Francesco Fraioli: Dark Side of Rhe Bass - COMPACT DISCS

Francesco Fraioli SKU: 24993067
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Title:

Dark Side of Rhe Bass

Artist:

Francesco Fraioli

Label:

CD Baby

Product Type:

COMPACT DISCS

UPC:

8033593090235

Genre:

Classical Artists

Release Date:

2010-01-19

Number of Discs:

1

Bass World magazine n° 33 Sounding Board The Dark Side of the Bass Francesco Fraioli, double bass Francesco Buccarella, piano N.B.B. Records NBB23 2009 The dark Side of the Bass features stunning performances by Italian double bassist Francesco Fraioli with Francesco Buccarella on piano. The CD includes three sonatas for double bass and piano by the composers Vilmos Montag, Hans-Peter Linde and Paul Hindemith. On the first track, the first movement (Allegro moderato) of the sonata by Vilmos Montag, Fraioli establishes his wide range of dynamic expression and depth of lyricism. Clearly, he is very influenced by one of his teachers, Francesco Petracchi.The entire work demands a legato tone that must be maintained over the wide register and over string crossings. Fraioli's agile shifting and string crossing technique allows him to maintain the dramatic and intense lyricism that score demands. Aided by the recording engineer's decision to utilize a close mic, he is able to clearly articulate every note of the rapid gestures while sustaining his lyricism throughout. However, it was very surprising to hear him occasionally negate his best qualities by opting to perform some of the spiccato passages very off-the-string. Fraioli's pizzicato tone is supportive, deep,very sustained, rich in overtones, and most importantly, dark in timbre. This is especially true at the end of the first movement. Perhaps his dark, rich timbre is what inspired the title of the CD. Despite the close mic, which favors clarity of fundamental frequencies and transients of the envelope more than the overtones of the bass, I'm even more impressed at how Fraioli was able to achieve such dark timbres under these circumstances. The Vilmos Montag Sonata was composed in 1967, but it's careful chromaticism and restrained emotion will remind the listener of the conservative romanticism of the cosmopolitan French tradition of the late 19th century. In other words, if you liked César Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano, you will like the Montag. The effective writing is very idiomatic and does not confront the double bassist with unreasonable and unmanageable difficulties. Vilmos Montag wrote the Sonata for his brother, Lajos Montag, a double bassist. The Sonata by Hans-Peter Linde, also written in 1967, will immediately remind listeners of the music of Shostakovich, especially the fugato section of the first movement. Also, like much of the music of Shostakovich, the Sonata by Hans-Peter Linde successfully walks the tightrope between the two extremes demanded by late 20th century audiences. It is accessible to the casual listener, yet the work can also satisfy the more sophisticated listener who also wants to analyze the work on multiple levels. Fraioli's approach on the Linde Sonata differs from the Montag. It is much more passive, careful, and in some places, even introspective in nature. The approach is cautious, carefully studied and rigorously appropriate. It is absolutely à propos for the mood of the Linde Sonata. There are formidable double stops in the third movement, and Fraioli executes them with poise and precision. The final sonata on the CD is Paul Hindemith's Sonata for Double Bass and PIano (1949). Fraioli realizes this venerable staple of 20th century repertoire with distinctive lyricism. Both Fraioli and pianist Francesco Buccarella eschew the traditional, misguided practice of square, mechanical and cold phrasing that has often plagued performances of the Hindemith Sonata. From the first sustained note, Fraioli shapes each note with sensitive detail drawing from his expressive vibrato and his command of the lyrical strokes in his right-hand bowing technique. The interpretation is fresh and classic all at once. The recording engineers Lorenzo Gerace and Stefano Cappelli are to be commended for their recording of the piano and double bass in an unusual space that would normally invite unwanted resonances and distortions of the sound waves. Not only did they compensate for such an unfavorable environment, they were able to allow the reverberations of the hall to appropriately color the sound of the double bass and piano. The balance of the double bass and piano in terms of volume and frequency distribution across the spectrum allowed for a unification of the two instruments as a chamber ensemble and ultimately empowered the musicians to produce a recording that is both transparent and ideal. -review by Jeremy Baguyos ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The dark side of the bass project aims at emphasizing the "hidden" assets and qualities of the double bass; on the one hand highlighting the instrument's enthralling poetic aspect while on the other hand stimulating interest in it's repertoire. Conceived together with Luca Aversano, lecturer in the history of music at the DAMS department of Roma Tre University College of Liberal Arts, the project's relationship with the academic world has proved so fruitful that it has transcended the mere cultural level and lead to the shared use of a physical space. In fact, the university's main hall was transformed into a recording studio that hosted both the musical performances and the recording sessions. Relying on the technical mastery and performance skills of Francesco Fraioli on double bass and Francesco Buccarella on piano, The dark side of the bass features works by Vilmos Montag (Sonata in E minor, 1967), Hans-Peter Linde (Sonata in E, 1967) and Paul Hindemith (Sonata, 1949). Besides their being paradigmatic examples of twentieth century music, the artistic style of double bass, as brought into play by these works, has proved a valid testing ground for daring musical experiments, whilst allowing for the creation of refined aural moods. One of the highlights of the CD, for both it's cultural and historical relevance, is the premiere recording of Hans-Peter Linde's Sonata in E (1967). Furthermore, the author has even agreed to be personally involved in the project by providing an introductory note to the sonata for the booklet accompanying the CD. Luca Aversano ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vilmos Montag, sonata in e minor for double bass and piano (Ed. F Hoffmeister, 1967) Vilmos Montag was born in Budapest February 16, 1908. A student of V. Kladirko and N. Zsolt, he received his diploma in violin at the music high school in Budapest. Later, he graduated in orchestral conducting at the national conservatory. At the same time, he studied composition with L. Lajtha and graduated with honors (Franz Liszt award). At the age of 20, Montag joined the Budapest Opera orchestra as well as that of the philharmonic society. In 1957 he moved to Sweden where he continued composing and where he died in 1991. His musical production consists of pieces for piano solo, a method on piano playing, 5 cadenzas written for the classical concert repertoire, orchestral works, chamber music and a mass. The sonata for double bass and piano in e minor, composed in 1967, is a product not only of musical inspiration, but of family alliances, as well. In fact, it was his brother Lajos Montag who asked him to compose a piece for the double bass. Lajos was a first rate double bassist and composed considerable music as well as a didactic method for the instrument. The part of the double bass in this sonata is transposed a step down from the normal pitch, except for the lowest string. The three higher strings are raised a whole tone according to the classic tuning of Bottesini, while the bottom e-string remains the same. The result is a mixed tuning which opens up new melodic possibilities. Instead of the normal perfect 4th intervals between the strings: e-a-d-g, we now have e-b-e-a. A perf

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