Double Bass What is it about Bach Cello Suites?

[LouisF]

In case you missed it today:

Take 12 minutes out of your life to listen to Yo Yo Ma play and talk about Bach:

Yo-Yo Ma: Tiny Desk Concert

Louis

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

@LouisF - Thanks... I needed that in my day.

 

[LouisF]

We all do, Chris.

 

[notabene]

A piece that works at a wedding, and at a funeral (memorial) is a holy grail.

 

[lurk]

A lot of the way we're taught is ivory tower dogma. Notice how often this real world master plays with collapsed/flat left hand fingers. Sounds pretty good to me, and he's purring right along in his mid sixties.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

A lot of the way we're taught is ivory tower dogma. Notice how often this real world master plays with collapsed/flat left hand fingers. Sounds pretty good to me, and he's purring right along in his mid sixties.

Glad someone said it. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Les Fret]

Thanks Louis for the Yo Yo Ma video. Really enjoyed the Sarabande. Have to admit getting a little tired of that Prelude. I have heard it too much.

I think if I am honest the suites sound better on cello. Although some bass players have done a great job when I am listening to the suites for my enjoyment I always play the cello versions. But that goes for pretty much all cello transcriptions for me.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Rinat Ibragimov certainly is inspiring on the suites.

 

[Eric Swanson]

Since this thread started, somebody has posted Rodion Azarkhin playing the Chaconne from the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin.

No; it isn't from the 'cello suites, but it is Bach and it does have the same "polyphony wrangled from a single-voice instrument" madness/awesomeness happening.



On gut strings, no less.

All I can offer for anyone who doesn't like his sound or intonation is, I'd be happy to listen to their alternate version.

This continues to inspire me as much as it did when I was a teenager...

 

[LouisF]

Eric -

There's that, and Koussevitsky playing Chanson Triste (complete with slurs!):



You needed balls to solo on bass in those days, kids!

 

[Eric Swanson]

The gut sounds so...what?

Transparent? Vocal? Animate? All of the above?

Dug that; thanks Louis.

Just finished working out a fingering for the 1st Suite's Prelude over the past few days; now moving up to the 'cello register.

As others have noted, what a great thumb position exercise for the extended fingering options; Holy Smokes!

I've been playing the Suites transposed into the bass register (sounding down a fifth; written up a fourth).

Per my old teacher's direction, I've also been practicing selected lines/ideas in every key. I'm finally working toward joining the modern crowd; moving into the 'cello register (truly; for better and worse, in my case).

Maybe, one day, I'll get it to the point where it would be something pleasant on the ears. Not yet, today...

 

[Eric Swanson]

Looking at some of Tony Falanga's fingering solutions helped me a lot, taking some of the curse off of the first movement.

I've ended up with a few different fingering choices than he uses, but everybody does things a little differently, of course. I tried his fingering; it clearly works!

He's playing in the 'cello register, with regular tuning:



I love the way he lays it out, here, so single-mindedly, with all that is going on around him.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm 5/6ths of the way to recording the first suite in the lower register with only the Courante to go. I hope to record it soon and complete the series. Planning a complete pizzicato edition of the suite in the not too distant future.

I can see how playing them up the octave can be a valuable exercise, but playing them down low is also and incredibly illuminating experience that helps us gain fluency over the lower "money" ranges of the bass. Playing them pizzicato has done more for my physical technique than just about anything else I can think of. All hail JSB!

 

[Treyzer]

Yo-Yo Ma and Rinat Ibragimov : Transcendent! Their playing is so moving and beautiful. Words fail me. Thanks so much for posting.

 

[marcox]

Amazing site! Bookmarked. But I don't see and "Icking" edition. Am I missing something?

Chris,here's a direct link to the Icking version that was mentioned earlier.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Neil Pye]

Bert Turetzky says a first class instrument doesn't play transcriptions in public.

Bert Turetzky is wrong. Violinists play transcriptions, cellists play transcriptions, flautists play transcriptions, clarinettists play transcriptions, trumpeters play transcriptions. Stupid thing to say

 

[the_Ryan]

Looking at some of Tony Falanga's fingering solutions helped me a lot, taking some of the curse off of the first movement.

I've ended up with a few different fingering choices than he uses, but everybody does things a little differently, of course. I tried his fingering; it clearly works!

He's playing in the 'cello register, with regular tuning:



I love the way he lays it out, here, so single-mindedly, with all that is going on around him.

If you want to nerd out even more over fingerings Robertson's sells Hal Robinson's/Edgar's edition of the first suite.

 

[Eric Swanson]

Thanks for that! I'm not sure how much mileage I'd get out of those fingerings, with Edgar Meyer's particular tuning setup. I always tune to "orchestra" so am interested in how people wrangle that particular rascal.

 

[Eric Swanson]

Very cool. I'm still playing excerpted phrases in all 12 keys, pizz and arco, some days. Great bop workout, for me, anyway. Indeed; all hail JSB!

 

[the_Ryan]

Thanks for that! I'm not sure how much mileage I'd get out of those fingerings, with Edgar Meyer's particular tuning setup. I always tune to "orchestra" so am interested in how people wrangle that particular rascal.

The edition is modified for someone in orchestral/solo tuning, not Edgar's tuning. However, it doesn't affect much because he plays most of it on the top 3 strings.