Cowie, Leroy B.

English

Goldsmiths, University of London: Journals Online

  Contact :  A  Journa l  for  Contemporary  Mus ic  ( 1971 -1988)  http://contactjournal.gold.ac.uk Citation      Cowie, Leroy B. 1972. ‘Solo Music for the Double Bass’. Contact, 5. pp. 12-20. ISSN 0308-5066.1:2. SOLO HUSIC FOR THE DOUBLE BASS 1 am frequently if the, double is a solo instrument; whether ,any music has written for it and, if so, what it ought to sound like. T'nerefo:re it might be useful to stn:r.m.arise my findings.· Since I have been building a library of music for the double bass over the last fifteen years. There are many transcriptions of popular .cello pieces for the bass, but these must be disrnissed if they do not add anything to the original. The only excepticms are some of the s(')natas by Vivaldi, Marcello a.'ld others: the over-rich.t more dignified meLancholy of the double bass can blend with ,a harpsichord accomp.anime11.t in a antique manner. Only t.rhen the has$ .t,ries ·to imitate the brightness and limpid quality of the cello tone, or the; Jnst,rum,ent' s . smoothness in connecting wide intervals, does it fail. Or if ·it .. su,(;ceeds it simply makes one ask: so what? : :, ,, · · G.B.Cl.mador (1761-1805) wrote a concerto for bass. Karl Ditter von Dittersdorf (1739-1799) wrote two concertos and a, sinfonia concer'tante for bass and solo viola. Doroenico Dt·agonetti (1763...:1848) wrote seveial concertos and was the first bass-player to achieve an international reputation. Any of this music is as agreeable to listen to as some of Haydn's lesser works. It is completely devoid of depth - as is t ypical of many forgotten 18th pieces designed as elegant background music. The greatest bass virtuoso in the 19th century was Giowmni Hottesini (1821-1889). His most important works for the instrument are the two concertos, the C::mcerto di bravura, a double concerto for violin and the Carnival of Venice and the Sonambula. variations. He also wrote <m · Elegy, a Reverie and a Tarat1tella - all with piano. Bottesini 's music requires great accuracy in the playing of harmonics - ·· usually at high speed. The themes, developmentsJ modulations and key rotations have to fit in with the natural harmonics available and are subservient to this display of virtuosity. His style may be termed "inferior Verdi n - or perhaps it might be as though Bellini or Donizetti had written concertos for the double bass! The best works are the Tarantella, the Carnival of Venice and the double concerto which are all unashamed display pieces in which Bottesini did not take himself seriously as a composer. E.ov.tever, the sonic effect of so many ha:rmonics is ghostly and curious and therefore worthy of study: ,, •. .. I ) j ) ) t 13 • .-.L. .:> .l .../..: +I :::· ........-r--1 rf. './""! .· I . + .. . , ·.f. . . ·-" >- .;I ,.. ... }' CI'\.L4<-0 - _........, 1\ -, tJ ; ;1:!.._/' .., i 77 ''=T ......__ ..___ . . I ;lj't:='f ..9 Better known as a conductor; Serge Koussevitsky (1874-1951) started life as a double bass soloist and wrote four short pieces for the instrument as well as a In every detail - themes, harmonies, even orchestration - the concerto is modelled on Tchaikovsky (First Piano Concerto!). Nevertheless, it remains the only truly romantic work for the bass, neither apologetic (like Dragonetti) nor absurdly over-inflated and acrobatic (like Bottesini). To sum up so far: solo bass music had largely been written by the virtuosi themselves and it from lack of original style. l'he forms are academic in the sense and the styles frankly imitative of music by contemporary composers. The music is only · occasionally successful when the musical ingredients and the performer's genius coincide. The pity is that none of the virtuosi established a school of playing and a tradition of competent players. Dragonetti played in the King's Theatre, London for many years and took refuge in multiple eccentricities. Bottesini travelled to most countries of the world, writing operas and conducting with variable success. Koussevitsky became conductor ·of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Their music may be termed good "bad music" and this is an important definitionsince the next e.ra produced chiefly bad ''good music"! ' : () :. 14. The double bass was the late developer of string family and on.ly came into its own in the orchestra at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its structure became more or less standard. players tuned the three or four strings according to individual taste or whim and the tuning E-A-D-G was not _ laid down until 1832. (For this l-1e have to thank Cherubini, director of the Paris Conservatoire at the time . ) As Dragonetti and Bottesini played their solos on three-string basses and varied their tuning from time to time it·"would be almost impossible to play their music authentically. Jf..odern editions are necessarily modified. In Czechoslovakia, Germany and Austria today, a tradition has developed in which the bow is held in the palm of the hand - as ·when playing the viola da gamba. In France, Italy and England a differently-designed bow - identical to the cello bow only larger ... is u:sed.. I prefer this because I can make a Qetter sforzando attack, but I adnuf:-:r ca.<not achieve the candlena of the · German school. Edouard Nanny (1872-1949) became professor of double bass at the Conservatoire in 1920 and inspired the publication music for · the instrument than anyone else. His Tutor (MJthodes), in two parts, is by far the most skilful, comprehensive and ca:refully-graded that I have ever seen. His three books of studies and his concerto and four other pieces have g·reater technical than musical interest and his transc:riptions of popular pieces by some twenty-one famous composers suggest that his of music for the bass was rather tied to the expressive and virtuosic ideal of the cello. But he inspired some twenty-five French composers to tvrite' pieces for solo bass with piano. Leaning heavily on the impressionist style then these pieces are in the bad 11 good music" category ...;, u.s-u'a11y very stylish and attractively written but lacking in musical ideas, the substance or content needed to give them the magic which is an indefinable ingredient of all great music. I would single out the follo\>;ing as worthy of study and repeated public Dulaurens: :t>forceau de Concert; Rivier: en Rk; Pierre-peti t: et Variations; CJ:-.aynes: Lied, Scherzando et Final; Bozza: sur le nom Nanny; Lemaire: Trois •Danses. Still in line with the expressive approach, the American bass-player Gary Karr is the most outstanding of our time. He has made seven records of solos and inspired concertos from Schuller, Wilder and Henze. Since the salient features of Karr' s playing are his superb tone quality and tasteful phrasing • it is logical that Renze, whose style is basically conservative, should write a concerto ·for him. The first movement of Rente's concerto is lyrical and serene . 2) and is followed by a brilliant scherzo (Ex. 3). ,, -15 • .. Ex. 3 H.e..n:z.e W1 ::S5v ace : : : == :: · · ·-Solo puz. . W? fT!f!m 1tti$i34I-fJ i :m ,;,. . . .-' .._, __jf_ =· : : : : £ : : ::: :: : :fj : .f. : :£ - : :; : t J ---- ff . J :/ ----16. 'rhe long third movement is a chac.orme, as might seem appropriate for the double bass, but the theme consists 'l!iostly of r.1andering thirds and as the music unfolds this leads to some very thick textures, in spite of many fine details and some alluring sounds. The scoring, using extra woodwind, has great freshness and beguiling subtlety t but in spite of Henze 's great ski 11 and h:i.s evocative writing, the work cannot be claimed a success. The solo part is much in need of editing. a which has been rejected by Lajos Hontag, professor of double bass at the Academy of Music in Budapest. Montag's own technique is in the best string tradition of Eastern Europe. and his career as a soloist and teacher has inspired many works from composers of the Bartok-Kodaly school. His ovm excellent Micro-Concerto {which he premiere.d in Greiz, East Germany$ last year) illustrates the influence of a combined gypsy and folk background, refined and concentrated in a brilliant and extrovert m&i.ner. It is improvisatory in style, with sudden changes of tempo and some wild accelerandos. Deyices such as multiple tremolos on high notes) and also declamatory statements, are put to good effect in this most successful work. The 20th century has seen many fine jazz bass players, such as Scott le Faro, Charlie Mingus and Francois Rabath, whose pizzicato techniques, combining smoothness with velocity! and original structures of the bass:...line have ne-w possibilities. Apart from t:he ephemeral content of much ja::t,z an)T"way) its heavy reliance on improvisation tends to produce music that can only be heard once, except when played by unusually creative Nonetheless, the jazz trumpet has improved standards in orchestral tru.mpe.t playing and a similar cross fertilisation is at tvork for the double bass. Taking up these new developments and fusing them into a modern performing style has been the >·rork of Bertram 'ruretzky, a professor at the University of California, San Diego. Effects such as flutter wood knock, col legnc and sul ponticello are employed as an essential part of the musical fabric, not merely for display. Breaking away from the usual formula of recitals with piano, Turetzky plays 'tvith an avant-garde flautist or alone) with pre-recorded tapes of himself, often multi-tracked, or tapes of electronic sounds. 1'o illustrate his musical innovations ii let us first: consider for Solo Bass by Elliott written for Turetzky in 1966. I quote ft·om some o.f . the composer 1 s very precise instructions: 17 . "Although this is a "solo11 una.ecom:panied work, you are to conceive of it as a DUETt one part to be played upon your in.strument, the other part to be performed in a variety_;. of ways . "AUXILIARY SOUNDS. Specific rhythms are indicated by e , C.l etc. These sobnds are of your own choosing, made on your instrument (slapping, tapping etc.), vocally (whistling, clicking etc.) or by any other means (stamping feet, snapping rapping bow on music stand etc. etc . ). No more than two successive C should be alike • .,INAUDIBLE VISUAL ACTIONS. Rhythms are indicated by " • !