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
This week’s episode features an interview with and music from jazz bassist 
We’re wrapping up the interview with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner that we began on 
Welcome to Exploring Chamber Music with Brad Opland and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. This Contrabass Conversations special series highlights chamber music that includes the double bass. Learn more about the Chicago Chamber Musicians by visiting