A new history of the double bass paul brun pdf file

Planyavsky 1998 is the most thorough study of the Baroque violone, but it has many faults and has been strongly critiqued in Bonta 2000 (BontaвЂ™s critiques could also be applied to Planyavsky 1984, which, despite its importance, contains many factual errors and problematic methodologies and assumptions). Siemers 2001, a DMA thesis, paints a history of the development of the double bass in broad strokes it includes little new musicological research. Brun 2000 argues instead that double bass instruments evolved from both the viol and the violin families of instruments. Planyavsky 1984 contends that the double bass is a member of the viol family of instruments. The two most complete histories are Planyavsky 1984 (first published 1970) and Brun 2000. It has been supplanted by later research but is a pioneering work and still contains useful information. The first general history of the double bass is Warnecke 1909, which focuses on biographies of bassists and a discussion of European double bass schools. Because of the complicated historical development involving a vast array of instrument types and functions, these overviews can never satisfy the desire for a truly compressive trajectory of the instrument. The double bass has been the subject of many broad studies that aspire to present a coherent narrative of the development of the instrument over time and across geographical regions. It has also maintained a central role in jazz styles since the 1920s, and from the 1940s to the 1960s it was common in American popular musical genres such as country, bluegrass, western swing, rock вЂ™nвЂ™ roll, and rockabilly. The string bass has always served in a supporting role in military and concert bands. In the late 19th century, the double bass also became a common fixture in American ragtime and string bands. The 20th century saw a renaissance of double bass virtuosi who inspired the composition of new chamber and solo works for the instrument. Double bass sections serve essential functions in the orchestra: they add weight, provide dynamic power, reinforce the rhythmic foundation, and shape musical phrases. National schools of orchestral playing emerged across Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries alongside the development of the modern orchestra and conservatories. Other virtuosi, like Domenico Dragonetti and Giovanni Bottesini, both of whom played three-string instruments tuned in fourths, followed in the 19th century.

A rich culture of solo and chamber music for a double bass instrument, known today as the Viennese violone, reached a peak of technical virtuosity throughout territories influenced by the Habsburgs between approximately 1750 and the first decade of the 19th century. Violones began as the bass voice in viol consorts and realized continuo lines in church, orchestral, and operatic genres. It is the only orchestral string instrument with two types of bows-the вЂњoverhandвЂќ French bow (violin family) and the вЂњunderhandвЂќ German bow (viol family)-and is the only transposing orchestral string instrument: music is usually notated an octave above sounding pitch (hence the name, double bass, for the instrumentвЂ™s role in orchestral textures of doubling the violoncello part an octave lower than written). Other historical tunings include a three-string instrument tuned in fifths (AвЂ™-D-G), a four- or five-string вЂњViennese tuningвЂќ (typically FвЂ™-AвЂ™-D-F#-A, with lowest string optional), and five- and six-string violone tunings: in G (GвЂ™-C-F-a-d-g), in A (AвЂ™-D-G-b-e-a), or in D (DвЂ™-GвЂ™-C-E-A-d). Today it is commonly tuned in fourths with four (EвЂ™-AвЂ™-D-G) or five (BвЂ™/CвЂ™-EвЂ™-AвЂ™-D-G) strings. Unique among orchestral string instruments, it shares a history with both viol and violin instrument families. The double bass (contrabass, upright bass, string bass, violone) is a large string instrument of three, four, or five strings, made of wood, and played with a bow (arco) or plucked with the fingers (pizzicato).

A new history of the double bass paul brun pdf file