Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Edwin Barker
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Edwin Barker
Edwin Barker is recognized as one of the most gifted bassists on the American concert scene. In this wide-ranging interview, you’ll hear about how when he was still a student, he won a job with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and then at age 22, he was appointed to the position of Principal Bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he has now held for nearly 50 years. He shared memories of his mentors, and his valuable perspectives on learning and teaching the bass, playing in orchestra, conductors, auditions, acoustics and more. We’re featuring his wonderful recent album of solo bass music, Basso Profundo, both J.S. Bach’s Suite no. 5 and Weinberg’s Sonata Op. 108.
You can also watch this on my YouTube, and I’ve also linked the transcript, everything linked here to my website.
It’s a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Please consider either buying me a coffee on my Ko-fi page, or ordering some of my merchandise.
This weekly podcast is in Season 5 and I send out an email newsletter where you can get access to exclusive information about upcoming guests!
Navona records link to album:
https://edwinbarker.com
Weinberg biography
I think you may also enjoy these episodes:
Mark Deutsch
Thomas Cabaniss
Jeeyoon Kim
Rachel Mercer
Hillary Simms
Gail Archer
Jessica Cottis
and so many more !
photo of Edwin Barker: Sam Brewer
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:23) Ed’s start on the bass in school music program, Angelo LaMariana
(05:33) Henry Portnoi, Peter Mercurio
(09:25) New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony
(12:37) David Perlman, different schools of bass playing
(17:28) Basso Profundo album, Bach suite adaptation for the bass
(21:58) Courante from Bach Suite no. 5, from Basso Profundo (link in description)
(24:14)bass history, Dragonetti
(27:53) Ed’s first week in Boston, Mahler 1
(30:28) Seiji Ozawa, orchestra conductors
(34:26) composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg, solo bass repertoire
(37:34) 3rd movement of the Weinberg Sonata op. 108 (link in description)
(40:13) connection between the Bach Suite and the Weinberg sonata
(42:01) excerpt of the 5th movement, Lento, of Weinberg sonata
(42:56) Weinberg’s life
(46:43) excerpt of the 6th movement Weinberg sonata
(47:22) other episodes you will find interesting, ways to support this series
(48:14) the joys and challenges of orchestral playing
(56:59) the influence of the acoustics of the hall on an orchestras sound
(01:03:13) orchestra auditions
(01:10:32) teaching the bass, playing Principal
View all episodes
By Leah Roseman
5
77 ratings
Edwin Barker is recognized as one of the most gifted bassists on the American concert scene. In this wide-ranging interview, you’ll hear about how when he was still a student, he won a job with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and then at age 22, he was appointed to the position of Principal Bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he has now held for nearly 50 years. He shared memories of his mentors, and his valuable perspectives on learning and teaching the bass, playing in orchestra, conductors, auditions, acoustics and more. We’re featuring his wonderful recent album of solo bass music, Basso Profundo, both J.S. Bach’s Suite no. 5 and Weinberg’s Sonata Op. 108.
You can also watch this on my YouTube, and I’ve also linked the transcript, everything linked here to my website.
It’s a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Please consider either buying me a coffee on my Ko-fi page, or ordering some of my merchandise.
This weekly podcast is in Season 5 and I send out an email newsletter where you can get access to exclusive information about upcoming guests!
Navona records link to album:
https://edwinbarker.com
Weinberg biography
I think you may also enjoy these episodes:
Mark Deutsch
Thomas Cabaniss
Jeeyoon Kim
Rachel Mercer
Hillary Simms
Gail Archer
Jessica Cottis
and so many more !
photo of Edwin Barker: Sam Brewer
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:23) Ed’s start on the bass in school music program, Angelo LaMariana
(05:33) Henry Portnoi, Peter Mercurio
(09:25) New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony
(12:37) David Perlman, different schools of bass playing
(17:28) Basso Profundo album, Bach suite adaptation for the bass
(21:58) Courante from Bach Suite no. 5, from Basso Profundo (link in description)
(24:14)bass history, Dragonetti
(27:53) Ed’s first week in Boston, Mahler 1
(30:28) Seiji Ozawa, orchestra conductors
(34:26) composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg, solo bass repertoire
(37:34) 3rd movement of the Weinberg Sonata op. 108 (link in description)
(40:13) connection between the Bach Suite and the Weinberg sonata
(42:01) excerpt of the 5th movement, Lento, of Weinberg sonata
(42:56) Weinberg’s life
(46:43) excerpt of the 6th movement Weinberg sonata
(47:22) other episodes you will find interesting, ways to support this series
(48:14) the joys and challenges of orchestral playing
(56:59) the influence of the acoustics of the hall on an orchestras sound
(01:03:13) orchestra auditions
(01:10:32) teaching the bass, playing Principal
More shows like Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
View all
Democracy Now! Audio
5,662 Listeners
The Documentary Podcast
1,801 Listeners
Global News Podcast
7,647 Listeners
Radiolab
43,979 Listeners
This American Life
90,396 Listeners
The House
72 Listeners
World Report
233 Listeners
The New Yorker Radio Hour
6,664 Listeners
The Intercept Briefing
6,110 Listeners
The Daily
111,088 Listeners
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
3,479 Listeners
Unholy: Two Jews on the News
577 Listeners
The Ezra Klein Show
15,503 Listeners
NPR's Book of the Day
618 Listeners