So finally here it is! A definitive handbook to ALL your questions about rare (gut/silk) three-string double basses. Where do they come from? Who made them? Who played them? How much are they worth? Should you go ahead and restore? How should you play one? What is their relevance in today's modern age?The gut three-string double bass first appeared in the late 18th century.They were distinctly different to other "bass" role instruments at their time. The size dimensions of the three-string instrument resembled what appears in the modern day full size 3⁄4 and 4/4 orchestral instruments. This book will give descriptive information about makers of the three-string double bass. It will provide an explanation regarding its pivotal role in promoting and establishing the standardized orchestral double bass and it will discuss the soloists, repertoire and composers of the instrument.The gut three-string double bass is usually considered to be a rare piece of antiquity, the original instrument that solo double bassists performed on. It is henceforth suggested that these pioneering soloists were responsible in creating the turning point for the resemblance of what we have come to see and hear in the modern double basses. Finally, this book will provide advice on treatises and methods for Baroque/Classical ensemble and string performers regarding correct period performance practice and technique. A composer's influences regarding period sonorities will be briefly mentioned.The gut three-string double bass had an extremely brief circulation in history! This book can also be seen as an introduction and an equally rare historical description of one of the "last rare relicts" of an instrument that may have otherwise "sneaked" its way past historical records completely...

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

100 Atmospheres is an invitation to think differently. Through speculative, poetic, and provocative texts, thirteen writers and artists have come together to reflect on human relationships with other species and the planet.

Previous edition, 2nd, published in 1994.

A guide to eighteenth and nineteenth century performance practice on the horn.

Discussion of tonal structure has been one of the most problematic and controversial aspects of modern study of Medieval and Renaissance polyphony. These new essays written specifically for this volume consider the issue from historical, analytical, theoretical, perceptual and cultural perspectives.

The Black Horn: The Story of Classical French Hornist Robert Lee Watt tells the story of the first African American French Hornist hired by a major symphony in the United States. Today, few African Americans hold chairs in major American symphony orchestras, and Watt is the first in many years to write about this uniquely exhilarating—and at times painful—experience. The Black Horn chronicles the upbringing of a young boy fascinated by the sound of the French horn. Watt walks readers through the many obstacles of the racial climate in the United States, both on and off stage, and his efforts to learn and eventually master an instrument little considered in the African American community. Even the author’s own father, who played trumpet, sought to dissuade the young classical musician in the making. He faced opposition from within the community—where the instrument was deemed by Watt’s father a “middle instrument suited only for thin-lipped white boys”—and from without. Watt also documented his struggles as a student at a nearly all-white major music conservatory, as well as his first job in a major symphony orchestra after the conservatory canceled his scholarship. Watt subsequently chronicles his triumphs and travails as a musician when confronting the realities of race in America and the world of classical music. This book will surely interest any classical musician and student, particularly those of color, seeking to grasp the sometimes troubled history of being the only “black horn.”