The first three works on The Double Bass: Robert Oppelt & Friends lean quite heavily toward showcasing the "friends" more than the double bass. Even
Oppelt's own work, the Pas de Deux for flute and double bass, seems more about the flute than his own instrument. The
Debussy Danses sacrée et profane uses the double bass in a purely accompanimental fashion. The remaining three works on the program are quite different, putting the double bass squarely in the spotlight. Dragonetti's Six Waltzes for solo double bass allow listeners to experience precisely what the instrument is capable of without competing instruments. Where one bass is good, four basses are even better, at least in
Gunther Schuller's magnificent Quartet for Double Basses, a twelve-tone work that truly demonstrates the incredible range and sonorous possibilities that can be achieved with a quartet of double basses. The album ends with another strong work, Barnett's Serenade for double bass, harp, and string quartet. True to its name, the bass is consistently in the forefront of this highly interactive composition. As for
Oppelt's playing, there are definite ups and downs. As an accomplished orchestral musician, his left hand is wonderfully precise with nary a hint of intonation problems. His right hand is also quite precise and articulate. The problem arises with
Oppelt's instrument itself. The liner notes describe it as his orchestra bass, an eighteenth century Italian instrument. Regrettably, even the finest orchestral bass does not necessarily work well as a solo instrument, and
Oppelt's instrument definitely does not produce a soloistic sound. In all but the highest registers, it is quite unfocused and overly resonate for the more virtuosic demands made by the solo repertoire.