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What is your interest in the method?
There is one or maybe more copies at the library of the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. I am sure I have flipped through it some time but I haven’t studied it. I seem to remember that he uses a four finger system, also in lower positions. Other than that I don’t think that there is anything much different from other methods from that period. Might be kind of outdated, at least I don’t know anyone who has used it, even in Denmark.
There is one or maybe more copies at the library of the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. I am sure I have flipped through it some time but I haven’t studied it. I seem to remember that he uses a four finger system, also in lower positions. Other than that I don’t think that there is anything much different from other methods from that period. Might be kind of outdated, at least I don’t know anyone who has used it, even in Denmark.
Thank you for the insight on the method, Malten! I wish very much strongly to study the book. Is that possible, are there any ways to do that, what do you think?
Many years ago I owned a copy that I loaned to a student who was very tall and had huge hands. He never returned it when he left. I have since tried to find another copy without success. My distant memory is that of a four finger method which I have used for most of my playing career. In the lower positions I use a combination of rolling and stretching to extend and ensure that the distances between fingers gives good intonation. I too would like to see his method that has been out of print for many years.
It seems like it’s hard to track down a copy. I am usually studying in Copenhagen but this year I am living in Germany so I can’t even make you some copies or even check the puplisher or anything right now (maybe David knows?).
Out of curiousity, why do you wish so strongly to study the book and where did you hear about it?
Malten, that would be because i've come to realization that the four finger method, while being used by hardly anybody, is a very important part of playing double bass. Simandl is a holdover from the past as i see it.
Hi Seltryms,
I can not help with the Hegner-Method Books.
There are other players that come to my mind that play 4 finger technique and have method books available: Michael Wolf, Silvio Dalla Torre. There are probably more. Why not check out one of their methods?
I can not help with the Hegner-Method Books.
There are other players that come to my mind that play 4 finger technique and have method books available: Michael Wolf, Silvio Dalla Torre. There are probably more. Why not check out one of their methods?
I have kept Murray Grodner's first and second catalogues of available bass music from many years ago. These say that the Hegner Method was published by the Danish firm, Wilhelm Hansen Edition which was later sold to an American firm, Music Sales. I have just looked up Music Sales Classical who do not recognize Ludwig Hegner. I have approached Wilhelm Hansen Edition in the past without success. It would be nice if it were possible to buy a down load of this and similar old works that are not worth reprinting in hard copy form but still important
I wonder if the Danish and Swedish Hegner(s) were related:
The "Hegner". An important Swedish Double Bass by Alfred Nilsson Brock anno 1903 - #2693 from the double bass specialists Contrabass Shoppe
The "Hegner". An important Swedish Double Bass by Alfred Nilsson Brock anno 1903 - #2693 from the double bass specialists Contrabass Shoppe
Ludvig Hegner - Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi
This is the wiki (in Danish) of Ludvig Hegner, the grand father of (Louis) Oscar Hegner. It states that he had a brother who played double bass in the opera in Stockholm. Ludvig was born in 1851 and Johannes (the “swedish” Hegner) in 1852, so that seems to fit.
The Hegner family held the principal double bass position in the Royal Danish Opera for three generations starting with Ludvig, then his son Louis Alexander and finaly his son Louis Oscar Hegner. And then apparently there was Ludvig’s brother playing in Stockholm.
Ludvig Hegner was also the first double bass teacher at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. We still have a big painting of him in our teaching room.
He also composed a bunch of pieces for the bass much in the style of Bottesini, who he also met on one occasion in Copenhagen; Bottesini was visiting the city for a concert and stayed at the still famous Hotel d’Angleterre. The young Ludvig Hegner went to the hotel to see the great Maestro. He knocked on the door and following some Italian words he walked in to the hotel suite. There was Bottesini sitting on the floor wearing a fez and smoking a hookah. In the corner was his Testore bass. Hegner didn’t speak a word of Italian and Bottesini no Danish of course. Bottesini pointed to the Testore as to ask Hegner to play something for him. Hegner however felt too overwhelmed to do anything, so he simply bowed for the Maestro and walked backwards out of the room. That was the meeting of two of the most virtousic bass players at the time.
Thank you for this. Very informative. I played the Brock "Maggini" some years back at the Contrabass Shoppe - it was a very impressive bass!
It is a decent bass, but he is asking 3-4 times what it is worth which is why it has not sold for well beyond a decade. He tried to sell it to me back in 2006.
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