Choc-o-late Pie

Five years ago I moved to Oklahoma to pursue my Masters Degree in violin. I proceeded to stay for my D.M.A. and have found Oklahoma a fertile land for planting violin seeds and gaining an enormous amount of playing and teaching experience. Shortly after my big migration south, I began building a private teaching studio.

One of my very first students in Oklahoma was brand new to violin. She was almost ten years old at the time and had never taken music lessons before and could not read music or play any other instruments. She  was shy, very sweet, and you could tell that she was extremely intelligent. She picked up the basics quickly...like super quickly. She was playing confidently within a few weeks and was reading music almost as quickly. 

My former teacher and lifelong mentor Sally O'Reilly wrote two excellent technique books for the aspiring student; Fiddle Magic, which covers all of the frills and fireworks of violin technique, and Fiddle Rhythms which covers different rhythms (obviously) and introduces real-life examples of each from standard repertoire.

More about Fiddle Magic later (it is one of my all time favorite technique books). Fiddle Rhythms introduces each rhythm separately and then puts it in the context of I-like-(insert rhythm here)-pie. Each rhythm is digested as a food - the menu is an all-you-can-eat buffet of pie types and covers a variety of dietary delights including pizza, rhubarb, peppermint, apple, vanilla, orange, banana, butterscotch and even mixed rhythm combos and uneven rhythmic groupings. After the student has a comfortable handle on the rhythmic pie du jour, real world examples are introduced from a diverse array of music - classical, folk, Irish, Scottish, Children's songs, symphonic repertoire, you name it. Each rhythm is accompanied by illustrations and they are pretty darn cute. Some of my super cool high school students roll their eyes at using books with pictures but deep down I know they appreciate it.

I mean come on! How can you dislike this? A girl in a field dreaming of pie.

Back to my student in Oklahoma. We were just starting the Chocolate Rhythm (code for a triplet). Triplets are much easier when they are delicious. While working on the 'I Like Choc-o-late Pie' exercise I candidly mentioned that I had never had chocolate pie, to which my student informed me that it is delicious. We continued with the lesson and I didn't really give it another thought.

The next week she arrived at her lesson with a homemade chocolate pie! It was heavenly. I didn't have many friends at the time so I took it home that night and ate the whole thing myself. I probably gained 20 delicious pounds over the course of a week but it was so worth it. I was so surprised and excited by this that I posted a photo on facebook and not too long ago I was reminded of my 5 year anniversary of chocolate pie. 

Then.....

apologies for the blurry image. Camera phones just weren't the same 5 years ago!

My birthday was a few weeks ago and guess what that very student gave me? Yep you guessed it! She is far beyond learning rhythms and basic tunes and patterns. Now she is in Youth Symphony and will be touring Europe with them this summer. She is also starting to look into music schools, is putting together her first recital program, and is tackling her first Viotti concerto - a far cry from Chocolate Pie. As a token of our 5 year anniversary we took our second pie photo. My how we have changed!

And now.... 

The Moral of this story is that everyone should use Fiddle Rhythms (and shamelessly drop hints to their students about pie). It will feed your students technique, your teaching abilities....and your hungry grad student belly.

Bon Appetite!

Tzigane - a few notes on Aesthetics

A month or so ago I had the pleasure of watching Sarah Chang perform Tzigane live with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (I was sitting on stage as part of the orchestra). It really got me thinking about style as a performer, and also about what makes a performance successful for the listener. I performed this piece on my final doctoral recital in April 2014 and listened to numerous recordings and interpretations in preparation. Hearing Sarah Chang perform it live really brought it back to the foreground of my thoughts. So bear with me as I wax lyrical about it. 

First of all, let's start with Sarah Chang's performance. Her shoes were insane! And by insane I mean all the ladies of the orchestra were commenting on them, couture,  heel height, style...everything. They were fierce! I can't even fathom playing violin in high heels - let alone doing it well! That in itself was a feat! Her gowns were gorgeous (yes, there were two) and were eye catching both on and off stage. Bravo on the wardrobe choices! Also on the program was a selection from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein for violin and orchestra specifically arranged for her. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the two pieces on the same program. They both have such big personalities awesome melodies, and violinistic flair. It made for an impressive showcase of 20th century music. This blog post however, is dedicated solely to the Ravel (Sorry Lenny).

