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Concerto for Bass Guitar and Orchestra (vinyl)
Robert Groslot

Thomas Fiorini | Brussels Philharmonic

Concerto for Bass Guitar and Orchestra (vinyl)

Price: € 22.95
Format: LP 12inch
Label: Antarctica
UPC: 0608917733525
Catnr: AR 035
Release date: 07 October 2022
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1 LP 12inch
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€ 22.95
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Label
Antarctica
UPC
0608917733525
Catalogue number
AR 035
Release date
07 October 2022
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN
NL
DE

About the album

Brussels Philharmonic bassist, Thomas Fiorini realizes his dream: a bass guitar concerto. The vinyl will be out on May 6th, but today you can already listen to the full album via your favourite streamingplatform. Also available as immersive audio on Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music.

The idea of a concerto for bass guitar is something that I have been dreaming of for decades. Since its invention, the bass guitar has firmly established itself as an essential and integral part of practically every genre of music. The bass guitar, as we now know it, was invented and produced by Leo Fender starting in 1951. The more portable bass guitar, in comparison to the large and unwieldy double bass, was capable of playing at higher volumes via amplification and satisfied the new sonic demands created by the widespread use of electrification in popular music. By increasing the overall scale of the electric guitar and only using the lowest four strings (E, A, D, G), Fender gave birth to a new instrument. Traditional double bassists could quickly adapt, with the added benefit of more accurate intonation due to the frets. Hence the original name: The Precision Bass. At the same time, guitarists could also become bass players when called upon. As a result, many of the early bass guitarists began their musical life as guitar players, with the most well-known example being Paul McCartney of The Beatles.

The fact that the bass guitar had no direct lineage like the evolution of the piano or violin over time, led to a variety of disparate playing styles without any fundamental methodology. Unlike the more traditional instruments, the bass guitar does not sit upon a foundation of centuries of proven methods and established schools of playing. The evolution of the bass guitar has been a patchwork of trial and error by active musicians. This has led to a plethora of personal approaches and hybrid-styles, effectively leading to the rapid evolution of bass guitar technique. Given its relatively young history, it is remarkable how the bass guitar has grown from being an instrument taken up out of necessity, or as an afterthought, to being as respected and vital to modern music as any of the older, more established instruments.

The bass guitar is now finally finding its way into contemporary classical music. In 2014, bassist Victor Wooten collaborated with composer Conni Ellisor on a concerto for bass guitar and orchestra titled “The Bass Whisperer”. Finnish composer and bassist Lauri Porra composed and premiered “Entropia” for bass guitar and orchestra in 2015. And composer Fausto Romitelli used the bass guitar to great effect in his modern masterpiece “An Index Of Metals”.

Now, Robert Groslot’s Concerto for Bass Guitar and Orchestra represents the next step in the evolution of the bass guitar. Groslot’s composition pushes the instrument to its technical limits, while creating a unique symbiosis between the soloist and the orchestra. Although he may not be the first composer to write for the bass guitar in a symphonic setting, Groslot brings a level of artistry and sophistication to the composition that will continue and accelerate the legitimation of the bass guitar within contemporary classical music.

Thomas Fiorini
Het idee van een concerto voor basgitaar is iets waar ik al tientallen jaren van droom. Sinds zijn uitvinding heeft het instrument zich stevig gevestigd als een essentieel en integraal onderdeel van zowat elk muziekgenre. De basgitaar zoals we die nu kennen, werd in 1951 door Leo Fender in productie gebracht. De meer draagbare basgitaar, in vergelijking met de contrabas, was in staat om via versterking op hogere volumes te spelen en voldeed zo aan de eisen die door de elektronisering van populaire muziek werden gesteld. Door de schaal van de elektrische gitaar te vergroten en alleen de laagste vier snaren (E, A, D, G) te gebruiken, gaf Fender geboorte aan een nieuw instrument. Contrabassisten konden zich snel aanpassen door het bijkomend voordeel van een nauwkeurigere intonatie dankzij de frets. Vandaar de originele naam, de Precision Bass. Tegelijkertijd konden gitaristen zich heel gemakkelijk tot basgitarist kronen als dat nodig was. Veel van de vroege basgitaristen begonnen hun muzikale leven als gitarist, met als bekendste voorbeeld misschien wel Paul McCartney.

Het feit dat de basgitaar geen voorganger heeft, leidde tot een verscheidenheid aan ongelijksoortige speelstijlen die het instrument zonder enige fundamentele methodologie op de rails zetten. In tegenstelling tot de viool of de piano, rust de basgitaar niet op een eeuwenoud fundament van beproefde methodes en gevestigde speelscholen. De evolutie van de basgitaar is er een geweest van vallen en opstaan. Dit heeft geleid tot een overvloed aan persoonlijke benaderingen en hybride stijlen die enorm bevorderlijk zijn geweest voor de snelle evolutie van basgitaartechniek. Gezien zijn relatief jonge geschiedenis is het opmerkelijk hoe de basgitaar is uitgegroeid van een instrument, dat uit noodzaak of als bijzaak werd gebruikt, tot een instrument dat net zo gerespecteerd en onmisbaar is voor de moderne muziek als de oudere, meer gevestigde instrumenten en, naar mijn mening, onbetwistbaar cooler is.

