Gary Karr - Koussevitsky Concerto - 1st Mvt. (1987)

Doublebass virtuoso Gary Karr has revolutionized the art of an instrument described as "the bullfrog of the orchestral lily pond." His playing combines the bravura technique with impassioned lyrical interpretations to create a uniquely sensuous sound. Praised by TIME magazine as "the world's leading solo bassist," he has popularized and revealed the virtuosity of the doublebass, expanded its repertoiire, and set new standards of performance. Since his deput in 1961 he has enjoyed a career as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras throughout the world, including the Berlin Symphony, BBC Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Osaka Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Toronto Symphony. This performance was with the Valley Symphony Orchestra in Edinburg, Texas, under the direction of Carl Seale on March 10, 1987.

[@triene100]

I will never forget when Gary Karr came to give a house concert at my house in the sumer of 1978. I was 14 then. What a pity we did not have a home camera at the time! We just have black and white pictures. What good memories!

[@saile1341]

the orchestra plays so in tune. its awesome

[@Niko-zf5ml]

Lol

[@jonathanwyble4227]

After being critical of wide wobbly vibrato, portamento, and general "come to mama" musicality in my youth, I will say this: Gary Karr is a wonderful musician who has figured out that on the bass, there is no elegance without projection, that the narrative going on with the bow will always be more important than "Did my left hand make the shift?"

[@TorsoJones1]

My bass teacher was in the orchestra on this recording. Must have been awesome...

[@gregoryf4186]

You’re a tmea all-stater too, whose your teacher?

[@alexanderhemming9148]

Gary Karr has the best sound I've ever heard. I think that what I find most amazing about him though is that he can play so loud. I'm a bassist and I'd say that I enjoy playing really loud myself. However it takes a lot out of you to play that loud especially over an extended period of time. Wow!

[@gregoryf4186]

Yeah you can see he’s playing on the bridge most of the time

[@YourAnjl]

His Koussevitsky work can make me cry, especially when seen and heard in person.

[@Daenoxiis]

Gary Karr is amazing. I can only dream to be that good one day. This is also a very beautiful piece, I owe this video to me discovering Koussevitzky.

[@DChodzin]

Oh hey Kyle, funny seeing you here. And yeah, I like how you put it. My teacher always tells me to play something "how I would sing it," and Karr plays this the way I would sing it.

[@muserik]

Gary is "da Man" NOBODY has such a sound. Plays from heart and soul. Brings tears to my eyes. Love you Gary

[@kyshale]

He makes everything look so effortless.

[@lpmpjawabarat8268]

In my opinion, all the double bass players in the past always looked authoritative, cool, and sometimes made me pause when I listened to them play. exactly the same reaction I had the first time I heard this paganini song. five stars for karr 🌟🌟✨✨✨🤩

[@KaraCamilleDelonas]

I don't know why, but this piece breaks my heart every time I hear it.

[@PapaSmurff660]

youre not alone

[@mateoestanislao2250]

WOW! That higher octave at the end was amazing! Truly an inspiring performance and person.

[@MsBossio]

Que grande este MAESTRO GARY KARR

[@boboandgatsby5083]

So beautiful

Awesome!

[@kadenbass]

I was lucky enough to play this fantastic bass at the ISB convention last week. It was a truly amazing instrument...

[@dougmiller3559]

What a gift Gary Karr is !!

[@seanormiston5030]

Karr's vibrato is the holy grail to me. It's consistency creates a trademark voice that is instantly recognizable, and unleashes enormous romanticism from the bass.

[@ionutzamfir5794]

have you heard Bozo Paradzik play???? you'll forget Karr.... sorry abt that😢

[@georgesasto7728]

I had a double bass masters class w/ Gary Karr back in the 1970's. He is retired now, and is acknowledged as elevating the Double Bass to the front of the orchestra. He was/is a humorous, kind and enormously generous teacher. He is in the line of the worlds great double bass players in the tradition of Koussevitzky (Gary Karr owned and played Koussevitzky's bass also called the Amati bass for decades). He is the standard bearer for Double Bass players in classical music. Sorry for the short lecture, but he is a living legend, and I am just happy & honored to have the experience of having spent a brief time with him.

[@bassarmyhorsham1560]

I had a Masterclass with Gary in the 80's. I will never forget his wit, kindness, musicality and sheer presence. His sound does not come across at all on this recording. Sweet and mellow but focused and HUGE. So loud.... All in all a wonderful man and a miraculous musician

[@francisco3180]

Can You talk about the class?

[@dr05guitar]

my old bass teacher, who studied under Gary Karr incidentally, had his students raise the bass on its endpin to a height where your hand's first knuckles are basically even with the bridge when standing straight. This helps lessen the stoop some, but I guess you'll always have some

[@kyleplaysbass]

It's his style. Its genious. Its the exact same as an Opera Singer, which is what solo bass i feel should sound.

[@bassramos]

Awesome

[@quaintandarduous]

amazing sound on that last arpeggio especialy the harmonic

[@charminultra9727]

good job

[@69srki]

Great Solist.Stil is unique and also tone. Specific approach to playing, very interesting bass player.

