Rick Stotijn Interview + (stunning) Performance

In this interview, I sit down with the amazing Rick Stotijn, double bassist soloist, teacher, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist. Rick has an impressive and varied career of teaching and recording with various ensembles and as a soloist. He is Professor Double Bass at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf, co-founding member of the Stockholm Syndrome Ensemble, and chamber music meets rock music group, ORBI. In this interview, we talk about Rick's approach and experiences playing and teaching the double bass, including the essential rep he teaches his students, his 5-step plan for learning new music, his amazing bass collection, his exciting upcoming projects and more! There is also a stunning performance of Carin Malmlöf-Forssling's haunting composition, In Memoriam for Solo Double Bass. This is followed by two performances from Rick's upcoming release, Doppio Espressivo of Vivaldi's Vedro con mio diletto and Bottesini's Gran Duetto. For full details of the release please visit Rick's website by the link below.
TIMECODES
00:00 Introduction
02:57 First memories of the double bass
06:37 Teachers
08:36 German bow vs French bow
11:55 Teaching in Dusseldorf
15:00 The 10 commandments of bass
18:58 New rep for double bass
24:16 What makes a good principal double bass player?
25:54 Rick’s double basses
29:50 Strings
30:53 Bow and rosin
31:46 Upcoming projects
Performances
33:43 C. Malmlöf-Forssling - In Memoriam
35:41 A. Vivaldi - Vedro con mio diletto
40:45 G. Bottesini Gran Duetto
The final two videos were produced by Jens Ulrich Braun from Take 5 productions.
Find Rick online:
Website www.rickstotijn.com/
/ @rickstotijn7780
For a full list of links, please visit: discoverdoublebass.com/interv...
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[@brandontaylor3252]

The playing sounds so beautiful and effortless. I'm so happy to see someone sitting comfortably and straight backed behind the bass instead of standing and and hanging over the instrument like so many soloists do. It comes through in the effortless shifting on display here.

[@nab626]

Thank you for this very inspiring talk and soulfully played music!

[@mark-stefaniw]

Geoff you ask the best questions! Thanks for this awesome interview.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks so much Mark!

[@ibassnote]

Interesting guy. Totally agree with everything he says about teaching. It’s about questioning, every day, finding answers and then questioning again. We, definitely myself, look to externals: my bass, my bow, my strings, my rosin. All are important but by far the biggest factor is the player. I love this classroom atmosphere he describes. Supportive family pursuing excellence. I’m self-taught so I really miss that community and have to find it wherever I can. These videos are perfect to watch before picking up the bass to practice. Gives you something to focus on, just to get in.

[@gavinroberts7192]

Really enjoyed the new CD 'Doppio Espressivo' earlier today. Thanks so much to you both for this engaging and informative interview, which finishes off with three wonderful performances, including tracks from the album.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks for listening and great to hear you enjoyed it :-)

[@kylebatter1816]

Beautiful playing. Thanks.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks for listening :-)

[@jamesrichardson3322]

Nice guy!! Extremely talented guy!! You always ask really good questions. This channel is a gold mine!! Beautiful piece of music he played at the end 😲, amazing.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Much appreciated! :-)

[@CrandMackerel]

Wow

[@Hang-san]

It ain't bragging if you can back it up: Admittedly, I had mixed feelings and emotions when carefully listening to Rick Stotijn's views. In part too much for me. However, I am very grateful to Geoff Chalmers (your bass sounds great Geoff!) for his very sensitive approach in interviewing Rick Stotijn. So I did not stop listening and trying to understand and respect Dutch master bassist Rick Stotijn and his very elitist attitudes. I was then very moved, changed and convinced when hearing Rick play, especially when solo performing with the orchestra at 35:40. Thank you Rick Stotijn - thank you Geoff - I like it very much!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks, it's great to hear you enjoyed it.

[@gnypp45]

What is elitist about Stotijn's attitides? 🤔

[@Hang-san]

​@@gnypp45 Well, my initial impression (and perhaps feelings) was that he is a proud bass professor with an elitist attitude about music. Pls read my explanations on how I had to correct myself!

[@gnypp45]

@@Hang-san I get that you changed your opinion, but I don't understand why. A person can play wonderfully and still have an elitist attitude. To me these are two entirely separate things, and one does not negate the other.

[@bass-player]

Vivaldi top 🔥👏👍