Daniel Barenboim conducts Bottesini Fantasia with bassist Nabil Shehata
Bass blog reader Bobby Sleeper sent me a link to this outstanding video of Berlin Philharmonic principal bassist Nabil Shehata and cellist Kyril Zlotnikov performing Bottesini’s Fantasia on themes by Rossini with the East-West Divan Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. This beautifully shot footage is from a live concert in Alhambra,Granada in 2006. This video only contains the first seven minutes of the piece, but it is titled "Part 1", so hopefully part 2 will be coming shortly. If so, you’ll see it here on the blog as well.
Contrabass Conversations guest Guy Tuneh has performed many times with the East-West Divan Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim. Check out Guy Tuneh’s Contrabass Conversations page for more double bass content from him.
Related Posts:
- Guy Tuneh bass bow case now available
- Vito Liuzzi performs Nino Rota - video
- Guy Tuneh video on Contrabass Conversations
- Guy Tuneh interview part 1
- Guy Tuneh interview part 2
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Oct 6th, 2007 at 6:55 am
Why the bassist cannot play with round fingers?,his technic is a bit strange..
the Cello is cool.
Oct 7th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Very normal for some who plays in the bernlin philharmonic.
Oct 7th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
It is played good, But Berlin Philharmonic player? are you sure??
Oct 9th, 2007 at 4:25 am
yes, he is the new principal bass of the Berlin phil. I’m amazed people would be distracted by his fingers…
Oct 9th, 2007 at 6:37 am
“Distracted”?!, he should be a Modell to all of the orchestra musions. From the point of Tec & Music.and this he is not doing!!!
Oct 9th, 2007 at 6:46 am
He have to the best! but,
a lot of piople out there are playing better!.they make more music & they have an elegant technic.
He is a good bass player, but not amazing musion nither Artist,
Hallo, he is an orchestra musion!!
and that all!
Oct 12th, 2007 at 1:34 am
Well, there’s obviously a reason that he won one of the most coveted positions in the world for a double bass player. I can’t believe no one else seems to be impressed by this! There’s something about his playing that just astounds me. He is SO clean with every shift! who cares if his fingers aren’t round, they’re getting the job done better than most who have ever touched the instrument! Mr. Shehata, BRAVO!
Oct 12th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Double-bass playing is not only shifting…!!!, and yes they could do the job better if they would be round!
What about the other things like
intresting music, ideas..
there are other things to see and to hear and to wait for when someone is playing in orchestra like this, OR??
A good bass player, but NOT AN ARTIST.!
Oct 15th, 2007 at 4:09 am
…? what a puzzling controversy we have brewing here. The criticisms being leveled here are 1) his fingers aren’t curved enough and 2) his playing isn’t “artistic” enough. Personally, I don’t see much if anything to criticize. Am I missing something? I’ve heard (gossip) that when Barenboim heard his audition for Staatskappele Berlin (principal bass, which he won) he considered it the best bass audition he had ever heard. It was shortly after this that he won Berlin Phil.
Oct 15th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
well,
1: dont belive to any gossip that you hear!!
2: The fact that you dont see anything to criticize, doesnt mean that there is no to critic.
He is a very good bass player,
but i have heard better then him!
Oct 15th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
You all American,
Come to Europe and see what is going hear!
Amazing players are on the street,
(no work)
some of them are much better then Shehata.
he had so much luck & he knows this.
Please stop this crazy conversaion
and Americans, dont be so amaized from him, we have hear in europe
not less better then him.
for us he is a bit more then normal!
Oct 15th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Ha Ha Ha,
All of you..
Do you realy think that the best one win audition ,Ha Ha
not in Europe.!!
he also looks very good, in germany he is even Amazing good looking…
and abit help from Barenboim also can open doors.
so , people dont be so …
Oct 22nd, 2007 at 4:41 am
He needs to work on more expressive vibrato his arm seems really tight, and also strengthen his fingers, but man that is a beautiful bass!
Oct 23rd, 2007 at 11:04 am
Finaly someone who understands.!!
with his comment.
Feb 25th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Both Shehata and Tuneh are Amazing players!!
i saw them in Berlin at the Philharmonie, with D.
Barenboim, last summer.
Feb 25th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
The first Pult was with this two,
they did just AMAZING.Mozart was outstanding,
Thaikovsky No. 6 was so good, amazing how Tuneh can lead…
Mar 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Shehata has a nice sound and Tuneh is a
Clown.
Sorry.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
“Dear” Mr. American,
Why dont you write your name, so that every one know who is the “Prof.”, that show us That he has no idea about bass playing.
but even without we know your name,
some things we know about you:
1; You Envy Mr. Tuneh (till death)!!!
