Informationen zu "Bertram Turetzky Slam's Jam Double Bass Ensemble"
Verlag: Recital Music
Verlagsnummer: RM500
EAN: 9790570455003
ISMN: M-57045-500-3
Beschreibung
SLAM'S JAM was commissioned by the International Society of Bassists (ISB)
for their 2009 Young Bassists Programme. It was composed between 2008-9 and
is in memory of Leroy 'Slam' Stewart (1914-1987) who was a famous jazz
bassist who hummed or sang along as he played. The piece celebrates this
aspect of his playing in a jazz and rhythmic style and offers improvisations
and many opportunities for the adventurous ensemble. There are also
percussion parts playable by bassists or percussionists and the possibilities
are endless. 'Early in his career, while teaching at the Hartt School of
Music in Connecticut, Turetzky's life took a change of direction. A friend, a
composer, committed suicide at the age of 26. It was thought that the
composer despaired because no one would perform his music. This dramatic
episode illustrated to Turetzky that modern composers were desperate to have
their works performed, and if he wanted to play music on his instrument, he
needed to collaborate with them. Along with Henry Larsen, a clarinettist,
Turetzky formed the Hartt Chamber Players and sought out the new music of
living composers. 'Whatever was written for us, we would play it all. We
didn't stick to what was 'safe',' he says.' [Paul Hormick/Double Bassist,
Spring 2003] This one event completely changed Bert Turetzky's life, but
also changed one aspect of the repertoire and direction of the solo double
bass for decades to come. Almost single-handedly he persuaded composers to
explore every sound, noise and effect possible on the double bass, pushing
the boundaries of music/noise to the limit and creating a repertoire which is
possibly unique in the history of the instrument. His book 'The Contemporary
Contrabass', written in 1974, was described as 'a milestone in the search for
new timbres, at the same time futuristic and traditional' and described in
great detail the many sounds that were possible on the double bass and was
based on much research and exploration in the 1950s and 60s. More than 300
works have been written for him and still at the age of 82 Bert's passion for
the double bass is as strong as ever. Born on 14 February 1933 in Norwich,
Connecticut Bertram Turetzky took up the tenor banjo at the age of 12 or 13,
he switched to the guitar in high school, having fallen in love with jazz,
and then changed to the double bass which he described as '...the core of
everything, the glue between the harmony and the wind instruments.' Paul
Hormick writes: '...he made a commitment to become a professional jazz
bassist. If his playing was not top notch, he had, as he says, 'the energy,
commitment, and drive' needed for success. A letter from a classmate, on the
occasion of Turetzky's 50th high school reunion says that, of the class,
Turetzky 'was the only one who knew what he wanted to do, and went out and
did it'.' He subsequently studied at New York University and Hartt College
of Music of the University of Hartford and slowly changed direction from jazz
to everything else a bassist is asked to do - symphony, opera, contemporary,
jazz, teaching and recitals, featuring many of the new works that were being
written for him. For many years he combined his hectic performance schedule
with teaching, first at the Hartt School of Music and from 1968 as Professor
of Music at the University of California, San Diego, where he retired as
'Distinguished Professor Emeritus' only a few years ago. Alongside his
passion for contemporary music, Bert has also played a wealth of music from
the 15th and 16th-centuries. He has transcribed works for every possible
combination of instruments, but usually including the flute which was always
played by his wife Nancy, and the husband and wife partnership have been
fearless in their promotion of music for this rare instrumental duo. The vast
majority of repertoire for flute and double bass today was either written for
Bert and Nancy, or inspired by them. Bert has an interest in any repertoire
which features the double bass and has championed many chamber works which
are unknown or have been forgotten. Bert has composed and transcribed many
works for double bass. For some years his interest in the music of Domenico
Dragonetti (1763-1846) was a passion and in the early 1960s he edited six
waltzes for unaccompanied double bass by the great Venetian bassist.
Published by McGinnis & Marx, the pieces had been completely unknown and
unavailable at the time and still in manuscript and this one publication and
his subsequent recording in 1975 'Dragonetti Lives!' which featured three of
the waltzes, a solo for double bass and piano and a Duo for cello and double
bass, probably kick-started the resurgence of interest in Dragonetti's music
which is taking flight in the 21st-century. Although Bert Turetzky has spent
most of his life playing modern music and creating every possible sound and
noise that the double bass can produce, his own compositions, on the whole,
are far more traditional and accessible. He has composed a whole range of
music for double bass, probably for his own use or for his students, and into
his 80s the desire to compose and perform are as strong as ever. [David
Heyes/June 2015]
