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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE the Double Bass CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE The Double Bass and the Performance of its Solo Repertoire A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Music in Music, Performance By Mika Shimomoto December 2018 The graduate project of Mika Shimomoto is approved: _________________________________________ _______________ Professr Elizabeth A Sellers Date _________________________________________ _______________ Dr. John Roscigno Date _________________________________________ _______________ Dr. Lorenz A Gamma, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Lorenz Gamma. The door to Dr. Gamma’s office was always open whenever I had trouble or questions about my research and writing. He also consistently allowed me to come to ask him about my recital. He steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it. I would also like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Sellers and Dr. John Roscigno for being on my committee and their invaluable encouragement of my performing and academic experiences during my master studies. My sincere thanks also goes to my mentor, Oscar Meza, who was a great support to me throughout my studies. He taught me not only performing but also how to be a strong person. iii Table of Contents Signature Page ii Acknowledgments iii List of Figures and Charts v Abstract vi Introduction 1 “The Double Bass”, a Complex Musical Instrument 3 Development of the Double Bass and Changing the Roles 7 The Virtuoso and Solo Repertoire for Double Bass 12 Different Approaches for Solo Performance of the Double Bass 21 Conclusion 26 References 28 Bibliography 33 Appendix 1 35 Appendix 2 36 iv List of Figures Figure 1. 11 Figure 2. 22 Figure 3. 24 v Abstract The Double Bass and the Performance of its Solo Repertoire By Mika Shimomoto Master of Music in Music, Performance Amongst players of the double bass there remins confusion about the proper terminology of the instrument and its evolution. This paper will examine the complications of this confusion in order to introduce the attractiveness of double bass solo performances and the way players interact with their instrument. By following the history of the double bass, I will show the complicated development that was influenced by violin and viol families, variation of terminology, and evolution of the instrument. This paper will analyze difficulties in double bass performance, introduction of the solo performance and the current findings of thoughts of sound effect for the solo performance. vi Introduction In my experience, I have often been asked what musical instrument I play, and I always answered: “I play the double bass.” Many people were confused by the answer because this musical instrument is not what they expected, and many people do not even know what the double bass really is. Many people probably have seen the double bass or heard the name of the instrument from music education or television, but they might not have a precise notion of what the double bass is when they hear the name. I am still trying to figure out what the best explanation of the double bass is for people do not know about it, and for now, I explain the double bass as a big violin or the biggest violin in an orchestra. I am still looking for the best way to tell people about the instrument because some people confuse the double bass with the cello. This is understandable because the way of playing the two instruments is somewhat similar. and the double bass is about double the size of the cello. Moreover, if audiences compare an orchestra performance with and without the double bass, they would know better the function of the double bass and the importance of the instrument in an orchestra. Compared to other well-known musical instruments, for example the violin, which is chiefly used for melodic material, the double bass often struggles to get the audience’s attention. For these experiences, one thought that came to mind was: “how many people know or have heard this lesser-known musical instrument’s solo repertoire? “Even people who study at universities and conservatories as music majors have asked me whether bassists even play solo repertoires. In fact, there are much fewer solo works compared to other strings. Furthermore, the number of players soloing as double bassists is quite small. There are many bassists in the world, but most of them are not active as soloists. 1 Additionally, the instrument if not very suitable for playing in a large hall or being accompanied by a piano or orchestra. The orchestra is a complex body of instruments music, and therefore, often distracts with busy instrumental texture from the attention that would be given to a bass soloist. It is my intention to show in this paper that even though the double bass, especially in regard to solo works, will likely never become as popular as other instruments like the violin, the trumpet or the flute, the sound of the double bass is in fact highly attractive and variable. I will also show to my readers that bassist is able to play a much more challenging repertoire than many people might think, and that a lot of thought goes into its solo performance. 2 “The Double Bass”, a Complex Musical Instrument As I mentioned in my introduction, there are several reasons why the double bass is not yes as familiar to a large audience, but the biggest reason is the complexity of the development of the history of the double bass, which when looked at from the outside seems rather confusing one. Brian J. Siemers states that “The double bass has one of the most varied and interesting histories of any modern musical instrument.”1 This aspect of historic complexity is even disputed, or at least discussed, among double bass players, and we can safely say that it might confuse many other people who are not too familiar with the instrument. There are two main aspects creating this confusion: one is that there is a general argument and disagreement about the true ancestor of the double bass, as well as influences on its development; and second, there are many different types of terminologies for the instrument. The double bass’s ancestor is truly ambiguous. The instrument is often regarded as a “big violin” and is therefore easily assumed to be a member of the violin family. However, some people make the argument that the double bass is a member of the viol family. Even though the violin and the viol look like they might themselves come from the same family, they have developed over time through very different paths and have eventually assumed very different roles of performance. The viol is a bow-played string instrument coming in various sizes and was mostly used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Additionally, the position of great importance that the viol initially had 1. Brian J. Siemers, “The History and Development of the Double Bass” (doctor’s thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2001), 5. 3 was eventually taken over by the violin family due to the changing demands in performances. This change occurred mostly because of the mere volume of sound that the instrument of the violin family was able to produce. After the Renaissance, with its rather gentle sound ideal, and with the arrival of a new, more pompous style of timbre in the Baroque, the viol family is not used as much, and the strong instrument of the violin family became favored. Some paintings dating from the end of the 15th century show that there were some viols that were very similar to the modern double bass.2 In addition, many people believe that the proper ancestor of the double bass is the viola da gamba - a low-pitched member of the viol family. The viola da gamba or violone could be regarded as the instrument most similar to the double bass.3 On the other hand, Paul Brun states that the double bass is a member of the violin family because it has the development and many techniques in common with that family of instrument. He argued that therefore the double bass was established out of a development of the cello.4 Because of this ambiguity, which must have been accompanied the instrument from its very historic beginnings, the development of the instrument and its performance practice is equally complex. This happened because the performance practice of the double bass was influenced by forms and structures from both the violin and viol family throughout its history. Because of the 2. Ibid., 13-14. 3. Raymond Elgar, Introduction to the Double Bass, First ed. (England: Sussex Published by the author, 1960), 14. 4. Paul Brun, A New History of the Double Bass (Villeneuve dAscq: Paul Brun Production, 2000), 13. 4 complex development through the instrument’s history, it is possible to argue therefore that the double bass is simply a member of both the violin and viol family. Even Brun concedes in the end, after mentioning that the double bass is a member of the violin family, by also stating that the double bass is hybrid instrument which was affected by both violin and viol families.5 The terminology of the double bass has changed through the years and has been used differently depending on the geographic context. The changes of terminology relate to the intricate influences of the violin and viol families. People have even been using different names for the instrument in different languages around the world. The confusion of terminologies occurs because people have been using different names for the instrument differing from composer to composer, between players and listeners and, again, according to geographic differences.
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