Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

CBC 66: Owen Lee interview and music 2

We’re continuing our chat with Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist Owen Lee today on Contrabass Conversations. Check out the first segment of this conversation on episode 55 of the program. Owen played for the New World Symphony and the Houston Symphony prior to his appointment with the Cincinnati Symphony, and it was a real pleasure to do this interview along with Contrabass Conversations regular collaborator John Grillo.

John, Owen, and I chat about Owen’s experiences recording his solo CD, key selection for the Bach Suites and his use of solo tuning for the recording, his performances of the less popular but extremely engaging Bottesini Concerto No. 1, performing the Tubin Concerto with orchestra, the Harbison Bass Concerto project (which Owen performed with the Cincinnati Symphony), and his practicing habits and exercises.

We also feature the first movement from the Cello Suite No. 5 by Johann Sebastian Bach from Owen’s Boston Records CD, plus listener feedback, bass news, and a link of the week.

Learn more about Owen at www.myspace.com/owenleedoublebass. Enjoy!

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CBC 65: Peter Seymour interview 2 and music from Project

We’re wrapping up our interview with double bassist Peter Seymour this week on Contrabass Conversations. We began this interview on episode 53, so be sure to check this episode out if you missed it! Peter has performed for the New World Symphony and spent a season playing with the Cleveland Orchestra, and he is now involved with an exciting new trio called Project. This group is made up of Peter on bass, Eric Stephenson on cello, and Greg Patillo on flute. Learn more about Project at projecttrio.com.

This episode, we discuss:

  • how Project (which is both a group and a nonprofit organization) came to be
  • playing in the style of today
  • their upcoming Brooklyn Philharmonic presentation
  • how although classical musicians are some of the most creative people out there, we can be very passive professionally
  • how Project for Peter is a full-on business
  • how the wide network of contacts he’s made over the years in professional orchestras across the country are paying off now with Project
  • similarities between the orchestral path and what Peter’s doing with Project in terms of outlook and work ethic
  • balancing the administration of Project with practicing and finding time to continue to grow musically

Although Peter has focused on obtaining a position in a major orchestra for many years, he is now focused on creating new creative outlets with Project, and his decision to strike out on his own with this great trio is an example of musical entrepreneurship at its finest. Be sure to pick up a copy of Winter in June, the new release from this killer trio. Enjoy!

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CBC 64: Chicago Bass Ensemble interview and music

This week we feature an interview with and music from the Chicago Bass Ensemble. Group founder Jacque Harper joins former Contrabass Conversations guests Michael Hovnanian and Doug Johnson plus double bass blogger John Floeter to create the core quartet of this ensemble.

The Chicago Bass Ensemble will be performing at Northern Illinois University on February 14. Click here for more details, and learn more about this great ensemble at www.chicagobassensemble.com.

Ever hear an entire bass quartet interviewed at the same time? We sure haven’t, and getting a chance to sit down with these four good-natured fellows was a lot of fun. After the interview, we feature performances of ‘Prologue’ from Prophetiae Sibyllarum by Orlando di Lassus and the first movement of the Quartet No. 2 by Jan Alm.

Learn more about these four musicians through the following links:

Enjoy!

CBC 63: Chatting About Opera and Orchestra Bass Playing with John Grillo

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

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