The Conservatoire offers a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in baroque and classical violone and double bass, integrated into the early music department. The bachelor's degree programme is organised into three years of study and the master's degree into two years.
An in-depth and informed study of historical bass instruments is by its very nature a vast and varied undertaking. From the first chords of the 8′ violone (in G or A), to the 16′ violone (tuned in D or in fourths), to the 5-string Viennese double bass (with its very specific tuning), to the 3-string bass (tuned in various ways), to the bow hold, either above or below the string... These are all variations of the wider range of historical bass instruments offered by the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles in this Violone & Double Bass course.
The bachelor's programme focuses on the practice of historical bass. Students develop a detailed understanding of the different styles from the Renaissance to the Classical period and the roles of consorts, basso continuo and soloists, in close connection with the applied theory courses in the early music section. It therefore offers students a very comprehensive education, covering artistic, practical and theoretical aspects as well as general and cultural knowledge.
Each student arrives with their own background, profile and preferences, and our initial aim is to cater to everyone’s wishes. At the same time, we encourage a broad experience of the unfamiliar – instruments with different tunings, various historical bows, etc. – in order to approach the historical context of bass players in the Baroque era, where “adaptability” was the order of the day.
The role of all basso continuo instruments is, of course, an essential element of Baroque musical language. Furthermore, given the importance of polyphonic tradition in Baroque language, an essential element of the historical double bass and violone course is regular bass consort classes. These classes are an important opportunity for all bass players to refine their chamber music skills and understanding of counterpoint. An intuitive understanding of harmony, in addition to its contextual application and performance on a given instrument, is essential for in-depth training in the field of early music. This aspect of the art of bass playing occupies a fundamental place in the approach to skills transmission, as important (if not more so!) as the pure technical mastery of the chosen instrument, however essential that may be.
In addition to weekly group and individual instrument and chamber music lessons, students participate each year in projects organised by the department (symposiums, concerts, seminars, orchestra sessions, conferences). The programme also includes lessons in reading, theory and writing. Bachelor's students receive a solid musical, cultural and general education that provides them with an overview of all aspects of historical bass playing.
Building on this foundation, the Master's programme allows students to deepen their knowledge of specific instrumental and artistic practices, including solo performance, so that by the end of the programme they are able to present their personal artistic project to the public. In this cycle, chamber music plays an even more important role and promotes contacts directly linked to the professional world (concerts, recordings, etc.). Students participate in ambitious projects thanks to the artistic partnerships of the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles.