My encounter with L'Orchestre de Contrebasses

Cool music video of L'Orchestre de Contrebasses on stage.

In the year 2000, L'Orchestre de Contrebasses gave two concerts at the Victoria Concert Hall as part of the Singapore Arts Festival 2000. I have had the privilege to be there to listen to them. Their items combine music, visual and stage effects. To get an idea of their original and creative approach to playing the double bass, please check out the above video.

Seven years ago, days before L'Orchestre de Contrebasses gave their concerts in Singapore, it conducted a double bass masterclass at Young Musician's Society auditorium. Almost the all the then-members of the double bass section from our orchestra went for the masterclass. It was an eye-opener for me to listen to them share about their approach to making music on the double bass.

I wonder if anyone reading this blog have attended the masterclass or the concert by L'Orchestre de Contrebasses in year 2000?

Anyway, I have reasons to believe that they have in some way inspired the double bassists from our orchestra, and planted the seeds that would eventually lead to the formation of d'Bassists. If I remember correctly, that year after their concerts, we asked our double bass tutor for music scored for the double bass ensemble and things evolved from there.

Last but not the least, please check out the above video of two items performed by L'Orchestre de Contrebasses. It looks like a cool MTV.

Here's the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BzaF9TAFlI

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About L’Orchestre de Contrebasses:

Created in 1981 by Christian Gentet, L’Orchestre de Contrebasses symbolises a most original and promising approach to modern musical creativity...

Please also visit the website of L'Orchestre de Contrebasses: http://www.musicaguild.com/odbc/index.php

Where to buy a double bass in Singapore?

This post attempts to explore the answers to the question: "Where to buy a double bass in Singapore?"

Interestingly, the idea for this post came from a nice gentleman who was one of the members of the audience who attended d'Bassists' performance, Esplanade Presents: At the Concourse: Basso Bravo!

He came for our performance on 30 May 2007 and he took part in the hands-on session. I learnt that he plays the bass guitar, and he is very keen to learn the double bass. During my short interaction with him, I briefly spoke to him on where he could buy a double bass in Singapore.

Without further delay, below is my attempt to list the various places in Singapore where you can purchase a double bass from. This list is not exhaustive nor comprehensive, but I hope it will give people who are interested in buying a double bass in Singapore some clues to start off with. Here goes the list:

Synwin Enterprises
845 Geylang Rd, #03-01 Tg Katong Complex, Singapore 400845
Tel: 6743 7865
Fax: 6743 4862
Website: http://www.synwin.com.sg
Email: reubennsons@synwin.com.sg

6 Raffles Boulevard
#03-117/118/119 Marina Square
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6336 1366

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Gramercy Music
188 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229856
Tel: +65 63453815
Fax: +65 6734 8948
Website: https://www.gramercy.com.sg
Email: info@gramercy.com.sg

Business Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 10.30 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
(Closed on Monday)

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Salient Strings
321 Alexandra Road
#02-20 Alexandra Central
Singapore 159971
Tel: +65 9842 4984
Website: https://www.salientstrings.com
Email: salientstrings@gmail.com

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Bass Loft
Blk 17 Toh Yi Drive
#08-83
Singapore 590017
Email: http://www.bassloft.com

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Online sources:
There are online sources to buy double bass from. Here are the one that I know of:
Lemur Music
Bass Works
The Contrabass Shoppe

But for the purpose of this post, I shall not go discuss about online sources in greater depth.

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Others:
The other places to buy a double bass from would be from double bass players who for one reason or another are offering their double bass for sale.

If you know of any other places in Singapore where one can purchase a double bass, please email me at oceanskies [at] hotmail [dot] com to get it listed here.

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Disclaimer: The notes by yours found on this post is solely personal opinion. You are advised to use these opinions at your own discretion.

Before I end this post, I would like to point you to a series of posts by Jason Heath on the topic of Buying a Double Bass. Do check it out.

You may also wish to read the following:
Bass Buying Information by Bass Works.
Movin' on up...to a Better Instrument by John Floeter's Bass Studio

(Updated on 25 Oct 2017)

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Also see: Where to buy a double bass in Singapore? Part 2

Tony Osborne's Blues-Style (1981)

Courtesy of Tony Osborne and David Heyes/ Recital Music.
Tony Osborne's Blues-Style. Performed by Emily, XM and PY from d'Bassists on 31 May 2007 at Esplanade Concourse, Singapore. Esplanade Presents At The Concourse: Basso Bravo!
Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6egzs_Rx464


Tony Osborne's Blues-Style for 3 Double Basses, is an appealing piece of music. I find it lively and rhythmic. It's a fun piece of music to play! Enjoy the above video clip.


Taken during one of our rehearsals.