De basgitaar baant nu eindelijk zijn weg naar de hedendaagse klassieke muziek. In 2014 werkte Victor Wooten samen met Conni Ellisor aan een concerto voor basgitaar en orkest getiteld "The Bass Whisperer." De Finse componist en bassist Lauri Porra bracht in 2015 "Entropia" voor basgitaar en orkest in première. Fausto Romitelli gebruikte de basgitaar met groot effect in zijn moderne meesterwerk "An Index Of Metals."

Robert Groslot's Concerto for Bass Guitar and Orchestra vertegenwoordigt de volgende stap in de evolutie van de basgitaar. Groslot's compositie zoekt de technische grenzen van het instrument op en creëert een unieke symbiose tussen de solist en het orkest. Hoewel hij misschien niet de eerste componist is die een symfonische setting schrijft voor de basgitaar, brengt Groslot een niveau van kunstenaarschap en verfijning in de compositie dat zeker zal bijdragen aan de legitimering van de basgitaar binnen de hedendaagse klassieke muziek.

Thomas Fiorini
Die Idee eines Konzerts für Bassgitarre ist etwas, wovon ich schon seit Jahrzehnten träume. Seit ihrer Erfindung hat sich die Bassgitarre als unverzichtbarer und integraler Bestandteil praktisch aller Musikgenres etabliert. Die Bassgitarre, so wie wir sie heute kennen, wurde von Leo Fender erfunden und ab 1951 produziert. Die tragbarere Bassgitarre war im Vergleich zum großen und unhandlichen Kontrabass in der Lage, über eine Verstärkung mit höherer Lautstärke zu spielen und erfüllte die neuen klanglichen Anforderungen, die durch die weit verbreitete Elektrifizierung in der Popmusik entstanden. Indem Fender die Gesamtskala der E-Gitarre vergrößerte und nur die untersten vier Saiten (E, A, D, G) verwendete, schuf er ein neues Instrument. Traditionelle Kontrabassisten konnten sich schnell daran gewöhnen, und die Bünde boten den zusätzlichen Vorteil einer präziseren Intonation. Daher auch der ursprüngliche Name: Precision Bass. Gleichzeitig konnten auch Gitarristen zu Bassisten werden, wenn sie gebraucht wurden. Daher begannen viele der frühen Bassgitarristen ihr musikalisches Leben als Gitarristen, das bekannteste Beispiel ist Paul McCartney von den Beatles.

Die Tatsache, dass die Bassgitarre keine direkte Abstammung hatte, wie die Entwicklung des Klaviers oder der Geige im Laufe der Zeit, führte zu einer Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Spielstile ohne eine grundlegende Methodik. Im Gegensatz zu den traditionelleren Instrumenten basiert die Bassgitarre nicht auf einem Fundament aus jahrhundertelang bewährten Methoden und etablierten Spielschulen. Die Entwicklung der Bassgitarre war ein Flickenteppich aus Versuch und Irrtum von aktiven Musikern. Dies hat zu einer Fülle von persönlichen Ansätzen und Mischformen geführt, was wiederum eine rasante Entwicklung der Bassgitarren-Technik zur Folge hatte. In Anbetracht ihrer relativ jungen Geschichte ist es bemerkenswert, wie sich die Bassgitarre von einem Instrument, das aus der Not heraus oder als nachträglicher Einfall erlernt wurde, zu einem Instrument entwickelt hat, das in der modernen Musik ebenso respektiert wird und so wichtig ist wie jedes der älteren, etablierteren Instrumente.

Die Bassgitarre findet nun endlich ihren Weg in die zeitgenössische klassische Musik. Im Jahr 2014 arbeitete der Bassist Victor Wooten mit der Komponistin Conni Ellisor an einem Konzert für Bassgitarre und Orchester mit dem Titel "The Bass Whisperer". Der finnische Komponist und Bassist Lauri Porra komponierte "Entropia" für Bassgitarre und Orchester, das 2015 uraufgeführt wurde. Und der Komponist Fausto Romitelli setzte die Bassgitarre in seinem modernen Meisterwerk "An Index Of Metals" mit großem Erfolg ein.

Nun stellt Robert Groslots Konzert für Bassgitarre und Orchester den nächsten Schritt in der Entwicklung der Bassgitarre dar. Groslots Komposition treibt das Instrument an seine technischen Grenzen und schafft gleichzeitig eine einzigartige Symbiose zwischen dem Solisten und dem Orchester. Auch wenn er nicht der erste Komponist ist, der für die Bassgitarre in einem symphonischen Rahmen schreibt, bringt Groslot ein Niveau an Kunstfertigkeit und Raffinesse in die Komposition ein, das die Legitimation der Bassgitarre in der zeitgenössischen klassischen Musik fortsetzen und beschleunigen wird.

