Bel Cantos versus Permanents – my opinion
A reader recently wrote in inquiring about my feelings on Thomastik Bel Canto strings and how they compare to Pirastro Permanents (my string of choice for many years). Here’s my response:
Hi __________,
Thanks for the message, and thanks for checking out the blog! I have played on Bel Cantos and like them in some ways, though I personally prefer the response of Permanents. For me, Permanents have a snappier response and a well-balanced treble/bass body. They have nice punch for more articulate playing but sounds nice on more melodic playing.
My experience with Bel Cantos has been that they have a really magnificent and lyrical sound, but that they have a kind of strange rubbery feeling that makes them more temperamental for faster playing. It is possible to play fast and heavy excerpts and the like on them, but there is much less “tolerance” in the string for me than there is for Permanents. I hope this helps!
Jason
I’ve had a lot of students struggle with this choice in string as well. For certain things, Bel Cantos seem superior to just about any other string out there, but there’s always a trade-off, and I have a hard time tolerating the “strange” qualities of Bel Cantos. My bass seems to work great with Permanents, so I have a hard time justifying moving over to the Bel Cantos.
Thoughts?
Best of the ‘Viols in Our Schools’ GambaCast – William Byrd (1543-1623) – Fantasia No.1 á4
PBDB: Jason Heath Kudos, Summer Edition
Hello all from PBDB – I don’t want Jason to fell embarrassed, so instead of cross posting I’ll just offer you a link to my recent post honoring Mr. Heath’s summer blogging…. Here’s to a great start to Fall for DBB readers!
– Jeff Weisner.
CBC 135: Matt Heller interview
We’re featuring a brief (10 minute) interview with Calgary Philharmonic bassist Matt Heller. Matt is an old friend of mine who, in addition to being an excellent bassist, is the author of the always interesting blog hella frisch. Matt also did extensive coverage of the 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention. It was a real pleasure to get a chance to sit down and do an interview for the podcast with Matt, and I hope you enjoy this chat between two bass bloggers!
Profile: University of Maryland bass faculty
The University of Maryland has really become a compelling institution for double bass study in recent years, and having bass teachers Richard Barber (National Symphony Orchestra member) and Anthony Manzo (former Phoenix Symphony and current member of New Century Chamber Orchestra) join Robert Oppelt (Principal Bass of the National Symphony) and Tom Baldwin has made this school an even more compelling choice for the aspiring double bass student.
One of my best friends recently graduated with a DMA in cello performance from Maryland, and he had a really wonderful experience at this school. The proximity to Washington, D.C. and all the cultural and musical opportunities that this affords makes this school one worth serious consideration in my opinion.
Folks who’ve followed along with this blog for the last several years may remember many posts referencing University of Maryland bass teacher Robert Oppelt’s excellent website, and I strongly encourage you to check it out if you haven’t before. His most recent addition is an excellent profile of the four bass faculty members at Maryland, but he has many other articles and features warranting perusal, including interviews with bassists like Ali Yazdanfar (Principal Bass of the Montreal Symphony and a former member of the National Symphony), the use of flat hair versus tilted hair, and many other interesting bass-related topics.
Be sure to check out more info about this great bass studio!
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