A big
disappointment
in New York
Since early 2020, the Musical Instrument Fund has been searching for the ideal double bass for top soloist Rick Stotijn. In the seventh episode of our podcast “De Instrumentenkamer,” Rick explains how important finding a new double bass is for his career, and on page 29 of the 2022 Magazine, we describe why the search for an instrument doesn’t always go smoothly. The disappointing outcome earlier this year confirms this.
A failed attempt
The Musical Instrument Fund has been keeping a close eye on the double bass market; top-quality basses in good condition and at a reasonable price are scarce, so when something comes up, the Musical Instrument Fund has to act fast. Twice, success seemed within reach, but unfortunately, a purchase did not materialize. Hopes were pinned earlier this year on a double bass by Giovanni Battista Ceruti (Cremona, 1803) that Rick and Frits Schutte (head of collections at the Musical Instrument Fund) had had their eye on for a long time and that was in the possession of a dealer in New York. A trip Rick took to New York in March seemed like the ideal opportunity for him to “explore” that instrument in person.
New Courage
Contacts were made, arrangements were set, and everything seemed all set to try out the bass in Carnegie Hall’s concert hall. Afterward, the instrument would be taken to the Netherlands for further comparison and a second opinion. Rick even extended his stay in New York for this purpose. The trial session in the impressive concert hall went well, and the bass proved to have many fine qualities. But all hope vanished when Rick spoke with the dealer. It turned out that the dealer had significantly raised the asking price without notice and, on top of that, imposed disproportionate conditions for taking the double bass back to the Netherlands. Disappointed and without the beautiful double bass, Rick returned to the Netherlands. Here, the search for a double bass of the very highest quality continues in good spirits.
The Perfect Bass
Rick is looking for a double bass that he plans to use primarily for his solo performances of virtuoso repertoire and chamber music. A high-quality, smaller-sized four-string bass would be ideal for this purpose. Unfortunately, the foundation is unable to assist him with an instrument from its current collection.
More about the search
Here you can listen to the podcast episode with Rick, and on this page of the 2022 Magazine, Frits Schutte talks more about the difficult search for a double bass for Rick.
Photos: Green Room Creatives, Edu Calicher