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Musical Discussions
Topic: An Afternoon with Gary Karr

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Posted by Romy the Cat on 09-04-2009
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I am listening the Gary Karr’s double bass take on Bach Solo Suites.  I like it and I do not. It is a controversial take as most of what Gary Karr did – some things are truly brilliant and some are just bad taste in my view.  I still trying to find his performance in 1983 with Takashi Asahina in Osaka where he took on Dvorak Cello Concerto….

Here is a good film about Gary Karr

The Cat
Posted by Paul S on 09-04-2009
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I bought "The Spirit of Kousevitsky" (sp?), which I though had somewhat of a pop flavor; maybe more in terms of playing style than the scores, per se.

I have only listened to the CD in my truck, but it sounds like most of the music is written for and played on the "gut" (unwrapped) strings, and the instrument seems to be pretty well centered with respect to its native timbre.  It really drives the open D, and nothing was done, recording-wise, to remedy the strong effect.  I thought the wound strings sounded pretty good, with incredible power, when they were used.  GK must have turned over a lot of rocks to come up with a bow tight enough to push this thing.  I am just guessing from its sound that this bass would not be all that easy to play.

Best regards,
Paul S
Posted by Romy the Cat on 09-04-2009
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I would disagree. In the CD has a phenomenal in my view transcription of Scriabin’s etiudes, the trash #6 and 8 in particular.  I do not sense any pop flavor in them. It has a slightly overly dramatized, almost theatrical-like feeling. The very few piano attempts of the same have etiudes have that drama. The Scriabin himself played it dryer I would say. Still, I do not think that other piano versions or the Scriabin himself shall be some kind of reference. What Karr did with those etiudes was very self-complete and I like them a lot. If I blame Mr. Karr in his play Scriabin then I would say that it is too straight forward. Scriabin in more convoluted and shall be played more "broken"… The Horowitz’s play in Moscow is NOT the play that I like but it gives some illustration how “inner-confusing” it might be..

The caT

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