Does anyone know if there are other bassists (besides Eugene Levinson) in the Ny Phil who play German bow? Or any other notable German bow players across the country?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass NY Phil German Bows
- Thread starter topbassman
- Start date
the only other i know of is orin o'brien...william blossom developed a "hybrid" bow of sorts that allows him to play both, but when i saw that bow as you could imagine, it was obvious that many of the individual characteristics of each bow are sacrificed. as far as everyone else, i just never really pay that much attention.
The last time I saw the Philharmonic (when they did Mahler's 7th) I think I saw Satoshi Okamoto playing a German.
Doesn't Gary Karr play german bow? I thought that was the reason that Curtis wouldn't offer him a position (or rather, they offered and then took it back after discovering he played german). Or am I wrong on this?
I don't know as much about players in the major orchestras....
I don't know as much about players in the major orchestras....
It goes beyond ormandy - Torello was one of the guys in the US who really gave the french bow credibility, and obviously Roger Scott didn't do a bad job of that either. Torello's advocacy of it was obviously vociferous to the point where they didn't even consider admitting german players, despite chops.
To this day, I don't know that they accept any german bow players.
To this day, I don't know that they accept any german bow players.
Look, roger Scott offered karr a place at Curtis on the condition that he changed bows. The only reason is that Scott, felt he had nothing to teach german bow players and for a school where all the sudents receive a full ride ,he felt they should get their moneys worth. I am very tired of hearing german bow students complain about this period. It is now over so can we please go on to other more pertinant subjects.
When one considers sound production in the states german and french players sound the same or very similar...
Philly and curtis have gone forward both in accepting german bow students and in their attitude towards bow styles.
I have heard many "stories" about Roger Scott an dmust say most of it is malarky and quite frankly a ploy of other prominent teachers who want their share of the spotlite. They should just keep quiet and let their students fine accomplishments speak for them. I never heard Roger Scott say one bad thing about another teacher. He was a great although somewhat archaic ,mentor and teacher.
SO there!!!!!
When one considers sound production in the states german and french players sound the same or very similar...
Philly and curtis have gone forward both in accepting german bow students and in their attitude towards bow styles.
I have heard many "stories" about Roger Scott an dmust say most of it is malarky and quite frankly a ploy of other prominent teachers who want their share of the spotlite. They should just keep quiet and let their students fine accomplishments speak for them. I never heard Roger Scott say one bad thing about another teacher. He was a great although somewhat archaic ,mentor and teacher.
SO there!!!!!
Satshoi, and David Grossman both play German bow-they where both levinson students. O'Brien plays german also.
For the record, there is one german bow player at curtis. He is the one and only german bow player that has been admitted to the school.
B. Johnson said:
Haven't they asked any German played admited to switch to french? That's what happened to Karr. Why are they letting this guy remain? But I would say that he should switch anyway, just because he has Robinson and Meyer at his access. I've seen Robinson play german and while he's good (duh) he's no Levinson, Karr, Haniluk, or Badila.
B. Johnson said:
I heard (from a Curtis student) that when an old curtis curmudgeon saw the german bow player in their flier, dude called up and complained ravingly, things like "spoiling traditions". Suddenly those dark old stories have the ring of truth to them....
But really, that's the kind of place I'd love to go, if I could do it all over again; Rice University, or USC, or Curtis.... Of course, that'd mean I would have required years of bass experience in High School to even get into those places in the first place. I couldn't even play a convincing G major scale
when I applied for undergraduate (Music Ed.), so a conservatory was Out Of The Question. Conservatory study makes sense, esp. Curtis - when you only have to choose one or two gifted students every year from loads of applicants, of course you're going to get a *nice* small studio going in a major music city!
