Story Time 5: Auditioning is a Rotten Pastime • 05.22.08
Here’s episode 5 of Story Time with Contrabass Conversations, based upon a tale about an audition I did for the now-defunct San Jose Symphony.
Special Features Episodes
Story Time 4 – Annoying Conductors 101 • 05.07.08
Here’s the latest episode of Story Time with Contrabass Conversations. These stories recount some of the funny, sad, poignant, and painful moments in the life of a freelance road warrior. Find the text version of this story here, and check out Contrabass Conversations for more weekly double bass content.
Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy – Story Time 3 audio episode • 02.11.08
This third installment of my Story Time series is an audio rendition of my story Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy from 2007. Stay tuned for a video version of this in the near future, and be sure to visit the Contrabass Conversations Story Time page for the other audio and video episodes in this installment.
CBC 63: Chatting About Opera and Orchestra Bass Playing with John Grillo • 02.07.08
Contrabass Conversations regular contributor and classicalmusicnews.tv blogger John Grillo and I recorded a follow-up episode to our recent Opera Excerpt Breakdown episode. In this episode we chat a little more generally about opera bass playing and how it differs from orchestral bass playing.
John has played for numerous opera companies in the past, including the Pittsburgh Opera and Spoleto Festival die Due Mondi in Italy. He recently performed Wagner’s Ring Cycle as the only bass player (!). Learn more about John on his Contrabass Conversations page, check out his virtual recital, listen to the Opera Excerpt and Orchestra Excerpt breakdowns, and be sure to visit his blog at classicalmusicnews.tv.
CBC 62: Opera Excerpt Breakdown with John Grillo • 02.02.08
This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features an in-depth analysis of the double bass opera excerpts most commonly requested at auditions. Double bassist (and regular Contrabass Conversations guest and co-host) John Grillo discusses each of these excerpts–stylistic considerations, differences in articulation and bow strokes, and suggestions for effectively learning them–and then performs them. We believe that this project will be a highly valuable resource for bassists worldwide, and we’d love your feedback on this project!
John and I created an excerpt breakdown for the most commonly requested orchestra excerpts back on CBC 41, and this has proven to be a highly popular and extremely useful resource to double bassists worldwide. Our hope is that this opera excerpt episode will do the same for the less familiar but wonderfully challenging double bass operatic literature.
Learn more about John at his new blog ClassicalMusicNews.tv, and check out all of his older Contrabass Conversations appearances here. You can also check out John in recital on his doublebassblog.org recital page.
Opera excerpts covered on this episode:
- Strauss
- Salome
- Rosenkavalier
- Wagner
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
- Die Walküre
- Britten
- Peter Grimes
- Verdi
- Otello
- Rigoletto
- Falstaff
- Weber
- Euryanthe
- Mozart
- Magic Flute
- Marriage of Figaro
- Beethoven
- Fidelo
- Humperdinck
- Hansel and Gretel
Guy Tuneh performs Mendelssohn Sextet mvt 4 • 01.18.08
The outstanding double bassist Guy Tuneh (www.guytuneh.com) performs an excerpt of the fourth movement from Mendelssohn’s Sextet in D Major with Villa Musica. Listen to Guy Tuneh in interview on his Contrabass Conversations page, and check out more videos from him here.
Guy Tuneh performs Mendelssohn Sextet mvt 3 • 01.09.08
The outstanding double bassist Guy Tuneh (www.guytuneh.com) performs the third movement Sextet in D Major with Villa Musica. Listen to Guy Tuneh in interview to his Contrabass Conversations page, and check out more videos from him here.
CBC 56: reflections on one year of podcasting • 01.05.08
Jason chats about the state of affairs for Contrabass Conversations after one year of podcasting and offers goals for 2008 in this brief episode.
Happy New Year from Guy Tuneh and Contrabass Conversations! • 01.01.08
Jason thanks readers, listeners, and viewers for being a part of the Bass Blog and Contrabass Conversations in 2007, and double bass virtuoso Guy Tuneh (www.guytuneh.com) plays excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations.
My Crazy Stand Partner • 12.31.07
Jason chats about a very entertaining stand partner he works with, plus offers some advice for keeping relations with your colleagues cordial in the orchestral environment.
