Link Removed

 

[Simandl Fan]

What makes Failing a hard piece to play is that you must narrate the piece while playing. It starts off easy but then it gets progressively harder. The idea is to keep the spoken script going with a natural cadence while at the same time playing faster notes with trickier rhythms. The music alone is a challenge; putting it together with the text so both come out smooth is the challenge. IMHO, it's a novelty piece. Ed Barker and David Murry both burn right through it.

 

[zaghy]

I have read, that for many years W.A. Mozart's "Per questa bella mano" for baritone migget (?) and Double Bass was considered impossible to perform, and hardest piece ever written for DB.

 

[kontrabass]

I have read, that for many years W.A. Mozart's "Per questa bella mano" for baritone migget (?) and Double Bass was considered impossible to perform, and hardest piece ever written for DB.

Thomas Quasthoff has performed the piece many times, mostly recently with Eugene Levinson of the NY Phil.

Mr. Quasthoff happens to have birth defects, making him quite short.

The piece isn't impossible, but very hard. That being said, I haven't played it.

 

[zaghy]

...
Mr. Quasthoff happens to have birth defects, making him quite short.
...

I can't believe.

 

[fcleff]

i've composed a few solos that I cannot play... If anyone else wants to take a stab at them let me know

Me too! Any takers?

 

[mcnaire2004]

i'd like to look at some of it for fun

 

[AdaGio³]

Sankey Carmen Fantasy is not as tough as some other things mentioned but its definitely amoung one of the most difficult.

 

[kid_squanto]

When I was a student at SanDeigo State and pupil of Burt Turetzky back in the early 80's I saw Burt T play a piece called "Failing" by Tom Johnson.
He had 12 music stands placed in a row on stage with like 24
continuous pages of music. The piece was written for spoken
word and dbl bass.
So going from left to right moving his bass along with him I heard
him play very difficult bass lines and recite the words and play
hamonics and tap the wood in different places like conga's and make it all happen at the same time. At times he would take his middle finger and push it along the top of the bass like a drummer
does to vibrate the head of a drum.
It sounded like three players up there. It was amazing watching
him do it. Impecable playing and dexterity.

I have a recording of this.....it's ridiculous

 

[lucy mcknight]

what about botessini's second concerto, the second movement? i think thats got to be one of the hardest of the traditional bass pieces

 

[bejoyous]

My vote goes for 4'33'', transcribed for bass of course.

I like to play this up an octave for an extra challenge.