I personally think that Marcos Machado as well as being a great performer in terms of the "classical double bass" and recognized around the world, is also a valuable and careful teacher of his instrument. Already in this exceptional first volume you will discover the most innovative techniques concerning the left hand not only to the strengthening and agility, but especially regarding concepts such as Pivot, Crab Technique, Permutations and so on who are the only ones able to make you able face a new instrumental repertoire much larger and technically complex as the bass transcriptions also in the original key taken from cello concerts, addiruttura, from the violin. A new way of conceiving the left hand technique that takes cues from the great master Francois Rabbath and that, thanks to these specific pure technical exercises and well oriented to the development of a "Higher Technical and Advanced" will bring scholars to consolidate and reinforce his left hand, in addition to better design a "New technology of the Thumb Position" advanced level. This first volume I recommend him highly to bass players and teachers who already know the advanced techniques of the old mold in order to broaden their knowledge and thus have a kind of "completion" of the most modern techniques on your bass. A new technical vision that dr. Marcos Machado that will allow everyone to considerably improve their agility of his left hand, its reinforcement and many other highly innovative exercises for the Thumb Position. Highly recommended for all serious students of the double bass.
prof.dr. Vito Liuzzi

Marcos Machados
Recension of "Fantasy" CD
            Fortunately, the world of international contrabassism is finding, in its not excellent quality in terms of repertoire but also in terms of quantity, a series of great artists such as Marcos Machado, Catalin Rotaru, Dan Styffe, Petru Iuga, Thierry Barbè, Alberto Bocini and many others who have dedicated themselves to recording on CD the perhaps most beautiful part of the contrabbassist repertoire, still little known or too complex for the common mortal. Surely what could be analyzed only by the great virtuosos of this instrument.
     This time we will talk again about one of the rising bass players and that certainly with this CD "Fantasy" has laid an important basis for his solo career. We were talking about "Fantasy" a "amiable and full of virtuous CD" by Marcos Machado that just came out and that in our opinion deserves the attention of all the audience that appreciates the "good music" and in particular that produced by a classic double bass and that has displaced a little everyone for the extreme technical and cantabile virtuosity that Machado has shown to have. Son of the school of the great Francois Rabbath and Milton Masciadri, as well as many other soloists with whom he collaborated. Machado seems to have lived almost in the shade or in the shadow of the great performers, but finally he came out in the open with two authentic jewels. After all, the program leaves no way out of doubt: "Fantasy" is a CD devoted to "pure virtuosity", to the cantabile that finds the perfect intonation between the right and the left hand. Machado proposes the beautiful Carmen Fantasy by Frank Proto on which almost all the double bass soloists can fall. For Machado it seems to have been a beautiful and humble "walk" between notes of all kinds and that easily tend to darken due to the difficulty and impetuosity of Proto's writing. According to us, Machado is a true and authentic artist who has made "non-end technicality" his best weapon of battle. But this Cd "Fantasy" leaves a lot of room for imagination, for the hidden possibilities that a double bass can offer and which modern and / or contemporary composers can not always understand. Here is the need to "steal and go to sneak into repertoires of other instruments.In" Fantasy "one thing is certain: the technical mastery of Marcos Machado is absolute from every point of view.You notice it immediately and after" Carmen Fantasy " , a work reverberated in a consistent way but leaving no room for doubt on the value of Machado, we move to Manuel De Falla with the "Canciones Populares Espaniola", another critical point on which many can fall in. In fact, the "Canciones" have the typical a structural aspect with virtuosic traits that Machado tackles with great tranquility, but also cantabili of a certain refinement that, in order to be expressed, require a technique matured after years and years of perfection.The quality of the arch conducted with the "Bottesini" grip o "alla Rabbath" deserves special attention from an exquisitely technical point of view: Machado seems to have a full, full-bodied sound that travels a lot and does not need a further forcing. So even the wonderful virtuosity contained in the "Circles" by Frederic Devresse Machado is attentive to many details, we do not think that his innate vein is that of a perfectionist but a double bass player who is aware of his mastery of his instrument that can be extended until to touch the fifth octave in extension thanks to artificial harmonics and that only a few soloists in the world can handle. In addition to the "Garden Scene" by Erich W.Korngold in which the most singable aspect of the whole piece prevails. In this case Machado seems to be sensitive and prepared to deal with note note this musical text that belongs to a small "elitè" of double bass players who can at will play with the deep and sharp notes of a double bass now also brought by Machado to the role of first woman. We must not therefore be annoyed at seeing the name of the absolute genius of Classical Music, W. A. Mozart, written on a CD that places the humble double bass at the center of attention. And it is normal that when Machado goes to sneak in the notes "over the keyboard" some risk can be taken. Once again, in Sonata no.27 in Gmaj K.379 Mozartiana, there are intersecting very acute and cantabile passages of a certain concreteness. But this fact must be considered as an incentive by the living composers to devote themselves more and more to writing for the double bass. Mozart has been approached by Machado with the right attention not only to the most acute passages that only a few bass players would be able to tame, but also with a deep and correct sensitivity and intimacy. Play Mozart on a double bass here for some it may seem a sacrilege, on the contrary it is not so if when you listen to a double bass do not think of a violin. However, we are sure of the success of this intriguing Cd also seen the presence of Ney Fialkow at the piano that has been able to create a chamber that is more suitable for the double bass. The touch of Fialkow turns out to be precise and powerful when it takes, but it is the sensitivity of the touch of the key that allowed him to accompany Machado with extreme philology of the times and in short a new double bass Cd with a great ever-growing contrabassist: Marcos Machado.
by Vito Liuzzi