Family and
friends of senior music major Thomas Pratt watched as he played rare high notes
on his string bass during an open recital in room 214 of the Chase Fine Arts
Center at Utah State University.
The
performance, which took place Monday evening, was a requirement for Pratt to
obtain a bachelor’s degree in music education.
“I think it
went quite well,” said Erik Horne, Pratt’s friend who came to the performance.
Horne, a
music major at USU, said Pratt played high notes that are rare to the string
bass. Many notes were played on the highest string that went past the fret
board near the bridge.
Pratt said
the reason for the higher notes is the bass, which is usually played in lower
registers, is mainly used for accompaniment with other instruments. When it is
accompanied by piano – which it was during this performance – the lower notes
are not heard as much.
“With bass
solo repertoire, it spends a lot more time in the upper register so that it can
be heard,” Pratt said. “And the point of bass repertoire is to show off.”
Pratt said
this performance was required for him to graduate with a music education degree.
Corbin
Johnston, Pratt’s private instructor, said the requirement follows a logical
progression of mastering pieces.
“You
actually take it to the next step and perform them to complete the entire
experience of taking the piece that you don’t know all the way to the level
where it’s performance ready,” Johnston said.
According to
Pratt, the three pieces he played are from different time periods. The first,
“Sonata in G Minor,” is from the baroque period. The second piece,
“Introduzione e Gavotta in A Major,” is mid-romantic. The final piece, “Double
Bass Concerto, Op. 3,” is from the late romantic period.
Johnston said
Pratt was to play songs from different time periods because they each require
different knowledge of the performance style used during the time period the
composer lived.
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