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After nearly 3 years
of searching: the giant
has been found!

The Musical Instrument Fund had been searching for several years for a double bass for top bassist Rick Stotijn. Rick needed an instrument that was ideally suited for solo performance. Now, nearly three years later, we’ve finally succeeded! The fund was able to purchase a fantastic instrument for Rick: a double bass built by Giovanni Battista Rogeri in Brescia, circa 1705–1710. We are absolutely thrilled with this new addition.

News
11 December 2023 by Frits Schutte

“A complex process”

Finding a top-quality vintage double bass in good condition on the global market is, in itself, a huge challenge. The various sizes and models of double basses make it even more difficult to find an instrument that meets specific requirements—in this case, those of Rick Stotijn. Add to that the complicated and costly transportation, and you can see that such a purchasing process is highly complex and time-consuming.

You may have already heard about this grueling quest in an episode of our podcast “The Instrument Room' or read about it in this news article. Despite everything, we managed to let Rick try out a number of fantastic double basses, which ultimately allowed him to make a well-considered choice in favor of the Rogeri bass!

Clank Test

This final decision was made following an intensive sound test that took place recently in Amsterdam. At that time, two top-tier double basses were still in the running. Present at the sound test were Frits Schutte (head of the collection) and Olivier Thiery (principal instructor at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam) were present.

The Rogeri turned out to meet everything Rick was looking for in a bass: volume, projection, but above all, an infinitely broad tonal spectrum, with something new to discover every day. And what a beauty! Rick: “The top is so beautiful! When you look at the knots, it’s as if you could just reattach the centuries-old branches right back on. The typical Brescian f-holes are a feast for the eyes and so characteristic of Rogeri and his mentor Amati.”

Rick Stotijn, Frits Schutte, Olivier Thiery.

Virtuoso

Last summer, Rick had his first chance to try out the Rogeri bass. He took it with him to the Ljubljana Festival, where he performed ensemble and solo pieces at the Križevniška Church. There, it became clear that the bass was exceptionally well-suited for chamber music and could also serve as a delightful, easy-to-play “race car” for virtuoso pieces, such as Emil Tabakov’s *em* *Motivy* .