What is challenging for violinists, or any musician I'm sure, is hearing an interpretation of a piece that conflicts with your own. If it is not how you would play it, is it automatically bad? There were certain things Sarah Chang did in her performance (her tempo at the beginning of the last page, how long she held notes in the opening cadenza, what sort of character she assumed for particular passages, how long she let the rests and fermatas linger etc.) that I personally wouldn't do. Does that make her wrong? No. Does it make me right? No. You cannot argue that she is a supremely talented violinist. Her technique has been, and will always be light years beyond my own and I don't dare question that. But what is it in the performance of a piece - particularly this piece - that really makes it successful? Wow! What a loaded, and multi-faceted/layered/complicated question to puzzle over! The great thing and the unsatisfying thing is that we will never have a concrete answer to this one. So I hope you enjoy my musings on the subject; A violinist searching for meaning and understanding in aesthetics and style. (does that even make sense?)

The Piece...

Tzigane by Maurice Ravel is hands down one of the coolest, most awesome pieces for violin! No arguing - it is a fact!  It is one of my all time favorite pieces ever written for violin. I don't even remember the first time I heard this piece but for as long as I can remember I have adored it. Those of you close to me may know that it is featured in my Skype account name - that is how much I love it! 

For those who don't know it (and yes, I am judging you a little bit right now) Tzigane is Ravel's take on the gypsy music heard in Hungary and Eastern Europe. Ravel heard a performance of Bartók's music by Jelly d'Arányi and Béla Bartók in London in the 1920s and was completely taken with the flair and character of the music and the young violinist. Sources say that after the performance Jelly played gypsy songs for Ravel all through the night and by the end he was determined to write a gypsy piece for her. Sadly, there is no recording of her playing but i must assume she had a great deal of panache and enthusiasm as well as virtuosic ability.

When it came down to actually composing the piece, Ravel pulled out Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies Brahms' Hungarian Dances, and The Caprices of Paganini for inspiration. He did not turn to the ethnomusicological findings and compositions of Béla Bartók, which is curious considering that was the original impetus for the composition. Instead, (and there are TONS of scholarly articles written on the subject) Ravel based his Gypsy music on the music written as imitations of Gypsy music and not on the traditional folk tunes themselves. Essentially Tzigane is a fake of a fake. 

A few words about the violinist -

Jelly d'Aranyi, (1893 – 1966) was born in Budapest and was the grand-niece of Joseph Joachim Whoa! Talk about a famous violinist! Joachim was not trained in the Hungarian school at all and was actually a champion of the German Romantic composers, premiering works by Schumann and Brahms, to name just two. Jelly began her studies as a pianist, but switched to violin at the Music Academy in Budapest when Jenö Hubay accepted her as a student. She and Belá Bartók gave sonata recitals together in London and Paris. His sonatas were dedicated to her sister Adila, but Jelly and Bartók presented them in London in March 1922 (No. 1) and May 1923 (No. 2).

She was an excellent interpreter of Classical, Romantic and modern music. Aside from Tzigane by Ravel, Ralph Vaughn Williams dedicated his Concerto Academico to her, Gustav Holst's Double Concerto for Two Violins was written for Jelly and Adila, and the D'Aranyi String Quartet is named after her.

Not a bad bio. She seemed to catch the attention of many big name composers. I can't help but be a little green with envy - pretty lucky lady having some great repertoire written for her!

But back to me.....

When I was attempting to learn this piece I hacked away at it - Tzigane is tough! There are so many fancy tricks all over the piece that trip one up almost constantly. From left hand pizzicato to false harmonics to fingered octaves and passages way up high on the G string. Tzigane is a tour de force. But above all there is so much character in this piece! The real challenge is pulling off all of the fireworks while making it seem improvisatory and, dare I say, casual. The piece begins with a two page solo violin cadenza at the very beginning. No warm up allowed just BOOM! Superstar, fireworks, everything all at once and not even a pianist to offer some support. Cruel....but awesome. In all of the recordings I have listened to I find myself drawn to the ones where the performer can exude immense strength and personality almost immediately - They grab the attention of the audience and hold it, even when they take time, the silence is full of passion and flair. 

Interpretation and Style

The best performances are poised, bold and exciting. How do you do this? Well of course there is a technical answer to this question - you practice (duh)! But ultimately I believe you must have your own story to tell. You must paint a specific scene, act out a specific monologue or bring to life emotions and feelings with your entire performance, and as if that's not hard enough, also play in tune.

Performances of this piece vary enormously. Can any of them be considered bad? Perhaps - but why? Simply put it comes down to how the performer approaches this piece. Perhaps their interpretation is very different from your own. Yes, the notes will always be the same but in each of the following performances the style is dramatically different. The same issues arise in a performance of Beethoven or Mozart or Sibelius etc. but these pieces are restrained to the confines of performance practice, genre, meter, ensemble etc. whereas Tzigane opens with an unaccompanied cadenza, filled with fermatas, pauses, extremely long notes, and incredibly short ones too, and throughout the piece the tempo markings fluctuate almost constantly. It is up to the performer to decide exactly how these transitions should happen. 

Tzigane can be performed with orchestra or piano but was originally written for violin and luthéal - a sort of hybrid piano that extends the range and possible effects of the keyboard, allowing it to imitate some traditional Hungarian and folk instruments. Sadly they are not made any more as they prove to be quite fussy and difficult to work with. Daniel Hope actually recorded Tzigane with luthéal and it is so RAD! the timbre mixes with the violin pizzicato and harmonics in ways no other instrument can. 

So here are a few recordings and performances of Tzigane. Which one is your favorite? Why? I won't tell you which one I like the most - I don't want to sway your opinion. I will say that I played a few of these for my pedagogy class and each student liked a different recording. I was shocked by their reasons and their aesthetics. It just goes to show, there is more than just one way to play a piece well - particularly this piece!

There is a good mix of old and new, orchestra and keyboard, male and female performers. I may have gone a little overboard and I totally understand if you get a little burned out, or don't want to listen all of them. I just couldn't stop! Curiously, I cannot find an interpretation from Hilary Hahn, I hope this changes soon!

Of course I had to include Sarah Chang's recording - so you could hear what I heard in Wichita. Enjoy!

Why 'Active Violin' ?

Hello There! I thought I might take this opportunity to explain how and why I came up with the handle ActiveViolinist (if you follow me on social media) and www.activeviolinist.com as my website address. Seems weird right? 

First off, why don't I just use my name? Hannah Murray is so simple and straightforward!...and unfortunately very very taken by a super famous British Actress, a highly sought after make up artist, and an amateur Romance novelist. Clearly the name is a winner but in a Google search a violinist is pretty much the last topic to show up when competing with such hot items as new eye shadow trends, Game of Thrones (yes the actress Hannah Murray is THAT famous), and steamy love scenes. So I thought hard about what I am all about and came up with The Active Violinist.

But why Active Violinist? Why not Redhead, or Midwestern, or Book Nerd, or (fill in the blank) Violinist? 

Active is a great word. It applies to the vast majority of my life (excluding the pre-coffee part of the day) and has a multi faceted connotation. Not to mention a really great ring to it. 

I am.....

Actively Active 

....like really active. Like train for half marathons, and dabble in triathlons, and (once upon a time) Full marathons kind of active. You know - Run crazy 200-mile relay race active. Take part in Yoga challenges active. Commit to Amanda Bisk's 12-week Fresh Body Fit Mind challenge type of active. I like to move my body. I like to push my limits. I like to use physical activity to harness my mental capacity and vice versa. Being Physically Active is one guaranteed way to feel good. Maybe not during, but definitely afterwards your body says a big huge THANK YOU! I encourage all of my students to participate in sports, dance, take yoga, swim, ride their bike, and do something regularly that is physical. A healthy body is a must for violin playing. I absolutely believe that.

Actively Healthy 

I am actively aware of my physical health and well being. I care what I eat and where it came from. Don't get me wrong - I (actively) indulge as well. But keeping a well maintained machine, aka your body is essential to pursuing ones interests, championing life's challenges and bettering yourself both professionally and personally. Do not turn a blind eye to the quality of nutrients you fuel your body and mind with. Actively pursue your own health! Beware of fancy fixes and short term success - I mean this in terms of physical health and also as it applies to playing the violin. Commit yourself to an active, healthy lifestyle.

An Active Performer

I am an active performer. I play in just about every regional orchestra possible, as a chamber musician, and as a recitalist. It is important to stay active professionally. I do my best to create and carve out performance opportunities in as many contexts as possible. Not only does it keep me busy, it also provides opportunities to (actively) learn new repertoire, collaborate with others and travel. I love that my profession takes me all across the country - and maybe one day the world - as an active interpreter of music. How cool is that?!