2; You have a Majer problem of Low
Self- esteem.!!!
Mar 4th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Dear American,
Dont sorry, show us that you can do better.
lets begin with your NAME.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Dear American, I Think that someone have to help you to understand something about Bass playing, music and art.
You are right, Maestro Tuneh can be a Clown,
but he can also make us cry, or just to tell us
a story with his Bass, he make us to feel something, and every time in other way. This is what make him such an Outstanding and a Great Artist. he not only a Outstanding Bass player , he is a Great Musion, Great Artist
and most of all A Great Person.
Dont be sad, if you work hard, and you will use your TALENT mybe you will also be able to play
on the level of Maestro Tuneh or Maestro Shehata.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Something about Guy Tuneh,
If you had the chance to work with him (because he is not working with everybudy), you would learn that he is first class Proffesional who is looking for perfection, looking for new ideas and never let go untill he findes what is right for his music, his ideas are so original he is a GENIUS.
working with him; will take out of youself 170%. he is taking you and himself to the limit.
working with him is not easy but at the end you will be better, if you singing, playing or acting.
and you will love yourself for what you do on stage and for how the audians will love you.
He is a Genius!!
everyone can learn from him, he is a Multy Talent, he knows alot and have an open mind!
he is Amazing fast, all the time one step before you.
With him you need to give all, you need to give everything that you have on stage!!
I wish that all of the musions on earth would be like him (not only bass-players), it was a great time and i’m happy that i got the chance to work with this Amazing Artist.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I agree–I think that Guy is awesome. I’d normally have moderated the comment about Guy earlier, but I figured that someone would like to offer a rebuttal to it, so I left it up.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Well, my name is Dan Formtack. American is my nickname (What is the problem that?)
I like and respect the clowns. When told that tuneh was a … Was not a destructive criticism … But a comment aesthetic-artistic. I like expressions natural and authentic rather than charges of images and sounds, I believe in the value of art.
Jason, “I’d normally have moderated the comment earlier about Guy”?
Why? You surprised me with that comment. No offense in that post, only a humble opinion.
Mar 5th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Mr. Formtack,
Are we going to have the chance to hear you playing Contrabass or other Music Instrument?
Mar 5th, 2008 at 1:19 am
You need to be more then just a “Clown”to go
on stage and to do what Mr. Tuneh is doing!
In a Time that all over people are trying to play Original music for Bass or to show off before audion etc., Mr. Tuneh (who, by the way-already did that) is performing with other music.
this is very importent for us, some one has to show that it goes.
i could use his videos and learn alot about sound
technic and stage presents.
I wish Mr. Tuneh all the best.
and for you, “Dan formtack” dont anvy and don’t
be such a Jerk-off.
Mar 5th, 2008 at 1:45 am
To be a “Clown” is much better then to be
Low self-esteem Idiot!!
After looking at all of the Responses to this Video one thing is clear;
People like Shehata and Tuneh have hard time,
they pay a heavy price for what they are…
Mar 5th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Let’s see:
1: To study in Germany (at Hanns eisler music school under B. Sanderling) and in Swizerland (under W. Güttler)
2: To win some Prices (like “ECHO”, and the
“Villa Musica” Price, and so on..
3: To Record more then 25 live concerts
to the German, Swiss and Austrian Radio
4: Working with people like: Mehta, Rattle,
Masur, Barenboim, Bouletz, Gajdos, Güttler and so on…
5: playing with the Best German Orchestras
and in Luxemburg and in Israel and so on..
6: Teaching … ( his students got to be
at Music schools in Europe and so on..)
7: Making a Bow-Case for Nobel Bows with his
own name on it (I saw it & its Fantastic ).
8: Solo, Chamber music performing and so on…
9 Every time To show something new on the
Bass and Great musical ideas ….
10: Outstanding bass playing.
11: A Very Very Very nice Person, that giving
to other people alot from him self.
Dont Sound to me like Clown !
Sound to me more like a Talented hard worker
on his way to be a STAR.
Mar 5th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Tuneh is an Amazing player, but the video is about Shehata and Barenboim.
Mar 5th, 2008 at 6:41 am
.
Mar 5th, 2008 at 6:42 am
I loved this performance, great video!
Mar 5th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Bottesini is great!
Double bass is great!
Freedom of opinion, indispensable!
The art wins!!!
Mar 5th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Barenboim, Congratulations!
Great performace of the soloists!
Mar 5th, 2008 at 7:03 am
What are these strings?
Have a dark sound.