Double bass built by Gaspero Piattellini around 1825 in Florence, Italy
(with an extension built by Melle Wondergem in 2025)
This double bass is being loaned to Sasha Witteveen by the Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds.
This instrument is the result of an intensive search for a beautiful bass for Sasha. With basses it is so difficult to find a suitable instrument, because of the size of the instrument it is simply more vulnerable, so there are far fewer old basses in good condition than for example violins. And if one is lucky enough to find some beautiful basses, then still there is the size that just has to fit; too big, too thick, too heavy. But this Florentine bass was perfect, from the first notes that Sasha played on it, everyone knew that this could be the bass for her. During the sound test the NMF listened to the different basses blindly with Rick Stotijn and Sasha herself, and then it became clear that they did not have to look any further; the Piattellini sang so beautifully!
Double bass built by Sergio Scaramelli in 2021 in Ferrara, Italy
This double bass is built especially for Sasha by Scaramelli after a model named ‘Bresciano’. The back of the instrument is antique wood from Venice. The wood comes from a walnut tree that was already more than 400 years old when it was cut down in ±1700. At first it was used to craft a table, but now this historical wood comes to life in this gorgeous double bass!
The instrument has been purchased with the help of many donations: Stichting Eigen Muziekinstrument, Music Stages, Adinfotech Systems, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and many private donations via Voordekunst.