An Active Teacher

I am an active teacher. I teach everywhere I can. I teach anyone, and everyone who shows a commitment to learning and musical growth. I teach every day of the week. I use my body physically as a teaching tool to make musical phrases clear, to articulate technical points, and to motivate students to move out of their comfort zone. As Itzhak Perlman recently posted (on Facebook) "When I teach others I teach myself" - this could not be more true! Being an active teacher means I am also an active student.

An Active Student

I am an active learner. I am that person who Is always ordering new books. Who is always saying 'did you know....' to my colleagues when I learn something new (usually from my newest book or a podcast). I sign up for reading challenges, I keep my college textbooks, I actually enjoy lectures and going to classes and workshops. I find myself  actively pursuing education in a diverse range of topics and fields. There is so much to learn - why stop when school is out? 

An Active listener 

I am an active listener. I actively pay attention. That means that there is always something tinkering around in my headphones- from Rihanna to Respighi, Sibelius to Sigur Ros, Y music to Yiddish Folk tunes, podcasts to Prokofiev, octets, orchestral, chamber, contemporary....you name it and I dabble in it. Music exists on a continuum. We are fortunate to have access in some capacity to music of all genres, from all eras and a diverse array of performers. Why not create a literally timeless playlist for your life? Music of the present can influence what you like about the past and vice versa. But you will never know if you don't actively seek it out.

Socially Active

I am socially active. As in, I have friends, and a support system in my life. It is important to get out of the practice room or rehearsal space and interact with people. You never know who you will meet! Stay active in your community! It is the best way to infuse neighborhoods, schools, friends, society, and people with music. Infuse your community with music and it becomes second nature to explore and get involved.  

An Active Writer

I am an active writer. Okay, maybe this one is a stretch but I'm hoping this blog will really turn into something I pursue more actively. Right now I'm more of a 'wannabe' active writer with lots of thoughts whirring around in my head and not nearly enough time to write them all down!

Did I miss anything? Probably! If you had to sum yourself up in one or two words what would they be? What is the theme or the themes of your life? Any tips and lessons to share on life? On being a musician? On working towards goals? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Art! and Music! and Collaboration! and Gratitude!

Sometimes you go to work as a performer and forget that people are watching you. You get so comfortable on stage, as part of an ensemble, wearing black, existing in front of an audience, and going through the motions of performing that you become a little desensitized to the crowd of patrons watching the event. 

A few months ago this turned on me in the most delightful way!

In March 2015 I was in Siloam Springs to perform with SoNA on the campus of John Brown University. We were performing a beautiful, yet demanding program that included Respighi's Pines of Rome and La Mer by Debussy. I was stressed out! My final Doctoral recital was just over a month away and I was totally distracted by the preparation needed for that. I was spending every spare moment I had trying to cram for that performance. I barely noticed when I stepped on and off stage for orchestra concerts. SoNA had just performed in Fayetteville the night before and I drove to our matinee performance early in order to practice backstage. I was the only one there for at least an hour and was frantically playing backstage. When I walked onstage for the concert I was happy and surprised (sometimes you underestimate the appeal or popularity of the ensemble you are a part of) to see a packed auditorium! We played the concert and it went really well. And then I jumped in my car and drove home as fast as I possibly could so I could continue cramming for my impending doom, aka recital. Admittedly I did not give a second thought to that concert.

You can imagine my total surprise when I received the following email:

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Murray,

First allow me to introduce myself. My name is Steve Bond and I am a Primary school Art teacher at Gentry Arkansas. I work with Summer B****, the Music teacher, who is friends with Kristen (SoNA member?) who provided me with your contact information. I share this so you may understand how this all came about. 

During SoNA 's performance on March 8th at John Brown University in Siloam Springs AR, my daughter Hannah and I were fortunate enough to be in attendance. It was breath taking and we were left speechless by the beauty of the music many times throughout the afternoon. I complement you and your fellow musicians' for the experience. Thank you!

As you may know, visual artists are always looking for the Aesthetic wherever they happen to be. 

That day I not only noticed the outstanding aesthetic of the SoNA performance, but I was also struck by your aesthetic as well. The line, form, poise, posture and expression of concentration/will that you displayed while playing was, in my opinion, the ideal image/representation of a concert violinist. 

