Koussevitzky Plays Koussevitzky (Concerto Op. 3, II. Andante)

Serge Koussevitzky (1874 - 1951) performs the second movement (Andante) of his Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra in F-sharp Minor, Op. 3. The orchestra reduction is played by pianist Pierre Luboshutz. Recorded September 25, 1929 and first issued on Victor 99-2000. The photograph is a Bachrach studio portrait from my collection boldly signed by Maestro Koussevitzky and dated October 22, 1929, less than one month after the recording was made.

[@slowPhil95]

I feel very fortunate to be able to listen to Koussevitzky himself.

[@Vvarga87]

This man had a really big heart.

[@nickmidget]

Really in love with this. Just like a time capsule filled with beautiful art.

[@baroquecello]

Unfortunately he only recorded the second movement. His use of harmonics at the end leads me to wonder how he performed the other movements. He did, however, record his Valse Miniature and Chanson Triste along with Gustav Laska's Wiegenlied and two transcriptions, the Largo from the Eccles Sonata and the Minuet in G by Beethoven. As for the portamento I can only quote my college bass professor who on first hearing it said "it was another time."

[@miguelviana3359]

do you have his recording of the eccles Sonata?

[@pablocaar4285]

@@miguelviana3359 you can find all Koussevitzky recording on imslp.org!

[@michaelastarzyk265]

OOOOOOOOOOO MYYYYYYYYYY! Now this makes me think of liquid gold. Koussevitzky you are my role model for life. Thank you so much!

[@MrInterestingthings]

Amazing we have his actual double bass playing .So much exists wish my teachers could have heard Zimbalist,Elman Rabin etc.Wonderful finds radio,home recs everything showing up in our crazy times!

[@gustavodl]

Amazing. Thenk you for that. This movement is very beautiful. Incredible listening Koussevitzky himself playing that.

[@user-dm5im1nk4c]

自分が認識していたよりもずっとロマンティックな哀愁のある表現でした。 古い白黒の映画を味わうような、切なくなるような演奏。 現代の技巧の優れた演奏も良いが、作曲者本人による時代を感じさせるこの演奏も、とても味わい深くて素晴らしいです。

[@angelchavez708]

He had a fantastic control of the tempo.

[@tity4100]

now i understand how this movement should be played. old school playing is always the best. viva Casals, Elman, Fournier and Koussevitzky!!!

[@Sprongles95]

I love the way he plays this.. that portamento is really beautiful. And he's playing this on gut strings.. it ain't easy to play so well on guts, lemme tell ya.

[@zdenekpazourek1086]

How do you know its played on gut strings?

[@gregoryf4186]

These are steel strings

[@MrInterestingthings]

And How Do You Knowthis?

[@kontrabassman]

Thankyou for posting this. I was hoping that some day I could hear a recording of him.

[@OAAMRF]

infinite thanks for sharing this item!!!!!!!

[@coldwaterisbestwater5549]

This sound is pure

[@MotoMoto-ld9gi]

Thanks for uploading this

[@frankcastillobass]

Thank you for uploading this

[@EdBlonski]

Thank you for this! I'm going to put the link in my Classical Music Almanac blog tomorrow - on the anniversary of the premier of this piece.

[@paulostroff99]

Stupendous! Bravo! TY.

[@tity4100]

thanks for posting.

[@leongreen8088]

On the virge of tears from his clear, full, lowest notes. Missing his beloved Tver.

[@jcobalis]

wow thats great. He really does take it up the octave at the end. I never knew that.

[@RobZahnBass]

@baroquecello Another time indeed. Love these old recordings; the strings sound a bit drunk. :)

[@sacamedeaca]

monster glizzando

[@karinbockelmann1999]

Brüder Jussus

[@user-ie6oj2kh9m]

😂

[@ivywoods13woods31]

Holy shit

[@Sprongles95]

@bassivus Yup! You can tell a little by the sound (which is just so beautiful of course), and I believe steel strings weren't used on double basses until the 50's. Have you seen the great LIFE magazine portrait photograph of Anselme Fortier? It was taken in 1938 and you can see he has gut strings too.

[@Sprongles95]

gut strings!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

5:38 Koussevitzky is playing the ending of the 2nd Movement an Octave Higher using only Harmonics.

[@Ben-ig3bf]

I think it sounds rather bad in his own performance. Ödön Racz sounds like a literal god up there and its among the most touching II. movement ending I've ever heard

[@karinalicha]

no mames q hermoso..¡¡¡

[@egon4593]

Is the bass tuned in the usual way? The upper string seems to be tuned in A, which would make sense, of course.

[@KillerFrog]

you're right, all the strings are tuned up a whole step

[@Awqkened903]

There are two usual ways, the one I believe you are referencing is the standard orchestral tuning (E A D G.) However, the other usual way is solo tuning ( F# B E A.) Most soloists use solo tuning to get a brighter sound.

