PREFACE

GARY KARR says:

"It's outstanding and has more information than any other website for the contrabasso. My hat is off to you, Vito!"

Now the most important book about Bottesini also in English...enjoy!!

My main teacher Mr. MICHELE CELLARO

Dear collegues and visitors,

I have to explain some little things.

This a no professional website but it is a simple "my invention".

 Naturally I will talk about myself, my country (Italy) ,my little town Conversano, my parents, my friends and so on.

But I would like also to talk about the "Culture of the Double Bass" in every sense, expecially in relation to the "classic doublebass" (also Jazz players, naturally, are welcomed!).

I don't know a lot about the classic doublebass and so it's a good manner to study it better.

In every page you will find a lot of "OFF TOPIC"!!

I know my English is terrible and no correct. I beg your pardon!

My Best Bass Regards.

Vito Liuzzi

p.s.: remember that this site is ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION ...when I have got free time I add something ... until the megabytes don't finish!

You can find scores (sheet music) or books everywhere.

VITO D. LIUZZI

Professor of Double Bass in "G.Paisiello" University of Music - Doctor of Law - Public Journalist

MY CHANNEL on YOUTUBE

http://www.youtube.com/user/vitoliuzzi

Vito : the first "joung" Recital on TELEVISION

A little bit of "Divertimento Concertante" by Nino Rota for Telenorba TV (italian television broadcasting). I was 21 years old with an enormous emotion. Telenorba TV didn 't give me the the rights of their shots. So I thank my brother Rino for his amatorial shots remembering me of this incredible experience. Musics of the hole recital:

"Divertimento concertante" by Nino Rota, Koussevitzky Concerto in Fa#-, "Capriccio di Bravura" by G. Bottesini, "Elegia and Tarantella" by G. Bottesini.

I HAVEN'T USED SOFTWARE PROGRAMS TO CORRECT TUNING or PITCH (It would have been too easy).

In these old videos the input level recording of camera is always the same: the final result is that you can't appreciate the correct dynamics.

VITO LIUZZI - "Tarantella" by Bottesini (and Gavotta by Lorenziti)

GARY KARR says:

your Bottesini Tarantella performance  is very impressive and makes me wonder why you are afraid to play with Tom Martin? You're great and have a terrific facility. Bravissimo! Your musical concept makes a lot of sense to me, but I'm not Italian! If anyone should know how to interpret a Tarantella, it's YOU!!

TOMAHS MARTIN says:

I listened to your Tarantella. I thought the general level very good and I enjoyed listening to it. I thought the tempo for a Tarantella correct if a hair too slow. With many it becomes a caracature owing to a too fast non tarantella tempo. For example as you rightly do, there is no "meno mosso" where the melody comes - it only says "Cantabile" indicating that the two tempi are the same. Intonation seems very good.

Congratulations.

Vito Liuzzi and  "Romanza Drammatica" (G. Bottesini)

Vito Liuzzi - Koussevitzky Concerto in F#min

.... someone had cooled :-)!!

"I prefer to play the final part in Koussevitzky all staccato or spiccato -and not legato- just because in a large hall the public can apprepiate every note, from the first to the last one.

In small hall I prefer to play all this notes all legato because it's better for S. Koussevitzky's indications and also for public.

Everytime I have to decide what it's better also in relation to the acustical problems !!"

Vito

Click eventually on the photos to enlarge them !!

FREE DOWNLOAD "BEATLES FANTASY" for double bass and piano (arr. Mr. Michele Cellaro)

Clik on the photo

That's me: Vito D. Liuzzi (ITALY)

Vito and his new soloist double bass "Donato Rubino". 

I have got an ARCUS "Sinfonia" . Sincerly this "sinfonia" has been a no absolutely good choise, a really bad experience for me. The relation quality/price is the worst I've ever seen.

Probably one day I would be happy to test other Arcus bows so to tell you my humble and personal opinion.

What maestro GARY KARR thinks about this humble website

GARY KARR talks about my WEBSITE:           

"I'm not surprised by the success of your new website. It's outstanding and has more information than any other website for the contrabbasso. Your design is simple to use, very well organized and very attractive to the eye. I love your photos of your technique with the bow. They are a very useful tool for teachers and students. In fact, the entire website is a gold mine of information. Bravo to you, Vito, for creating this excellent reference source for anyone interested in our instrument. What you accomplished is nothing short of brilliant! My hat is off to you!".

Gary Karr

Thanks a lot Maestro Karr.

This site is simply "an idea" to do something different expecially for young students. Perhaps they can find much more than I was a young student. 

Gary Karr & Han Han Cho (Han Han plays also in "Poetic Schumann at 39")

PINO ETTORRE

Primo Contrabbasso "Teatro La Scala" Milano, solista, docente, compositore

La trovo una iniziativa fantastica. Hai fatto un lavoro
enorme e,ritengo, utilissimo, perché dà la possibilità a tutti di prendere
almeno coscienza di questi grandi del passato, peraltro un passato
abbastanza recente. Sorprendente che nessuno ti abbia ringraziato per questo
grande lavoro (tra l'altro ho visto che ci sono anche altri titoli
interessanti), sicuramente lo faccio io, grazie Vito!, credo che davvero sia
un grande contributo per la storia italiana del nostro strumento. "Pino Ettorre"

PINO ETTORE (english version)

Principal Double Bass in "La Scala Theatre" - Milano (Italy)

I find it a great idea. You have done a job

enormous and, I think, very useful, because it gives the chance for everyone to take

least aware of these greats of the past, also a past

quite recently. Surprising that no one has thanked you for this

great job (among other things I have seen that there are other titles

interesting), I certainly do, thanks Vito!, I think that really is

a great contribution to Italian history of our instrument.