I have a vision of this as an oil painting. Please know that I am not a professional artist, just a Art teacher. And you should also know that I am not professionally trained. In fact, I don't really even know if I can pull off what I have see in my mind's eye. However, I do know that without risk there is no reward. Therefore I am emailing you, knowing full well you may not be interested in the slightest, yet, what I imagine the painting could be makes it worth it. I hope this all some how makes sense. 

I'm curious, would you mind my undertaking a painting using your likeness? If not, then by chance do you have any quality close-up photos of yourself, playing the violin with the positioning as I previously described? Something maybe that was taken of you while you were actually playing in concert? 

In closing, whether you are interested or not in helping me with this project, I wish to thank you for your talent, time, dedication, and hard work in becoming a concert violinist. It is people like you who truly make the world a better place to live.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Talk about the nicest compliment a musician could ask for! I was so impressed that Steve had taken the time to look me up, find my name, my website, and actually email me that I couldn't not support his vision. I sent him a few more photos from previous performances and he set to work on the painting. This was by far the nicest/greatest/coolest thing that has ever come out of performing in an orchestra. I was so excited to see his work!

Steve is a very humble man. He repeatedly reminded me that he is not a professional artist and tried his best to downplay his talent and artistry. I asked him to stay in touch on this project and send me a photo when complete. Steve is actually, not so secretly a really talented painter. He is sneaky about his talents - I was totally impressed with his skills!

He went above and beyond anything I could have hoped for and I am now the proud owner of an original Steve Bond! - not only the owner but the subject! He sent the painting to me and it now hangs in my home teaching and practice studio. I thought he deserved a little attention here so everyone could see what happens when a musician and artist work together, when you take a chance and reach out to collaborate, when you share your idea with a stranger and just hope for a response.

Corresponding with Steve woke me up onstage. Hello! - people are here to see YOU! To hear YOU! To be entertained by YOU! No matter how large the ensemble or production somebody is always watching, and you are not invisible. Be grateful for that. Carry yourself with poise and self awareness (not self consciousness - a totally different, confidence eating mentality) and appreciate each opportunity to perform no matter how insignificant you may feel. A little gratitude can completely transform your intent and feelings about a performance.

Thank you Steve! For getting me out of my funk and waking me up!

Every performance is an opportunity to feel grateful - for the performance opportunity, for a job in the arts, for an audience, to connect with others, to share what you love, and to nurture relationships with friends and acquaintances (soon to be friends perhaps?). Sometimes you just have to feel grateful for these little gems life gives you.

Funny Fiddlers

Violinists often get a bad rap. We tend to be seen as snobby, elitist narcissists who just want to show off and be the best. And yes, to a degree that is true. But there are some funny ones that walk amongst us breathing some life and laughter into this field, and they deserve some praise and attention. 

Sometimes we all need to be reminded that this is fun! We do it because we like it! We get so distracted by all of the work, the practice, the competition, and the high frequencies that it can be so easy to take life a little too seriously. I watch a few of these periodically to keep my spirits up and because laughter is the best medicine - right? A chuckle a day keeps the some-sort-of-specialist-psychologist-doctor at bay. When stakes get high - the impending doom of an audition, or a high pressure performance looms - take a few moments to smile and remember why you started playing violin to begin with. Just because you're the most serious doesn't mean you're the best. Remember to keep it light. All of these musicians are top notch! No joke! They most likely would be incredibly successful as 'boring, serious musicians' but have chosen to highlight their lighter side. What a relief!

Igudesman and Joo

This violin/piano duo were the original musical comedy couple for me. I was first introduced to their work during my undergrad while preparing for my junior recital. My friend showed them to me when I was really fretting about my preparation and these guys made me laugh until I cried. I would go to the library on my practice breaks and watch a video or 2 before returning to work, instantly in a better mood. They tour the world and perform with some of the biggest names in classical music. They garner praise for their playing, comedy, and ability to poke at classical music tropes that we are constantly trying to memorize in school. I would pay big bucks to see them live. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/igudesmanandjoo/videos this is a collection of their videos.

Here are a few classics that I have always loved and enjoyed from way back when.

