eric-chappell_octobass

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra will debut its newly-acquired octobass at a concert this evening - making it the first orchestra in the world to have the the rare instrument in its ranks. Standing 12 feet 8 inches tall, the giant bass is a faithful reproduction of the original octobass, built by Jean-Baptiste Villaume around 1850. The three-stringed instrument, which can reach the lowest notes on a piano, will be performed by double bassist Eric Chappell.

Watch Chappell performing Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus on the octobass with fellow OSM musicians above.

Watch: New octobass premiered in Oslo

Watch: Vivaldi performed on the world’s smallest playable violin

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