Two Rare Basses

Two rare basses by the 18th century Dutch luthier Johannes Kuypers in action at the BSO. Eric Stahl (L) inherited both from his dad, a former Minnesota Orchestra bassist. George Stahl purchased the five-string instrument on the right from a university where it had been dropped down a flight of stairs. When he arrived in Minneapolis his stand partner was playing the bass on the left, which George later bought. It’s not every day that two such rare “siblings” are reunited in two successive orchestras.