Click the player above to hear the next track in the Virtual Master Class Project. This is a recording of the first movement of the Vanhal Concerto. Leave criticism, advice, practice tips, and the like by clicking on the ‘comments’ link below.
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It sounds like you are using alot of bow pressure to get the volume, especiallly in the upper register and the harmonic passages. Try getting the initial attack of each note and releasing the pressure between bows, as opposed to getting a choked sound by keeping pressure on the string for the whole length of the bow. Keep working on your intonation, especially in the double stops. Clean up the cadenza. Relax your bow arm, any tension comes out in your sound. Keep up the great work, you will go far.
Good performance.
Some problems in intonation but probably caused by emotion and a tension that it’s evident on tne video.
I’m agreed with Jack. Personally I prefer in ths concert more personality with bow. It seems stopped. This is caused by the fact that right hand is too hard on the stick. Sound is quite focalized but notes seem to be shorter respect to their values. I wouldn’t stop the bow between one note and the other. It’s a classic concert written by a no doublebass player. The idea of classicism is quite correct. But I think you might use a slower vibrato, just because if you think to doublebass in the XVIII century with big gut string, probably it was impossible to vibrate on every note, and surely vibrato was slower.
Cadenza is a little bit too static. Enjoy when you play and use longer bow with no pause … when it’s no written :-)!
Ciao
I suggest playing this extremely slow with a c Drone to help with the intonation. It is a little choppy, so think of a more connected bow. Sounds like you are trying to rush through the peice.
Other then that it was pretty solid. keep up the good work!
I’m sure you learned a lot working on this piece. It’s certainly not easy. Strive for a beautiful sound and good diction. For instance, in the fifth measure the rhythm is sloppy, like triplets.