"I have visited your website and find it really, really wonderful and with so much interesting material! Bravo!!"

Joel Quarrington

I looked at the your site ... Great!

                    Thomas Martin

"It is the most comprehensive contrabass site I have ever seen. A person could spend a lifetime perusing through Mr. Liuzzi pages of information

history and music files. And site keeps growing. A job VERY well done! Thank you Vito."
Frederick Charlton 

LEON BOSH

Vito,

Your website is magnificent and a truly wonderful resource for all bass players.

Your hard work enjoys my complete admiration, keep doing it!!

Leon Bosch.

Giovanni Bottesini "TESTORE"

It was owned by James Merritt in London. He was very old at the time and had retired. After he died, it was sold to a scoundrel who purchased it from Merritt's wife for almost nothing! He then sold it to an instrument company in Japan for 2000 times what he paid for it and then the instrument company sold it to a Dr. Kumada (a prominent psychiatrist) who build a high platform in his house which displayed the great Testore.

Well, at the moment we know other things. Doctor KUMADA has death some years ago.The family doesn't sell teh Testore of Bottesini.
One of a reason
Daughter's husband is  contrabass player who graduated from a college of music. He is not a professional doublebass player.

Just some doubts: in all over the world there are other supposed Testore. Are they original?? Is it the Kumada family's one the original. My research stops here.

But sincerly I think Kumada family in Japan has got the original one, in Osaka.

Domenico DRAGONETTI's original bow restored

SERGEI KOUSSEVITZKY

The authentic sound of S. KOUSSEVITZKY - listen to the large use of "glissando"!

GIOVANNI BOTTESINI (1821-1889)

My ancient farm (off topic!)

My ancient farm (at least 100 years old) were sometimes I go to study and play basketball!!

My Dad, Mimmo, and my mother Caterina!!

It's a strange thing. When I study here expecially during the summer, all my cats go away ... only Speedy looks at me and moves its head to tell: "There's nothing to do stoppin' him" ...  and escapes in a very fast manner.

Hmmm...

My personal italian liuther "DONATO RUBINO"

I've tested probably thirty doublebasses with my friend Donato. Now I play with one his doublebass

A younger and "thinner" teacher with some of his Korean Students

AN OLDER TEACHER WITH SOME OF HIS STUDENTS

My father Mimmo insigned to the Merit of "CAVALIERE del LAVORO" form Italian President Of Republic

CONVERSANO - Where I live

TARANTO (where I Teach)

WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY

Domenico Dragonetti "Gasparo da Salo'" 1590

before to be restored from the italian liuther

maestro SERGIO SCARAMELLI.

A life: GIOVANNI BOTTESINI (1821, crema -1889 Parma)

All about Giovanni Bottesini also in English translation

THIS IS THE FIRST PAGE. (Go and see to Giovanni Bottesini's page to find the other parts of the book in ENGLISH)

Perhaps the first "Bottesini" modern photo

THE DOUBLE BASS BLOG

by Vito Liuzzi

http://liuzzivito.blogspot.com

THE FIRST BLOG ABOUT THE DOUBLEBASS

The "double bass blog" by Vito Liuzzi can be considerated perhaps the unique double bass blog in all over the the world.

In the freetime I always write something probably interesting for young doublebass players. The oldest ones have no need it !!

ALBERTO BOCINI

The full recital about GIOVANNI BOTTESINI (1821-1889)

Now click here and find the word "nbbrecords"

to watch the hole recital.

THOMAS MARTIN & TIMOTHY COBB : Vol 5 (Bottesini)

http://www.thomasmartin.co.uk/double_bass_news_bottesini.asp

Please contact the link above or the one on the right of this site (directly to Naxos) to buy the new Cd vol 5 by Thomas Martin and Timothy Cobb.

And please don't copy it among you. For a doublebass player it's no morally accepted.

Great job, imho. HR

NOTHING BETTER HAS EVER CONCEIVED

ALL BOTTTESINI AS YOU NEVER SEEN (in ENGLISH) -free

prof. GASPARE NELLO VETRO

Thanks prof. Gaspare Nello Vetro and to his main collaborators for having create the most important book about Giovanni Bottesini. Sincerly from all bass World

THE OTHER PART OF THE BOOK IS IS in THE PAGE CALLED "Bottesini in English"

the MAGISTER - Franco PETRACCHI!!

ALFREDO TREBBI and a very little double bass player

Alfredo TREBBI is considered the most important pedagogue in Italy. His books are considered a "cult" Also in ENGLISH .HR

FERNANDO GRILLO

"The voice of contemporary world"