Double Bass RIP Murray Grodner, 1922–2022

[csrund]

I rec'd word that my former teacher at Indiana Univ., Murray Grodner, has passed away at the age of 100.

Prof. Grodner served as professor of double bass at the Jacobs School of Music for over 30 years from the 1950's to the mid-1980's. At age 20, Grodner held the Assistant Principal Bass position in the Pittsburgh Symphony under Fritz Reiner. A few years later, he performed with an Army band during WWII along with members of the New York Philharmonic, and with pianists, Gyorgy Sandor and Joseph Levine.

He later held positions of principal bass with Houston Symphony and in the NBC Symphony under Arturo Toscanini. His teaching allowed students to follow in his path, claiming positions in major symphonies throughout the US as well as internationally.

He is well known for his book on performance practices, A Double Bassist's Guide to Refining Performance Practices (Indiana Univ. Press) and Comprehensive Catalog of Music, Books, Recordings, and Videos for the Double Bass. Grodner was the original founder of Lemur Music and was instrumental in importing the instruments of the Pöllmann/Kramer family to the United States.

 

[TK1820]

So sad to hear, but here's three cheers to a long and well lived life!

 

[CaseyVancouver]

This makes me sad.
Fortunate that he made it to 100 though.

He was a very kind man. I bought my first decent bow from him when I was a teenager, still my favourite bow.
Later in the ‘70s he lived a couple of years in California. I dropped by his house, in a very nice neighbourhood, hoping to check out basses. I was driving a noisy ‘66 Corvette which concerned his wife. All he had for sale was some old Italian bass, much too gentle for me at the time lol.

A few months ago came across an ‘80s full page (type written) response from him about an enquiry I made, explaining this and that. I could not bring myself to toss out that letter.

 

[Pietsch]

Murray Grodner's teaching method at Indiana University rested on 4 pillars: 1) Scales & Arpeggios; 2) Etudes; 3) Orchestra Excerpts; 4) Solos. This ensured a strong foundation for his students.

During summers, Murray Grodner would travel to Europe to buy bows and double basses that he sold in a photocopied pamphlet entitled Lemur Music. Mr. Grodner generously sold bows and double basses to his students at cost. More than a half-dozen of my classmates in the early 1970s played Pollmann double basses that had been hand-selected by Mr. Grodner.

In 1973, Murray Grodner worked with Pollmann to custom-build the Grodner model. Since Mr. Grodner was no longer using his August Heck double bass he sold it to me; saying: "for what I have into it"...which was more than the retail price of 2 Pollmann double basses at that time.

When I think of Murray Grodner one word comes to mind. "Mensch". He was responsible, kind, honorable, and trustworthy — the sort of person who does the right thing even when no one is watching.