Where are they??

[Ken Smith]

Wow.. Nice.. The principal is a 4-string? Italian or English bass? Also I see mostly big 5s and one bass with Extension.. Nice mix. Great orchestra.. Which one is you?

[Sebastian Nordstrom]

They are great!

I will ask the principal, Joel Gonzales, what his bass is next time I meet him. He is one of the teachers here at our school. The player behind him in the back row, Michal Stadnicki, was principal for ca 30 years I think. I'm studying with him.

I have heard being able to play the low notes, below E, is more or less mandatory in DR Symphony and at the royal danish opera orchestra. So you basically have to play 5-strings or extension. Unless you are principal, then you can play whatever you like. But maybe this is common practice worldwide? I know that in germany and austria, 5-strings is what you always play in orchestra. In Sweden, were I'm from, I think it varies from orchestra to orchestra.

I'm not a professional orchestral musician (yet!) but I hoping to elbow myself into that world. I have been freelancing as jazzer (and a bunch of other stuff) for about a decade, orchestral music is relatively new for me and I'm in my 1st year of masters. I try to work as hard as I can and trust that it will lead to something.

[Ken Smith]

Ok, great.. keep at it.. It will come..

[Sebastian Nordstrom]

While on the topic of large, german, old basses, maybe these are interesting. They belong to the opera orchestra, I believe. I "stole" the pictures from the principals instagram. I don't know him, but I don't think it's a horrible crime, the profile is public.

First is a "Schnabel" second is a Leopold Widhalm. Never heard either name before. The first bass' label-picture, are all danish repair labels. Second is manufacturer and year(1795?) and a old repair label from Mannheim.

(I'm currently sick and have to isolate myself so this is how prevent dying of boredom...)

[Ken Smith]

Very interesting old German basses. Thanks for posting these.