CBC 154: Guy Tuneh plays Beethoven
We’re featuring double bass virtuoso Guy Tuneh performing an excerpt from the Beethoven Romance for Violin, Op. 50. We’ve featured Guy many times on the podcast and blog in the past, and it’s great to get a chance to feature him again here. Enjoy!
12 June 2010, 8:22 am
Long long time ago, since I’ve had good tears (for a change).
What great Idea to play this nobel-work on the Bass, I think on one performed it until this moment.
Sounds like it was writen for the Contrabass.
BRAVO ! Real heart Toucher!
12 June 2010, 8:51 am
Indeed!
Hey little monsters out there,
there is a longer verion in Guy’s web (linked to Utub….)
What an Artist!! makes my cry…
12 June 2010, 9:42 am
This kine of excessive sensibility is not even expected from Violin players any more, pitty!
I’m Speechless…
The longer Version is really impressive!
12 June 2010, 9:56 am
What a guy,
First Elgar, Rococo and now this beethoven and all an un-transcribed and live, nice indeed but
Very impressive as it is, looks to me like an act of pioneer kind.
Dear Mr. (Maestro) Tuneh, what about Dittersdorf or some original works for doublebass?
Thanks for this one-of-a-kind Idea, I’ll look at the music notes of this romance but for me, the original music for bass is my way!
12 June 2010, 10:11 am
I checked in “Planyavsky”, indeed, there is no original version of this Romances for Contrabass,
Except this one from Mr. Tuneh!
Congratulation ace!
12 June 2010, 10:17 am
Gosh, its beautiful, charming, sweet, tragic, its everything…
(even nicer than some violin versions)
Real Romantic story, an ART work.
Mr. Tuneh You got my heart…
Big kiss, yours Jasmin.
12 June 2010, 11:25 am
Thanks Jason,
Now I know what to play in my finals.
Does anybody know where can I get a masterclass with the mighty Guy Tuneh?
12 June 2010, 11:37 am
What an impact – the greatest out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The You-Tube Video is much stronger!
12 June 2010, 12:24 pm
ahhh…
The woww Guy Tuneh effect.
12 June 2010, 1:23 pm
wunderschön!
L.G
Martin
12 June 2010, 1:45 pm
I know Guy’s Dittersdorf, believe me, You Will not be disappointed
(its light, fresh and has lots of great ideas – and it looks so easy when he playes it).
I think that the Maestro tries to show that even clasical music can be played very emotional and free, I don’t know how the f++k he does it but it is in “Tempo” but still very free, he is THE master of Bow technic!! (& also the left hand)
it’s his secret.
12 June 2010, 1:59 pm
What’s the big deal, every Violin player playes it in the age of 15 so what!
With a bit more feeling or less, SO WHAT!
“to be the first ever to play it” – who cares?
Very nice playing, not more or less, it is still a Violin song!
12 June 2010, 2:11 pm
Great post as much as Great playing!
It’s really impresses me the way Jason manage to have the most powerful bassists in the world.
Ruiz, Karr etc. and today the one and only Guy Tuneh, Just to get in touch with these people, WOW.
Yours respectfully
Karina.
12 June 2010, 2:20 pm
The Pizz is just charmfull idea.
Tuneh did it in his “Elefant” also, but in the Beethoven its just brilliant, I mean the Romance get the guitar feeling that we all know from the “playing Guitar under the window to our love”, it so sweet and picturefull.
AMAZING how much imagination and creativity Mr. Tuneh has, inspiration A bomb, and with his big heart, this makes THE different!
Ace of Art and Double-bass playing
12 June 2010, 2:21 pm
Thanks Jason U R part of it!
12 June 2010, 2:32 pm
What’s up folks?
As I mentioned more than once in the past, hear there and every where:
There are Bass-players and there is Guy Tuneh!
& this one (and in the one utube) is the proof for that!
12 June 2010, 2:40 pm
Is it so difficult to have recordering session in a real Studio?
It is not all about playing, as much as it is an outstanding playing and it is, but what about the quality of the recordering, the technic is not less important (if I may say something) .
12 June 2010, 2:50 pm
Dear Mr. Tuneh. You can have my services as a “Diplom Ton-meister”, I know that you have your Diplom from my homeland so it is not new for you
to work with the swiss people.
Great player as You need have the best recordering possibilities & I think I can surprise you.
Please be my guest, in my Studio I had bands like
Europe, Ramstein and many more.
(I’ll send you my contact via guytuneh.com)
12 June 2010, 2:54 pm
Hannes – There are many editions of this piece for bass. The most performed version is by Franz Simandl.
12 June 2010, 3:00 pm
Just love his Beethoven Romance, first time ever on Contabass – its amazing!
funny all the rest are just Dreaming, Guy is just going and doing his way, and what a way always a new banchmark.
Respect!
12 June 2010, 3:02 pm
@ NotAFakeName,
This is not an Editon for bass it the original Edition for Violin! only played on bass (with some ideas from Mr. Tuneh)
Capish!
