Double Bass Wiener Philharmoniker Bass Section

[Ben Joella]

KPO,

If I read Paul Brun's book and some others correctly, then at that time, there could have been plenty of violone instruments set up as five stringers. I imagine they could have been converted to our current tuning with out too much trouble. I agree with you that certainly something from that time exists with five strings on it. I guess it is a whole other question as to wether the phil finds it suitable for the section.

 

[G-force]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin K-ski
The Wiener/Vienna philharmonic is very perticular about their instruments. I know that the non-bass string players all have used the same instruments for 100s of years. Every string instrument is owned by the orchestral and loaned to the players, this is why the orchestral claims to have the same sound it had during Mozart's time.

Obviously the basses are not from that era however they are all fivers.


Why would the basses not be from that era? Is it necessarily so that noone made or owned 5-strigers 1750 to 1791? Do the current members have only newer basses?
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Yes well these are valid statements.. But the vienna phil is not 100s of years old. It's inaugural concert was March 28, 1842. So after 1791. By the time the orchestra was founded the violone was an outdated instrument.
The instruments i saw backstage were a blend of older viennastyle basses and some new 20c basses alla Pøllmann.

 

[Dr Rod]

I saw the basses, most of them looked not more than 100 years old, but I could be wrong.

Like KPO said, the number of strings has nothing to do with the age of the instrument.

 

[Snakewood]

Quote:
Obviously the basses are not from that era however they are all fivers.



__________________
Yes well these are valid statements.. But the vienna phil is not 100s of years old. It's inaugural concert was March 28, 1842. So after 1791. By the time the orchestra was founded the violone was an outdated instrument.
The instruments i saw backstage were a blend of older viennastyle basses and some new 20c basses alla Pøllmann.

hmmmmm... I saw them play when they were in Toronto. All the bassists played. 3 of them utilized 5 string instruments. Vienna is all about clarity, when you have 12 bass players playing a low c it can get kindof muddy. I personally believe there is more power in sound when only a select few are on the lower octave and the rest jump the octave.