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About Tony Osborne:
(adapted from notes by David Heyes, 2004)

Tony Osborne is an important double bass educationalist and composer who has made significant contributions to the double bass literature.

In 2001, Tony Osborne was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for his pioneering and important work for the double bass.

For more about Tony Osborne, please visit the following websites:

http://www.ozzape.com/tony (Tony Osborne's website)
http://www.musiciansgallery.com (A-Z search, under "O")

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Music available from:
http://www.tutti.co.uk
(sheet music/double bass - Publisher: Recital Music, UK)

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Related posts:
Basso Bravo
Music for Trio

The double bass solo in Mahler's First Symphony

Currently, members of d'Bassists are taking a break from ensemble playing. Instead, we are practising orchestral works.

This Wednesday, I was informed by the President of our symphony orchestra that our orchestra would most likely be playing the third and fourth movements of Mahler's First Symphony. There is a double bass solo part in the third movement of the symphony. Our dear tutor gave us a good overview to the double bass solo part this Wednesday during our double bass sectional, and I very much like his demonstrations of the various ways that various conductors would like that double bass solo part to be interpreted.

Coincidentally, one of Jason Heath's posts pointed me to an online article put up by National Symphony Orchestra's Principal Bassist Robert Oppelt. The article covers Robert Oppelt's approach to the double bass solo from the third movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D Major. Robert Oppelt also provides some historical context for the work.

I find Robert Oppelt's article an insightful read, do check it out here:
My Approach to the Bass Solo in Mahler's First Symphony (Robert Oppelt, June 10, 2007): http://www.robertoppelt.com/page6.html

Please also visit the following URL to catch a short clip of Claudio Abbado rehearsing the third movement of Mahler's First Symphony so as to listen to the principal double bassist play that very double bass solo part: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lI7icWPfoc

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About the photo in this post:
Taken during NUS Symphony Orchestra's concert held on 16 Mar 2007.
Photo credits: Jay

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By the way, Emily has performed the double bass solo from the third movement of Mahler's First Symphony. You can read her accounts by clicking on this link.

Updated: 17 Jun 2007

Performed on 31 May 2007: Bach's Air

Esplanade Presents At The Concourse: Basso Bravo!
J.S. Bach's Air (for Double Bass duet) (arranged by Buell Neidlinger). Performed by Emily and PY from d'Bassists on 31 May 2007 at Esplanade Concourse, Singapore.

(URL of video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLqoK5Er_0)

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You may also read about our rehearsals of Bach's Air here:
- Rehearsing Bach's Air
- An evening of duets and trios

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About J.S. Bach:

J.S. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685 and died in 1750 (he was 65 when he died). He came from a long family history of professional muscicians including church organists and composers (view source here)

Also visit:
http://www.jsbach.org

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About Buell Neidlinger:

Born in New York City in 1936, cellist/bassist Buell Neidlinger has been at or near the center of the American music scene since the early fifties. As a child he studied with Luigi Silva and Gregor Piatigorsky, and was well on the way to a career as a cello soloist when he developed an interest in jazz bass...

For more about Buell Neidlinger, please visit: http://www.k2b2.com/neidlinger.html

Also see:
Ludwin Music

The composer-in-residence

A composer by training, Emily has been secretly regarded by yours truly as d'Bassists' composer-in-residence. At least among all the members of d'Bassists, Emily has the greatest potential to write decent music compositions. In fact, she has been writing quite a number of interesting compositions that have been performed.

To find out more about Emily's compositions, please visit the following sites:
http://www.emilykoh.blogspot.com
http://komponist.blogspot.com/2006/03/videos.html
http://www.komponist.blogspot.com
http://komponist.blogspot.com/2006/10/emily-koh-composer.html

Do check out the second link to listen to some of her compositions being performed.

Performed on 31 May 2007: Neopolitanian Dance

P.I. Tchaikovsky's Neopolitanian Dance (from Swan Lake) (arranged by G. Mouzyka). Performed by d'Bassists on 31 May 2007 at Esplanade Concourse. Title of performance: Esplanade Presents: At the Concourse: Basso Bravo!


Swan Lake is a ballet scored by Tchaikovsky. It is based on German folktales. The storyline goes like this: Odette, who has been changed into a swan by Rothbath, draws the attention of Prince Siegfried. Prince Siegfried is subsequently seduced by Rothbath’s daughter, Odile, as a black swan.

Swan Lake was the first time Tchaikovsky was to complete a composition for the ballet. To familiarize himself with the demands of the art form he studied the ballet music of the period.

Neopolitanian Dance is originally written for a trumpet solo.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Lake
http://www.balletmet.org/Notes/SwanHist.html
http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/historyofballet/a/swanlakeproa.htm