This is a new feature for the doublebassblog.org Virtual Master Class project. Double bassist Ian Hallas has stepped up to the plate and offered up this (and several other) video performances for this project. Leave criticism, advice, practice tips, and the like by clicking on the ‘comments’ link below. We welcome your comments! Please take a moment and offer a bit of constructive advice for this musician.
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Jason,
I think these video “maestro” class are a very important thing not only for performers but also to give just an idea to students or, eventually, profesional players or amateurs of how must to be intent.
Naturally, Jason, in my opinion, probably there one risk: of standardising one concept of music. The same things obviously is happening with the large diffusion of Cds all over the world. Sometimes, expecially when the period of obligatory studies has finished, a lot of guys find, in example, a CD with the Concert in A- by Bottesini performed of a great bass player and try to imitate him, so they are sure that in a Competition they will do well because of their unconscious abilyty to copy someone else (in the negative sense of the word).
During my brief carreer, I’ve just noted this aspect, and about it we can talk a lot. Naturally, your opinion will be much appreciated … or others collegues or students. Everyone :-)!
Now the chances are greater. Thanks to the technology of video. People can see with their own eyes the great masters play.
Years ago you had to go to a live concert to understand certain aspects, or have the chance to study with different masters. Today you sit at the table and you can see the same composition played by several teachers and compare them. But “looking” at them.
I don’t say that it’s a good or not! But probably we must reflect.
It was beautiful when someone who wasn’ t one of my students and asked me: “Maestro, how do you intend the first bars in Hindemith Sonata; the second note is staccato or I must respect its value?” Well, you told him your opinion, explaying if possible why a choose is better than another or philologically correct.
Today, they listen or better look into a video a great master and imitate him.
Probably is a closure to new creative possibilities and interpretation.
So I’m agreed with maestro PINO ETTORE (LA SCALA Theatre in Milan) when in the on line magazine Xbass.org, before playing Fryba’s Suite, tells (with my words): “I play it so I give you an help to “organize” this piece in the right way when someone decides to study it”. I think these are great words.
By the way, I will continue to tell my students to follow your videos so they can have also a different vision. Then togheter we discuss and we grow together :-)!
Jason, great videos. Bravo!
Ciao
Vito Liuzzi (South italy)
Ops … I forgotten.
Ian Hallas is great bass players. I can’t talk about him. But I’ve appreciated a lot the use of the “french” bow, his right and left hand technique very solid.
It’s strange, but when he plays on the II strings, the sound is no more focalized respect to the I string.
I don’t know if it’s a question of sound equalization or a limit in the instrument. Surely, Hallas’s performance has a very good range in dinamycs. Beautiful.
Very nice playing ! Just a couple of things though.
Your phrasing is a bit heavy. You stress the first beat of every measure
almost. This somewhat hampers the forward momentum of the dance. It is not
about getting faster but about creating more with what is there by using
dynamics and phrasing to bring out the different voices.
The other thing is that in the more demanding passages you tend to slow down. I
would suggest slowing everything else down to the tempo of these passages. The
music tends to stop otherwise.
All in all great playing though.
I hope this was helpful ?
Very nice video. I’m wondering if the bass sound would would open up a bit if your bow would approached the bridge more often in thumb position. I believe the bow is muffling the sound somewhat when it stays near the fingerboard, compared to lower notes. Bowing closer to the bridge as the left hand goes up the fingerboard probably would also help mitagate the impression of too much weight on the bow mentioned by others. Thank you for posting the video, very impressive left hand work and relaxed bow handling!