[@yosefavraham5691]

l loved

[@jamestsang1835]

my private teacher knew gary karr. he was an amazing player. he made the cd's for the bass suzuki books.

[@venskus2009]

God he has an amazing looking bass. great sounding too.

[@CdLopez101]

He is so amazing, i have a recording of him playing this and the dragonetti, he is the perfect example of a proper german bow player

[@nickmidget]

I played this for an audition last year. Wish I could do it like this.

[@MonacoBlast]

I couldn't agree more. I never asked myself if there would be any consequences after 20 or 30 years of playing bent over the bass. One of the discs in my neck is pressing against my spinal cord. I'll be doing rehab crap for the rest of my life.

[@Atomic_pavarotti]

MonacoBlast Has it gotten any better?

[@WalkerKing]

@irvnz I play German. When I first started out French just gave me too much finger pain. I was probably doing it wrong but I like German too much now. I find it gives you more power and sound because you have more weight from your arm. French is faster because you only need to move your wrist.

[@iteachbass]

In reply to stewartrosen's French horn comment: You're wrong. I can list easily a dozen orchestras and even more hornists who make that opening solo explode - the best? Ted Thayer, retired Principal of the National Symphony! As for Gary, well.. he says it all in his playing. Absolutely incredible!

[@alexmmusa]

RAWR he makes the triplets seem so easy -_-

[@xXiPepsiFanXx]

Boss

[@Contrabassology]

This is on my curtis audition rep

[@41hz]

In classical music the bass is most often played with the bow.

[@hgblackshadowmaster]

where is there an orchestral arrangement for this like in the video? I can't seem to find one :(

[@fatgoogle]

Bloody hell, i only started the double bass the past couple of months after playing EB for a couple of years and that is amazing. Can i ask is he using a standard French, german bow and holding it different or is it something else.

[@Awqkened903]

14 years late but he is using the German bow

[@KWR01]

@rshobiz1 Yes, the sound is not the best, but remember the video is from 1987 and transferred from several formats since then. For optimum audio, buy a professional recording made with a major symphony orchestra.

[@gibemere]

Has anyone heard the recording of this, it's about 6-10 clicks faster and amazing agility

[@eerbrev]

Interesting that he does the last few bars of this up the octave. Great performance, all in all. I've been told his tone doesn't come off as well on recordings as it does live. It sounds very nasal here, and it is in real life as well, but it is apparently much sweeter acoustically.

[@gregoryf4186]

The octave up is actually how kouss played it himself

[@TehRacooonODoom]

google images is our friend, but rd112188 is right, he is playing german :)

[@SamsonCheung]

Definitely a German bow. I worked with him in 1979.

[@armaggedonOUTAhere]

Is he playing the very end 8va? If so, why?

[@eliseoborrerobass]

Yes. For excitement and projection. The soloist has that power in classical music. A lot more freedom of interpretation than an orchestra player, who is more a slave of the conductor.

[@dic_chocolate1282]

How did he do that F#

[@ezno_2603]

5:49

[@irvnz]

I am just starting my Double bass career, and wondered why some prefer German over French.. mine is French...

[@Awqkened903]

German is more comfortable to some people

[@YourAnjl]

And, no, this is not the best recording. I've heard him doing other pieces and live, and it is even better than this. But no one can touch him, to me.

[@griffinteller5267]

Rinat Ibragimov comes pretty close, but I agree ;)

[@mickybass257]

Why are all the vibratos the same personality（caracter）! ?

[@gregoryf4186]

Idk, Gary Karr still makes it interesting lol

[@Niko-zf5ml]

​@@gregoryf4186do you really find it interesting? Every note the exact same articulation, dynamic and Vibrato. Yes, it's loud. But to me this is not music.

[@gregoryf4186]

@@Niko-zf5ml I’m saying as a performer he’s enjoyable to watch, I agree about the music itself.

[@fabriziobuzzi7273]

My only question is: how can he play only with 1 finger😂

[@josepheacobar7743]

He plays with two His Vibrato technique is very bizarre yet it’s very wide

[@angelchavez708]

He use his thump to move his hand through the fingerboard and with the first finger he pull the string. He show me how to do that after i asked him the same question like you. This is a technique he develope when he was a kid.

[@gregoryf4186]

I mean it works lol, especially in lyrical passages

[@rshobiz1]

Gary Karr the best!! ever!!! The sound on this vid suks!

[@TehRacooonODoom]

aaaaah the pain of bad autofocus!!!!!! (6:00)

[@aleksandrviolin7665]

Херово , у Ибрагимова куда лучше

[@Niko-zf5ml]

Ok cool, very loud, very projecting. But has he ever heard of phrasing, articulation, dynamics etc.?? It just sounds all the same...

[@saile1341]

lol

[@m0rvidusm0rvidus18]

It honestly makes zero sense playing the double bass as a tenor solo instrument. It is way more difficult to play in that range and probably doesn't project as well either. The whole reason for the size and scale length was to play in the bass and doublebass range. If you want to play solos in this range then play cello. It's just as foolish as people playing the cello like a soprano instrument.

[@kurd55]

Only Karr has "that" tone. Really projects! The piece stinks, however.