Double Bass Vanhal or Kous?

[lloccmttocs]

My teacher has given me the choice of either the Vanhal concerto or the Kous concerto to begin working on next semester. I love them both but any thoughts?

 

[shostkontrabass]

I prefer the Koussevitzky, mostly because I am in love with Russian Romantic music. It seems a lot more passionate to me than the Vanhal, though I also love that concerto. Although, what's the difference if you are going to learn them both eventually?

I would personally go for the Kouss.

 

[Eli_Upright12]

I prefer the Koussevitzky, mostly because I am in love with Russian Romantic music. It seems a lot more passionate to me than the Vanhal, though I also love that concerto. Although, what's the difference if you are going to learn them both eventually?

I would personally go for the Kouss.

not to be a jerk about it but like a lot of the russian composers Koussevitzky was a contemporary composer. I also prefer the Koussevtizky, just because its more musical to me, to me the Vanhal is kind of sterile and boring, but it builds technique like mad though.

 

[shostkontrabass]

not to be a jerk about it but like a lot of the russian composers Koussevitzky was a contemporary composer.

Okay, I guess you're right. Koussevitzky was contemporary, but you can still definitely hear some romantic influence in there. Still great music either way.

 

[Eli_Upright12]

Okay, I guess you're right. Koussevitzky was contemporary, but you can still definitely hear some romantic influence in there. Still great music either way.

Definitely his influences come from romantic composers thats for sure and I really do like the concert of whether it was written by him or not (there is some controversy about that subject) it also is a great concerto for a student bassist because it requires a lot of different techniques, ie double stops, expressive flowing passages, fast precise passages and many more.

 

[Cory Palmer]

I consider Koussevitzky a late romantic composer not a "20th century" composer.

Koussevitzky is an easier piece to play well than the Vanhal. It is good for auditions. Musically I like the Vanhal better. Koussevitzky's concerto is not a very good piece but it's standard rep so we all need to know it.

Vanhal's concerto is much more interesting musically but you need to know how to play classical period music well. It's really easy to make Vanhal's concerto sound bad.

I suggest learning Koussevitzky before Vanhal.

 

[barbarbass]

Vanhal's dates (1739-1813) place him more in the classical age, although consider that Beethoven only outlived him by fourteen years (and Schubert only fifteen). Koussevitzky's not bad, but I think Vanhal's concerto is more beautiful, more perfect to the ear.

Also, Vanhal was the first famous "freelance" composer -- that is, he didn't compose for commissions or a patron. That status wouldn't become common for composers until the 1830s.

 

[thedbassist]

Just to let you know, Koussevitzky didn't compose the concerto, Gliere did.

 

[Pat Harris]

Just to let you know, Koussevitzky didn't compose the concerto, Gliere did.

In a vain to attempt to not be "that guy," this rumor has been dispelled numerous times by different sources including Koussevitzky's own wife.

-Pat

 

[thedbassist]

Well, in the Koussevitzky Concerto that I bought from Lemur last year, it says that Gliere wrote it.

 

[shostkontrabass]

Well, in the Koussevitzky Concerto that I bought from Lemur last year, it says that Gliere wrote it.

Are you talking about the Liben edition?

It doesn't say that Gliere wrote the concerto. It says that after Nicholas Slonimsky claimed that Koussevitzky could have never written the concerto, Koussevtizky's wife clarified that Koussevitzky had in fact written the concerto, but had gotten help on the orchestration from Gliere.

 

[Illfavor]

But thank goodness for those salon works Gliere did write.......

I'd say Vanhal before Kouss, because, as many have said, it's easier to make the Kouss sound good than it is the Vanhal.

What key (D, E, solo tuning for both) do you guys prefer for the Vanhal?