12 June 2010, 3:31 pm
to – NotAFakeName,
Some said the same as you say about Elgar cello concerto, which Guy presented last year “also first time on bass”, since than I still can not find an editon of Elgar for bass. He was and he is still the first one to play it on bass live!
(some are trying to play it also in youtube but…)
Beethoven Romance has some editons (but we never play them…) but they all sound like poor compromise for bass, like most of the “editions for bass”, please, this Video shows no compromise, it is maybe to short but realy
breakthrough, Guy sounds like a Violin, its not miserable or sounds like cheap copy for bass, its sounds like originaly for bass. its not only the urtext, its his way of playing, so much sensibility on a bass, with those strings and deep sound but still he sounds like a big Violin (Violin players can only be jealous with his warm hearted lifeful sound, believe me they fight for nice tone…)
This is the first time to show also for Violin players a new way of playing this work.
B.T.W- I was Violin player changed to bass, this is why I’m so touched from his way of playing this.
M.
12 June 2010, 3:36 pm
It’s also HOW he playes it!
Which is just FANTASTIC!
(such a big heart, I wonder how is he in life…)
12 June 2010, 3:49 pm
I know some of the editions for bass, this one is definitely the Violin version, except of some Pizzes/arcs which are the idaes of Mr. Tuneh, NO one does it on Violin like this (not bad at all, I might try it, its cool make it sound sweet and emotional after all it is a Romance great idea!).
Whats all about, this Version is definitely new for Bass and for Violin!
Simon.
12 June 2010, 3:57 pm
Mr. Tuneh is a Man honour, Great Artist and MORE THAN FANTASTIC player and as I know his work, he does his “homework” (& very very very good) before going on stage etc.!
Guy Tuneh is a symbole!
If he say it is the first time in its un-transcribed version on bass, I believe him.
12 June 2010, 4:20 pm
It so simple, beside the fact that its just amazing version for bass, but also Violin players can study many things from this version/kind of playing (the Pizz is so lovely…), the fact that the piano part is to be identified as the one to find only in the: “Urtext from the new Beethoven Complete Edition” by Breitkopf & Härtel, it is an Urtext!
So, Mr. Tuneh did a Great job looking for the right music-notes (and in giving it his magic touch) the original Violin Urtext,
No compromise, always new things, as we always expect from Guy Tuneh.
12 June 2010, 4:37 pm
Well guys,
I heard it on bass, even played it
BUT NOT LIKE THIS!
This version has NO “shortcuts” from the point of the technical view, as I have on my Edition.
In my version some thing are missing and I’m not speaking about the Pizzicato. Its like “made for bass” which is not the best thing, and in that case pitty.
However what a great tender bass sound and heavenlies expression.
Original or first time ever, I don’t know, I do know that I could never be able to perform it like this, sorry but I have to admit.
12 June 2010, 4:56 pm
With so much passion, German music and passion…?
its like sausage and hot-cherry…(!)
but he combines it in a very gentel colorful characteristic way of playing.
12 June 2010, 5:53 pm
Ye Ye, I konw the Editions for bass, with so much “+8va” or “-8va”, strage way of slur, and poor piano part.
Guy Tuneh is right! why not to do it like Violin? all the way! to think alone, to show the Violin world that the bass can also do, well, Guy Tuneh can do, his version is not less than versions of some great violoin players. You wish to show that bass is not less than Violin? so be like one and in his field! (not only fast playing also to be sensible like violin!) why to be fed from “editions”? are we stupid?, can we not think alone? music is to be creative, looking for new things and not just to be fed with copying or compromises!!
and indeed the “Editions” are ful with non-faithful stuff comparing to the origianl versions!
Most of us are not even looking at the original Edition its like we trust automatically, (we used to be stupid!) just like this, what about the musicial taste of the “Editor”? No one said that the Editor must have a great musical taste and even if he has, we dont have to agree with him or with her.
BRAVO Guy Tuneh, you have the right spirit (an other way to put it: the man has guts!!)
Guy gave me a great lecturer, not only with his special bass playing, also in other subjects.
12 June 2010, 6:14 pm
Dona is right! (Unfortunately)
NotAFakeName is a bit jealous (but he has a point)
Guy Tuneh is phenomenal!
(PROBABLY, like every genius which is also high talented – his privte life are mess…)
Beethoven, well…, not a bad musician!
(Amazing one – for me the greatest of all, mmhh, O.k – Mozart is also not so bad…)
But
Jason is the real thing!
(without him, bassists would still live in caves…)
12 June 2010, 6:24 pm
The bass sound has to much treble, it is very delicate, warm soft and round (didnt know that it is possible to play so silent but still brilliant on bass) so may be the sound quality got poor because of the “movie maker” every clone version is losing ca. 7% of the sound quality and gaining side-effect noise. It’s a pitty.
13 June 2010, 2:03 am
I find his playing culture as nicer than the Violin recordering that I have.
Didn’t know that contrabass can be a tender ace,
it’s his feel that I like.