[@bent96]

I second Tity4100- Thanks very much for posting. I don't suppose you have the other movements? Boy, the way he plays with so much portamento, you could practically play it with one finger. Still great to hear though.

[@carlosdoublebassist]

mate! you can not be serious! hahaha i am listening to this at fucking three in morning... What I am doing with my live??

[@AdamOveracker]

Do you have his other recordings and if so can you please upload them as well?

[@micheleauteri-nu9ve]

Interpretazione del maestro assolutamente straordinaria, lontano anni luce da quello che si ascolta al giorno d'oggi. Purtroppo nella maggior parte delle attuali scuole o conservatori musicali si insegna ai poveri malcapitati studenti di eseguire le note intese come formalità di solfeggio freddo, pulito, avulso da ogni considerazione di carattere poetico ed interiore: questa mancanza di studio introspettivo (unita ad una saccente e dannosa formale pignoleria) produce un'ampia gamma di esecutori noiosi, meccanici, inconsistenti, sciatti senza cavata e profondità di immagine sonora. Insomma, piccoli suoni e vibrato caprino. Il pubblico, poverino, è costretto a sorbirsi lo strazio di queste pessime esecuzioni, potendo a stento seguire la rigida monodia di questo brano che come invece dimostra il suo autore ed interprete risulta essere stupendo.

[@dcco76]

@hsu912174 great bass and greater player!

[@alansilvero6297]

No tenees los otros movimientos grabados por el tambien ¿¿

[@Ben-ig3bf]

Unfortunately koussevitzky only ever recorded the 2nd movement. I have now answered your question of 11 years

[@exavian1]

What the hell are you talking about people show emotion and creativity all the time in music just look up Yo-Yo Ma playing the swan. His playing is pure emotion.

[@Lawrence.Bennett]

Gut strings.

[@drzh7777]

+Lawrence Bennett My teacher, the late Henry Loew, told me that Koussevitzky, and the bass section of the Boston Symphony, were all early proponents of steel strings. They were said to use Black Diamond. These strings were supposed to be really hard on the instrument because of the great tension.

[@lawrencebennett300]

+drzh7777 Great, thanks. My British teachers used to watch their gut stings unwind if someone opened the door. The tension must have been scary until luthiers got used to it.

[@matteomirri114]

Like a Theremin

[@bassivus]

@Sprongles95 Are you sure?

[@zinam5795]

hi's louk like Lev landau_the tipe! m.b.he was,in music!

[@CesarJoseee]

Koussevitzky sort of looks like FDR.

[@gregoryf4186]

Eww, I hate FDR

[@andresalvarez7021]

Hello, by chance you do not have the 1 and 3 move the concert.

[@therapsids]

Koussevitzky only recorded this movement.

[@RobZahnBass]

Haha, I totally get that lots of portamento was typical back in the day, and I love this man, but his performance seems a bit drunk. :)

[@bent96]

I think you misinterpret my statement- I only mean to say that from a technical standpoint the overuse of sliding is a bad thing. An amount of it is certainly called for considering the period and influence of the piece (romantic and operatic), but, in my humble opinion, he does use a little too much: the overuse diminishes the expressive effect and calls into question whether he could play it without. Its still a great recording to hear, especially to learn that he does play 8va at the end.

[@thatcherdrake6452]

I disagree. Kouss was one of the greatest upright players of all time, and he wrote the dang piece. He unquestionably had the ability to play it any way he wanted to. Other videos of him playing concertos can certainly prove this. It's fine if you don't like the style, but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of technique.

[@lucazalaffi1able]

👍 for the historical value .. but in my mind I think: Miao miao mia mia miao miao miaoooo, mia mia mia miaaaoooo, ecc. ecc. 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱 😁😁😁😁😁

[@user-qo1un6qe7f]

Rinat Ibragimov is much better,he is also the best

[@paoloalcantara2465]

You are a clown 🤡

[@SarahJones-wy5us]

This is chronically out of tune ,plus too much sliding, what the heck?

[@GinPiano]

A terrible performance by Koussevitzky : no sense of rhythm, direction or phrasing, and, to make the matters worse, out of tune most of the time....My sincere condolences go to the pianist, who was probably sweating his arse off to be able to adapt to the 'soloist's' piss take....:D

[@KevinReginaldCooke]

Gintaras Pamakstys he composed this piece. One could strongly argue that this is what he wanted it to sound like.

[@daniel5054]

But his glissando sounds like he didn't practice but I like this concerto

[@tavonw2492]

@@daniel5054 it's called portamento

[@pablocaar4285]

You don't have a good taste! Shame on you! If you could have just a little sense of knowledge about romantic performance practice and about the importance of all the elements presented in this wonderful recording you couldn't hear it in an other way!!! It is just beauty full of humanity, nature and absolute musical sensibility! As it can no longer be heard almost anywhere...

[@egon4593]

@@daniel5054 In that time, portamento was used as vibrato is still used today. In fact, they used more portamento but less vibrato. Louis Spohr writes in his "Violinschule" how to use portamento and vibrato in a tasteful way.