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Double Bass for
Olivier Thiery

This month, the Musical Instrument Fund added a particularly beautiful double bass to its collection. The double bass was built in Genoa around 1920 by Cesare Candi. French double bassist Olivier Thiery, who has been with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2008, has been granted a loan of the instrument.

News
17 July 2017 by Frits Schutte

Workshop and Showroom

The Musical Instrument Fund did not yet have a Candi instrument in its collection. The Genoese violin maker Cesare Candi (1869–1947) learned his craft from Raffaele Fiorini. In 1892, he won a prize at the Esposizione Italo-Americana in Genoa. In 1937, Candi restored the “Cannone” violin “ex-Paganini,” built by Guarneri del Gesù. His workshop on Via di Porta Soprana, where he worked for the rest of his life, was not only a workshop but also a salon where anyone who loved music and violin making was welcome.

Wide range of applications

The Musical Instrument Fund involved several bassists and experts in the selection process for the purchase of a new double bass. They particularly praised the Candi bass for its versatility—especially as a solo instrument—its excellent condition, and the high quality of its construction, which is on par with that of other instruments from the violin family dating from the early 20th century.

Back at the Concertgebouw

The fund purchased the bass from a renowned Dutch bassist who served for many years as principal bassist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The Musical Instrument Fund is pleased to loan the instrument to Olivier Thiery. The French double bassist began his career with the Orchestre Français des Jeunes and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. He has been a member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2008.