Thomas Fiorini

Artist(s)

Thomas Fiorini (bass guitar)

Bassist Thomas Fiorini is a versatile musician who is at home in a variety of styles. In addition to his work in the bass section of the Brussels Philharmonic, he is an active performer. Recent performances include various international classical and Jazz musicians such as Terrance Blanchard, Jef Neve, Sam Vloemans, Liebrecht Vanbeckevoort and contemporary music ensemble Musique Nouvelles. Thomas also maintains a busy recording schedule and can be heard on many film and television soundtracks with composers such as Howard Shore, Ludovic Bource and Steve Willaert.   Equally at home on the bass guitar, he has performed with acts such as Rob Thomas, Gap Mangione, Bjork, Dave Samuels and top Belgian acts Sam Bettens, Stan Van Samang, Natalia, Niels Destadsbader, Belle...
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Bassist Thomas Fiorini is a versatile musician who is at home in a variety of styles. In addition to his work in the bass section of the Brussels Philharmonic, he is an active performer. Recent performances include various international classical and Jazz musicians such as Terrance Blanchard, Jef Neve, Sam Vloemans, Liebrecht Vanbeckevoort and contemporary music ensemble Musique Nouvelles. Thomas also maintains a busy recording schedule and can be heard on many film and television soundtracks with composers such as Howard Shore, Ludovic Bource and Steve Willaert.
Equally at home on the bass guitar, he has performed with acts such as Rob Thomas, Gap Mangione, Bjork, Dave Samuels and top Belgian acts Sam Bettens, Stan Van Samang, Natalia, Niels Destadsbader, Belle Perez, Jean Bosco Safari, Mama’s Jasje, Jo Valley, Boogie Boy, Wim Leys and N8N. Thomas is an alumnus of The Berklee College of Music and has received his bachelor’s degree from Mannes College of Music and master’s degree from The Lemmensinstituut. A native New Yorker, Thomas now calls Antwerp, Belgium his home.

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Brussels Philharmonic

“The world needs symphonic music.  And symphonic music needs the world.” That is the firm belief of the Brussels Philharmonic. As a symphony orchestra founded in 1935 under the auspices of the Belgian public broadcaster, unveiling the symphonic world as best we can is deep in our DNA. By innovating while maintaining full respect for the value of the past, we keep the symphonic music of the past, present and future relevant and inspiring – for ourselves and all of society. We do this from the historic Studio 4 at Flagey in Brussels, together with our music director Kazushi Ono: he shares our open and adventurous spirit and our rock-solid belief in the need for cross-fertilization between art, life and society.
more
“The world needs symphonic music. And symphonic music needs the world.” That is the firm belief of the Brussels Philharmonic. As a symphony orchestra founded in 1935 under the auspices of the Belgian public broadcaster, unveiling the symphonic world as best we can is deep in our DNA. By innovating while maintaining full respect for the value of the past, we keep the symphonic music of the past, present and future relevant and inspiring – for ourselves and all of society. We do this from the historic Studio 4 at Flagey in Brussels, together with our music director Kazushi Ono: he shares our open and adventurous spirit and our rock-solid belief in the need for cross-fertilization between art, life and society.

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Composer(s)

Robert Groslot

Robert Groslot (°1951, Mechelen – Belgium) started his musical career as a pianist. After winning the Alessandro Casagrande Competition in 1974 (Terni) and becoming laureate at the Queen Elisabeth Competition (Brussels, 1978), he undertook concert trips accross 4 continents through more than 20 countries and made many studio, radio and television recordings, over 120 CDs. A strong supporter of professional music education, Robert Groslot has taught piano at several distinguished music institutions in Belgium and the Netherlands until 2009. The majority of his career he spent at The Royal Conservatory of Antwerp where he was appointed Artistic Director in 1995. In the mid 1990’s he founded two succesful national youth orchestras that served as a training ground for an entire generation...
more
Robert Groslot (°1951, Mechelen – Belgium) started his musical career as a pianist. After winning the Alessandro Casagrande Competition in 1974 (Terni) and becoming laureate at the Queen Elisabeth Competition (Brussels, 1978), he undertook concert trips accross 4 continents through more than 20 countries and made many studio, radio and television recordings, over 120 CDs.
A strong supporter of professional music education, Robert Groslot has taught piano at several distinguished music institutions in Belgium and the Netherlands until 2009. The majority of his career he spent at The Royal Conservatory of Antwerp where he was appointed Artistic Director in 1995. In the mid 1990’s he founded two succesful national youth orchestras that served as a training ground for an entire generation of musicians, many of whom can be found working professionally throughout Europe.

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