BASS WORLD
The Journal of the International Society of Bassists
Volume 26, Number One, 2002, pp. 58-59
The Latest Score
Hans Sturm, Editor

” … Each piece is carefully researched and most contain an in-depth preface explaining the sources used. A notes section at the end of each score also explains the reasons for specific notations in cases where the bass edition deviates from the original. The music is presented on oversized high quality paper with a large font size, few fingering and bowing suggestions, invaluable measure numbers, and, with only a few exceptions, careful attention to difficult page turns. ““While most bassists will be familiar with the Bach sonatas and the Brahms E minor Sonata, they would do well to investigate Discordia’s contributions. The editing of these works is clean and sparse with great attention to detail. The Bach solo parts are available in four versions: solo and orchestra tuning at 8vab (where we are used to reading) and at pitch, meaning much of the piece is in treble clef. The solo parts at original pitch include many more fingering and bowing suggestions, as they are much more difficult because most of the part is in the upper reaches of thumb position. Likewise, the Brahms is presented in original pitch, but with a solo tuning bass part. This means the solo part is not written in E minor, but is instead transposed to D minor. While this will make knowledgeable pianists sigh with relief, it creates other issues for bassists already familiar with the work. Discordia has also decided not to go the route of other bass editions by introducing octave transpositions to make passages more accessible. For instance, in the original, the beginning of the second ascending phrase of the first movement is a shift of a ninth above the note at the end of the first phrase. Current bass editions simply bring this phrase down an octave, so the second phrase begins only a step above the first. However, this detracts from the power of introducing high notes so early in the piece and requires another octave transposition later in the same phrase as it descends. As bassists become increasingly virtuosic, it is only natural that they should be presented with musical challenges more in line with the composer’s original intent.”