Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Despite the work of many outstanding solo bassists, including Gary Karr, Edgar Meier, and Joel Quarrington, the double bass as a solo instrument remains a tough sell. Although the beautifully resonant sound of the instrument itself is sometimes enough to mask its technical limitations, style, finesse, and intonation often leave something to be desired.
Luckily for us, bassist Silvio Dalla Torre is a good salesman. In the early '90s he released two compact discs, both of which contain a collection of duos with cellist Marion Vetter and use a traditional double bass tuned in fourths. This release, however, not only marks Dalla Torre's debut as a soloist on a major label (Hänssler), but with an instrument -- the bassetto -- that has been for many years shrouded in obscurity.
The bassetto, which has appeared in numerous stringing configurations, shapes, and sizes, is nearly identical to the double bass except for its comparatively miniature size. For his performance on this disc, Dalla Torre uses his own 1720 bassetto, made by Italian Giovanni Grancino and tuned in fifths (G-D-A-E, exactly two octaves below violin tuning).
This disc contains a potpourri of popular selections by well-known composers arranged for the double bass by Dalla Torre. The Mendelssohn Songs without Words and Schumann Liederkreis, which make up the bulk of the album, reveal the bassetto's appeal: a luscious (but not overweight), warm, mellow sound. Dalla Torre elicits a gorgeous soaring tone from his Milanese instrument that is especially evident in the peaks of the Bruch, Rachmaninov, and especially Fauré; he couples that sound with masterful phrasing to give the works a truly vocal quality. Dalla Torre's accounts of each work are also technically secure and exhibit good intonation, a feat that bears mention since the irregular tuning of the instrument necessitates the use of a completely different fingering scheme.
Unfortunately, balance problems between piano and soloist (which generally occur when the bassetto sinks into the lower range) are sometimes heard scattered throughout both of these works. Pianist Matthias Petersen, with whom Dalla Torre has worked on many occasions, provides an otherwise musically and technically masterful account, with the exception of his rather stodgy and harsh interpretation of the introduction to the Fauré Elegie. While overall the sound on this disc is good, Dalla Torre's bow changes sometimes wheeze and groan with a raspy quality, a minor technical imperfection most likely due to a microphone placed too near to the instrument.
Although the sound of the bassetto is in many ways similar to that of the double bass, the diminutive size of the former and its resultant agility and comparative performance ease confirm Dalla Torre's performance as a valuable one to the music world. This is a recommended disc and important release for anyone with even a passing interest in the double bass or alternative instruments. One would only have hoped for a greater variety of styles on the album so that we can more fully appreciate what this impressive bassist has to offer outside the realm of lyricism.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Lied ohne Worte (Song without Words), Op. 109 (arr. for double bass and piano) (Felix Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), Book 5, Op. 62 (arr. for double bass and piano) (Felix Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Kol nidrei, op. 47 (Max Bruch)
Max Bruch, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
4 Short Pieces (arr. for double bass and piano) (Frank Bridge)
Frank Bridge, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Chanson de nuit, Op. 15, No. 1 (arr. for double bass and piano) (Anonymous)
Edward Elgar, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Chanson de matin, Op. 15, No. 2 (arr. for double bass and piano) (Anonymous)
Edward Elgar, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
14 Songs, Op. 34: No. 14. Vocalise in E Minor (Serge Rachmaninoff)
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 17 (arr. for cello and piano) (Anonymous)
Gabriel Fauré, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Elegie-melodie (Jules Massenet)
Jules Massenet, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Chant du menestrel, Op. 71 (arr. for double bass and piano) (Alexandre Glazounov)
Alexander Glazunov, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Elegie, Op. 24 (arr. double bass and piano) (Anonymous)
Gabriel Fauré, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Liederkreis, Op. 24 (arr. for double bass and piano) (Robert Schumann)
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Robert Schumann, Composer - Anonymous, Composer - Silvio Dalla Torre, Artist, MainArtist - Matthias Petersen, Artist
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Album review
Despite the work of many outstanding solo bassists, including Gary Karr, Edgar Meier, and Joel Quarrington, the double bass as a solo instrument remains a tough sell. Although the beautifully resonant sound of the instrument itself is sometimes enough to mask its technical limitations, style, finesse, and intonation often leave something to be desired.
Luckily for us, bassist Silvio Dalla Torre is a good salesman. In the early '90s he released two compact discs, both of which contain a collection of duos with cellist Marion Vetter and use a traditional double bass tuned in fourths. This release, however, not only marks Dalla Torre's debut as a soloist on a major label (Hänssler), but with an instrument -- the bassetto -- that has been for many years shrouded in obscurity.
The bassetto, which has appeared in numerous stringing configurations, shapes, and sizes, is nearly identical to the double bass except for its comparatively miniature size. For his performance on this disc, Dalla Torre uses his own 1720 bassetto, made by Italian Giovanni Grancino and tuned in fifths (G-D-A-E, exactly two octaves below violin tuning).
This disc contains a potpourri of popular selections by well-known composers arranged for the double bass by Dalla Torre. The Mendelssohn Songs without Words and Schumann Liederkreis, which make up the bulk of the album, reveal the bassetto's appeal: a luscious (but not overweight), warm, mellow sound. Dalla Torre elicits a gorgeous soaring tone from his Milanese instrument that is especially evident in the peaks of the Bruch, Rachmaninov, and especially Fauré; he couples that sound with masterful phrasing to give the works a truly vocal quality. Dalla Torre's accounts of each work are also technically secure and exhibit good intonation, a feat that bears mention since the irregular tuning of the instrument necessitates the use of a completely different fingering scheme.
Unfortunately, balance problems between piano and soloist (which generally occur when the bassetto sinks into the lower range) are sometimes heard scattered throughout both of these works. Pianist Matthias Petersen, with whom Dalla Torre has worked on many occasions, provides an otherwise musically and technically masterful account, with the exception of his rather stodgy and harsh interpretation of the introduction to the Fauré Elegie. While overall the sound on this disc is good, Dalla Torre's bow changes sometimes wheeze and groan with a raspy quality, a minor technical imperfection most likely due to a microphone placed too near to the instrument.
Although the sound of the bassetto is in many ways similar to that of the double bass, the diminutive size of the former and its resultant agility and comparative performance ease confirm Dalla Torre's performance as a valuable one to the music world. This is a recommended disc and important release for anyone with even a passing interest in the double bass or alternative instruments. One would only have hoped for a greater variety of styles on the album so that we can more fully appreciate what this impressive bassist has to offer outside the realm of lyricism.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 23 track(s)
- Total length: 01:14:53
- Main artists: Silvio Dalla Torre Matthias Petersen
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: haenssler CLASSIC
- Genre: Classical Chamber Music
(C) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC (P) 2000 haenssler CLASSIC
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.