Rare

Landolfi double bass

purchased

Request

In 2015, Luis Cabrera submitted an application to the Musical Instrument Fund to borrow a high-quality double bass. He needs the bass for his solo and chamber music performances; in the NedPho, he plays an Italian bass, which may only be played within the orchestra. Luis’s application was deemed eligible, but the fund’s existing collection could not provide him with a suitable instrument within a reasonable timeframe.

Selection

The Musical Instrument Fund therefore launched a selection process to acquire a high-quality double bass. Through a broad international network of dealers, several double basses were brought to the Netherlands. An asking price that was too high, poor condition, or doubts about authenticity were reasons for rejecting instruments at an early stage. Basses that did meet the criteria were ultimately rejected based on sound quality. The Musical Instrument Fund recognizes these as common challenges in the selection process for a double bass.

The Best Bass

In 2017, the Musical Instrument Fund was notified of a rare Landolfi bass that was for sale at a British firm. The bass was reportedly in excellent condition, and there were certificates attesting to its authenticity. In terms of sound, it was said to be one of the best basses the English dealer had ever had for sale.

Exceptional instrument

The Musical Instrument Fund was hesitant due to the asking price and took no action to bring the instrument to the Netherlands. Ultimately, the bass did make its way to the Netherlands through a Dutch dealer. In consultation with Luis, it was decided to seize the opportunity to try out the bass. Luis was completely blown away by the bass’s qualities. His colleagues shared Luis’s opinion that this was an exceptional instrument. During various sound tests, the Landolfi was compared to other high-quality basses, which once again confirmed its exceptional tonal qualities.

Landolfi Experts

Three experts confirmed that the antique instrument was in excellent condition. However, none of them had sufficient knowledge of Landolfi basses specifically. The Musical Instrument Fund therefore consulted an expert in London who is a leading authority on Landolfi. Based on photographs and a dendrochronological analysis of the bass, he was already able to confirm that it was an instrument from the Landolfi workshop. To draft a written statement, he wanted to examine the instrument in person. Once in the Netherlands, he reached the definitive conclusion that the bass was built by Landolfi. A unique instrument, then, as a new addition to the foundation’s collection—and for Luis Cabrera a dream bass to play!