Darija Andzakovic

Where: University of Iceland, Veröld room VHV-103

When: Friday, February 28, 3-5 pm

Darija Andzakovic is a bassist and musicologist, specialising in historic bass instruments and music of the late-18th century. She is currently working on a PhD in historical musicology at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, focusing on the performance practice and stylistic development of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s contrabass concertos.

Darija will talk about two historical bows for contrabass and violone associated with the manuscript estate of the composer and contrabass virtuoso Johannes Matthias Sperger (1750-1812). One of these bows has a wide frog and has been popularised as the “Sperger” bow. The other has a total length of 80cm, a much narrower frog and clear signs of modification. These two specimens are a testament to the rich and varied history of contrabass bowing practices, raising obvious questions about bow holds, as well as the shift from clip-in frogs to screw mechanisms.