Septet session

Things here have been rather quiet of late, for which I apologise.  However, this evening I have a session of string septets to go to.  The programme consists of the Strauss Metamorphosen as well as septets by Martinu and the leader of the group.

On first inspection, the Martinu doesn't appear to be too tricky, but, having played his mixed nonet on many an occasion, this may be misleading.  I'll write again if there are any tricky bits!  Hmm.  -1 for observation - the part says "Sextet" at the top - is it one of those optional double bass / 2nd cello things?  [Edit - turns out that it is a sextet with an optional bass part; fortunately for my sanity, the bass part is not just a follow-the-cello thing, but adds a distinct texture to the piece.]

As for the other piece...  Anyone got any suggestions about how to play passages in running octaves?  I don't think my fingers will stretch to double-stopping this low down on the bass!  Sample below...

[Edit - the composer says that he wants the player to play the bottom line if the bass is extended, or a five string, and the top line otherwise...]

"Classical Spooktacular"

A cheesy title for this afternoon's concert by the WYSO, which was a child-friendly early Halloween concert.

Programme included the obvious suspects for such a gig:

• Grieg - Hall of the Mountain King
• Mussorgsky - Night on a Bare Mountain
• Monster Mash
• Berlioz - Witches Sabbath (you know, the last movement of Symphonie Fantastique)
• Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries (a somewhat dumbed-down arrangement)
• Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre
• "Dem Bones" (with some words I don't recall from my childhood)
• John Williams - Harry Potter Suite (from the first movie)

There were prizes for fancy dress, audience participation, and other odds and ends to help keep the younger members of the audience involved, and create the occasional distraction for us in t'band - pseudo Mexican-waves, racing witches, skeletons, etc, but no helicopters during the Wagner.

Anything to worry about from the bassist point of view?  No, not really, thanks to the arrangement of the Valkyries

Berg - Excerpts from Wozzeck

As promised yesterday, the particularly unpleasant solo from the second of three excerpts from Berg's Wozzeck.

Key points:

• No key signature, and he prefixes every note with some form of accidental.  This is most unfriendly.
• It's very exposed, and part of a fugue subject.  First, voice.  Then viola, then violin, then you.
• On the plus side, however - it's nice and slow!

I also like the way that Sibelius 5 shows every note apart from the b flat in red, indicating that this might be a bit on the high side!

It's a lonely life...

One of the reasons behind the name of this blog is that last year, I was playing in Gotterdammerung, and I was the only double bass.  Which wasn't really so bad, all things considered, except when the part said "nur 4" (only 4).  However, when the part said "nur 8", I did wonder just how big was the bass section for which Wagner was writing?

Anyway, just for a change, this year I am not the only double bass in the Northern Wagner Orchestra.  The programme this year is a little lighter than it has been, after we completed the Ring in 2008.  The programme:

• Wagner - Wesendonck Lieder (nothing to worry about here for the bass section.)
• Berg - excerpts from Wozzeck (tricky and exposed solo in the second excerpt, the notes of which I shall attempt to post up here tomorrow.  The rest is straightforward.)
• Stravinsky - Rite of Spring  (oh dear.  I've done this before, and forgotten just how fiendish it is in places.  The notes themselves aren't so bad, but the rhythms, particularly at the end.  Why couldn't he just pick a time signature and stick with it?)

I'm sorry - did I say "lighter" music?  Since when was that little lot "light"?

Where was I?  Oh yes.  I have been joined this year, swelling the section to two.  Luxury!  But still not enough, for the bass part in Rite divides into 6 at the top of page 2.  Ah well...  There's a rumour that there'll be a third player tomorrow, but, given her previous record, I'm not holding my breath.

Haydn - Farewell Symphony

I was recently asked to join a local orchestra for a performance of Haydn's Symphony 45 - "Farewell". Unfortunately, I was unable to accept their invitation; however, an alarm bell did start ringing...

So I found a copy of the cello / bass part, and had a quick flick through. Nothing to worry about by looking at the first page - 3 sharps, big deal. But my memory was telling me there was a passage in 6 sharps, and a rather exposed bass solo. And, me being a bit pessimistic about these things, I thought that it might be that the solo itself was in 6 sharps. Oh dear. So I had to keep looking...

First movement - nothing to worry about. Second movement - an awkward "Scotch Snap" type rhythm at the beginning of the second half, but not much of a problem. Third movement - Minuet & Trio - again, nothing there apart from the 6 sharp key signature. It must be in the Finale.

The finale. "Presto". Oh dear. Thankfully, only 3 sharps in the key signature. But again, nothing immediately obvious until I turned on to the last page, where the presto leads into an Adagio passage (whew!) in 3/8, which seems to be about the point where Haydn starts sending the players home. And there we have it - the dread phrase "uno Basso solo", with an exposed triplet semiquaver passage.

And here's that passage for future reference (click for a bigger version suitable for printing and practising):

(NB: I typeset this using Sibelius, and tried to publish this as a Scorch object, but, for whatever reason, it didn't want to display the score. I'll have to try this properly when I get the time...)

Bow Rehairing

I had one of my bows rehaired last month. It's a bit of a monster - quite the longest bass bow I've ever seen, and too long to fit in a "normal" bow case. The person who rehaired it did not put on sufficient hair for my liking - I think it may even have had less hair after the work than it had before it went in...

Anyway, I got the bow back, and tried it out and it seemed to be OK, so I thought nothing more about it. I finally got round to using it properly in a Schubert Octet, and got halfway down the first page before I noticed that the bow seemed to be a bit loose. Kept tightening it up as I went along, and by the repeat mark realised that the thing was not at all happy. It seems as though the hair is not being gripped properly at the frog.

Does this sort of thing happen regularly? I did once have a cello bow that failed completely at the tip - the glue just gave way in the middle of a concert (most embarrassing). But surely a rehairer should be able to deal with a bigger bow?

Anyway. I am waiting for a refund, and a recommendation for a rehairer somewhere near Leeds who's up to the challenge! (The length of the playing area is 24 inches, and I like white hair - thanks!)

Trout Quintet

At last! The piece I have been waiting for all week. A pleasant romp through Schubert's "Trout" Quintet. Although I have played this many times, it still has potential to catch me out in places. And it's remarkably evocative - I find it very hard to play without remembering the times I played it with my grandmother taking the piano part. Music & Memory - I'm sure there's research potential here.

We coupled this with the Mme Farrenc's second quintet for the same combination (Piano, violin, viola, cello, bass). Like other works of hers that I have sampled, this is eminently playable without too much to worry the bass player.