Double Bass Koussevitsky Concerto - note question

[robobass]

Hi everyone!
I have a question about the second movement. In my Kalmus edition the last note of bar 21 is E (sounding F#). Then when the theme is restated, the corresponding note 17 from the end is D#. The piano part is the same both times, and the change doesn't really affect the harmony. I like it the way it's printed, but many people play the D# both times. A colleague says it's a misprint and it should indeed be D# both times. He says that Lucas Drew once wrote an article for the ISB journal discussing this, and supporting the D#. I used to have an orchestral score and some older editions, but they are long lost. Has anyone confronted/researched this?

 

[MDEbass]

hmmmm...do you have a recording of the concerto to listen to? If not I'm sure that would help....or maybe compare different videos on youtube to see you most people play it or something.

 

[Stan Haskins]

I've been told by several different teachers I trust that both of those are supposed to be D#. Supposedly, that's how Maestro Koussevitzky always performed it. My David Walter edition has both of them corrected to D#.

 

[robobass]

I've been told by several different teachers I trust that both of those are supposed to be D#. Supposedly, that's how Maestro Koussevitzky always performed it. My David Walter edition has both of them corrected to D#.

Yeah, the D# seems to be the preferred choice. To say Koussevitzky always played it that way seems like a difficult thing to know. I just like the D. It makes the D# at the end very dramatic. When you play D# both times it just sounds less interesting to me. I haven't perused my classic recordings on this issue, but truthfully, just because Karr or Levinson did it one way, that doesn't end the topic for me.

 

[quenoil]

I have heard that there exists a recording of Koussevitzky playing the concerto... does anyone know about this? Own it? Have heard it? Would be pretty interesting.

 

[thedbassist]

I have heard that there exists a recording of Koussevitzky playing the concerto... does anyone know about this? Own it? Have heard it? Would be pretty interesting.

Here's the second movement: I haven't found a first on youtube.

 

[Eli_Upright12]

I have heard that there exists a recording of Koussevitzky playing the concerto... does anyone know about this? Own it? Have heard it? Would be pretty interesting.

I've heard the second movement, its on Youtube now.


Edit: looks like some one beat me too it.

 

[neilG]

I don't really care which note gets played but I'm fascinated that somebody wrote an entire article about it!

 

[robobass]

Well, I went through a bunch of YouTube videos. Koussevitsky himself does play the D#, as do most of the performers - but not all! I wonder if the manuscript exists, or a first edition? It is kind of a small point, but what else can we bassists fight about?

 

[quenoil]

Here's the second movement: I haven't found a first on youtube.

Cool! Thanks for the link.