( etc., and the actions should convey precisely articulated rhythms. TI1e actions are of your own choosing, but should be abrupt (quick motion), "mechanical" and robot-like: turning your head from side to side or up/down, extending an arm or le.g, suddenly sitting or standing etc. etc. Perform the action quickly and then nfreeze" it for the duration of the 'f No successive 5' should be alike". In order to ·. p_erform this piece the player must add up the number of "aux11iary sounds (44) and visual actions (18) and make a list of sounds of indeterminate pitch that he can make, together with drawings of \•aridus poses to describe his chosen visual actions. Tnen he must incorporate these into the piece, making sure that they fit naturally together and also that they make an effective "cou."1terpoint" with the 11 straight11 played part. The piece is test of the player's inventive ingenuity: the bolder one plays the theatrical part, the greater the effect of the work. I give part of my own realisation belo\v as an example of how this may be achieved: . . D/2Z (a.) b+ ' btt . t . . m.p . I I I i I rt 't'f l T i w&l· come t l 1 L J J \ =·· . : : : :: ::: : :: ::: : 5EJ= si(D :fu..-, IQ;·, I'HCf"e, de· ---it ., I t i (b) 18. $ea. - - - - + : /:::: .. -= .. -=-=--N. 6. At fa?SA:Je-S lV" one a.YG +o be. ut'\S')'nchro"';:,ed w•fl.. IV': -th<Z.. 1h.e-, I bw&U'-k.d-ed. fou-·ds of t:li.o.c.-k. at-Id \ en_:fh"s sd e. "lee- c .. :re.- cl-·u>SLh. £.,..e'l2.1y oh .... ...-odtc:,.,, of.- the bra..cka..-ts.. po .. z, JS Sc.i!S. -!. 7 , c:::l ' f J71J ' lf ._..: /.) choice ::: 19. Logs for two or more double basses by Paul Chihara was also written for Bertram Turetzky. It is the fifth in a series of t'tone pictures" dealin.g with trees and it makes more musical demands tha11 ;t:he . piece by Schwartz. The piece consists merely of one phrase and twd slightly modified variants of it, as follows: £x.. 5 : Chshara: Loss . : These phrases are repeated .continuously with slight deviations each time: alterations in emphasis, nuance, and micro-tonal adjustment. One · or more such as those it\ Ex.6, may bE( interjected or repeated in any order. The piece should i.e. it' should be in some natural physical rhythm. It is qui_et and slow range : pp to mp) and it lasts from eight to ten minutes. · 20. One cr1uc has said that Logs __ t're,Teals the composer as a sensitive lyricise•. But the point is, surely, that the is composing the counterpoint, length and structure of the piece. In addition to mastering his instrument and interpreting and projecting whatever he plays, the performer of this piece must have a working knowledge of contemporary compositional procedures since it could be realised in any style he chooses - including no style at all. Lastly, ou ea pas?e, by the Rumanian composer Alexadre H:risanide. This work consists of a divided into twenty sections, each one an abstract pattern of SOilJe sort. Each section is numbered and a key appended to the piece gives instructions as to what each pattern on the drawing shall represent in performance. For No. 1 asks for "indefinite atmospheric noisesn, No. 2 for "phrases a la Richard Strauss". No. s .·is "sing bird note.s pianissimo., and No. 10 asks the player to "read from any book some words aloud". Thus the player is asked to provide a whole range of activities in his realisation: conventional and unconventional performance on his instrument, muaical and extra-musical activities independent of it. In this piece the composer does not even provide a clue as to what note the player should start on, or indeed whether the sotmd should be pitched or no. 1£ the player can perform this work to the satisfaction of composer and public, then he must be a composer in his own right. 1£ his realisation comes alive as effectively as the drawing surely does then we are back, small differences, to the problem which faced Dragonetti - who had to compose his music for the bass because virtually nothing had previously been '1-rritten for it. But more is at stake than just the devolution of the composer•s :ole to the per.former. .@. o,u ea passe.:_ can be played on any stringed lnstrument and in time all instrumentalists may have to face only verbal instructions or drawings. It seems contradictory, at a time when scholarship and insights into the mystery of creati·v-e composition are at such a peak, that an anarchist school, headed by John Cage, should exist. Yet evolution is a painful process, and if the arts are in a process of democratisation, i.e. a situation in which every person WJSt be a responsible artist and accept the ir.:<plications contained in the meaning of the word democracy, then this step is cha biggest and most painful of all. LEROY B. COWIE 

Solo Music for the Double Bass

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Solo Music for the Double Bass

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