13 June 2010, 4:26 am
I don’t and i Can’t say anything about Guy Tuneh’s playing neither his rendition.
I do like to mention that the Video cut could be better made.
I know that Mr. Tuneh is a source of copying, and therefor this kind of measures, not to show too much, but still to give a “taste sample”, still, great playing souldn’t suffer because of bad editing!
13 June 2010, 5:23 am
This is what I call to refine.
I can’t say if it’s “first time on a bass”, for the matter of fact – I don’t care!
Tuneh`s rendition got my attention because of its way of defining some new things by all means (from the Sound-production til the rendition), also as a Violin player, Some fantastic ideas worth to consider, as I mentioned: sound etc.
First time ever indeed, For Doublebass as for the Violin!
My best wishes
Randolf
13 June 2010, 5:35 am
From that point of view “First time ever” could be also excepted, but I dont understand the problem, if ther is one?
He playes the first un-transcribed version, no one said “the first time ever” – according to Guy Tuneh, he himself never alleged that.
Why making (war) problem and not just making love (enjoy the great music)?
Randolf.
13 June 2010, 5:44 am
Love his bows, sound like an Aria without words.
This is the kick that this Romance needs to become a “Romance” as it sould be played today!
We lost this feeling in the renditions of the last some years, the tradition forgot the meaning of Romance in a Romance, this is what I feel when hearing Guy Tuneh playing it.
In part-teil of this case New = refine!
13 June 2010, 5:52 am
P.S-
Only the “old generation” of Vilon players dared to perform this Romance in such emotional way and with so much love to details as Tuneh shows here (some ideas are never showed before, the Pizz, the rit, the slur) , and I ask my self why is it like this, that only one dare to do it? and more than that why is it a bass player?
Just A little point to think about!
13 June 2010, 6:11 am
With all my respect!
Why my replay is not being seen?
13 June 2010, 7:48 am
After having this Version in mind, is it an Opera aria, clasical lied, or Romance?
This rendition could stands for an Operetic theme,
and not as a Violin clasical short work.
13 June 2010, 7:49 am
or an instrumental work as we know it.
13 June 2010, 7:57 am
Woww, it is FANTASTIC on Bass, never heard it like this – BRAVO what a rendition!
13 June 2010, 12:09 pm
Guy Tuneh = King of expression!
13 June 2010, 3:19 pm
Guy Tuneh has a powerful personality, and has Mega power effect in his play.
14 June 2010, 2:23 am
Guy Tuneh became through his over commitment to his/the Bass and through his long way of presenting pioneerart & glad tidings, to the one of the most essential Bass-solist of our Generation.
His kind made him to “brought home the bacon” and to create within a generation a mega earthquake, the same way in which A. Brendel, P. Casals or even Lady GaGa, M. Jackson & co, managed to imprint a new/different reality.
14 June 2010, 12:28 pm
What does it bring if I can’t see my commant??
14 June 2010, 1:45 pm
Dear Mister Heath
I would like to Reply
Thanks.
14 June 2010, 4:00 pm
Awesome Rendition! fjt Just greatz to the contrabass.
14 June 2010, 4:16 pm
Why to post if we can’t reply?
14 June 2010, 5:04 pm
Comments moderated once daily. Please do not leave messages asking where your comment is–if it is not obscene/inappropriate, it will be approved in due time.
15 June 2010, 3:14 am
at “Sandrine”,
I think that you got a point, but please let me
to define your argument the way I see it,
There are many bassists today in which we can say about them that they are part of A change in the bass world, the technical-level of that instrument got a HUGE kick by those who try to present nobel works as Rococo, Paganini, Hayden and so on, the problem is that they all stay in the “Box”, a “high-tech” copy, but on bass!
in other words, where others stop – Guy Tuneh begins.
Mr. Tuneh is showing human-side in his bass playing something that NO one else does, how he do it?, I can’t explain.
Its like he’ve been there at the moment that the composer wrote his masterwork.
Guy Tuneh has the uniqe talent to pour new light on the music in a way that no one else con do, if its Rococo (more and more bassists are tring to perform this work) or Elgar (because of Guy – a new wave of bassists are tring to play it). I’m sure that Beethovens Romance will come back to the theme of the day because of this special and quine rendition of Guy, so, beuce of that, in away he is one of the most imporant in our generation but not only as a bassist, he is important as a musician and artist as well!
15 June 2010, 4:04 pm
Great performer, original ideas outstanding tone but the “moto” of this kine playing is his big big heart! to make love to the world with his bass… thanks for charing with us this uniqe player and his rendition.
15 June 2010, 4:07 pm
“Nothing new” but still everything New!!!
Viva Guy Tuneh, maestro di maestri.
16 June 2010, 4:43 am
“Onces daily” ahhh..??!
20 June 2010, 3:23 pm
Great Playing!
21 June 2010, 8:59 am
Splendid, can compit Violin!
22 June 2010, 4:02 pm
G.T. makes love to the world with his bass.
05 July 2010, 2:44 am
The most special from all of them!!