Ray Chen

Ray Chen has earned the right to be a serious, snobby violinist - the winner of both the Queen Elizabeth AND Menuhin competitions is no easy task. Recently he has actually acted as a competition judge for the Queen Elizabeth meaning he is a highly regarded, truly respected musician. He tours constantly as a soloist and recitalist but always seems to make time for an amusing Instagram photo, Facebook post or (wherever the cool kids are posting them) video. I don't know how he does it but his quick wit is always in tact no matter what sort of crazy pressure he is under. He even makes fun of himself and gets other famous violinists - those who are perhaps not typically thought to be hilarious - in on the joke. The following are a few of my favorites. I also really enjoyed the short instagram videos he made with British violinist Daniel Hope.

He updates his Facebook with all of his extra funny (and not so funny) posts regularly so if you're looking for a chuckle check it out. https://www.facebook.com/raychenviolinist

Two Set Violin

These guys are hilarious! They don't appear to have a proper website and they don't post most of their videos to youtube but they are a pleasant addition to any Facebook feed. Everything from making fun of youth orchestra rehearsals and the secret fears (and fantasies) of all violinists to weird things teachers say in lessons, and epic concerto rap battles. They are not to be missed!

Salut Salon - seduced classically

These ladies pull off some crazy antics on their instruments. I first encountered their work about a year ago and was both impressed and amused. Inventive, silly, and actually really really difficult to pull off - especially in heels and a dress!

Shreds

This isn't so much a specific musician, or group, but rather a very talented producer (or producers) who overdub famous musicians with terrible versions of the music. Perlman Shreds is the one I know best. They actually make the music sound how you might imagine it sounding based only on what it looks like - facial expressions, quirky technique, posture, breathing etc. 

Here's a great one of Pinchas Zukerman

And probably the most painful one of all - the performance at Barack Obama's inauguration. 

and just so you know what it actually sounded like, here is the actual performance

A Brief Violin Family History

This is a story of the musical tradition I grew up in, the enduring professional role models in my life and a great example of just how small the music world really can be.

Once upon a time I was a little girl living in Seattle. One summer, when I was about 4 or 5 there was a block party held on out street and a young violinist played. It was awesome. I remember watching her and marveling at how cool it sounded. I was immediately enamored with the instrument. Legend has it (according to my mom, because I don't really remember what happened next) that I would not stop talking about playing the violin for months. I wanted to do it! I wanted to be that cool girl at the block party playing awesome music and impressing everyone! Wow - Ego much? So flash forward to the next summer when the same super cool violinist came back and played at our block party again. My mom finally caved and approached the girl's family about pursuing violin lessons.

For the next several years I took lessons in the Suzuki Method. My teacher was the best. I can't actually tell you what we did in lessons but I do remember laughing really hard, enjoying my lessons and teacher, and striving to do better. By the time I was 9 I was in book 6. La Folia by Corelli was my jam. I could play it, and often used it to show off at my new school because finally I felt like a violin star.

From ages 9-14 I lived in England. Culturally this was great. I did cool stuff my American friends couldn't do like visit castles on the weekend, drink tea at fancy tea shops, and play netball (a sport few people outside of Great Britain have even heard of) but it was not a hot time for my violin skills. I LOVED my first teacher and none of the teachers in England were stacking up well in her shadow. I was new to the British social norms that exist between teacher and student and was not excelling in that tradition. I was supposed to strive for greatness regardless of my interactions with my teacher and I found this rather boring. Another curve ball was the lack of Suzuki teachers - I was plunged into the traditional British system that emphasizes note reading, sight reading, and music theory and requires an examination in order to pass on to the next level. It was so different, and it was tough. I'm sure that these teachers were actually really great but to a pre teen with as much moxie as I had it wasn't necessarily a good fit. My fancy violin skills began to tarnish and fade but in my little heart of hearts I still wanted it.

My family moved to Michigan after that and I attended Interlochen Center for the Arts throughout High School. I rubbed shoulders with some very popular and successful artists, performers and musicians. Even now, I regularly see someone I went to high school with modeling in a magazine, acting in the hottest new movie or performing on the world's greatest stages. I loved boarding school and the rigorous environment. It truly was a creative and exciting place and has had a lasting impact on how I approach education, learning, practicing, expectations and goals. My teacher had a huge personality and was much easier for me to form a working relationship with then any of my teachers in England. It was certainly a step in the right direction.

Upon graduating from Interlochen I moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota and study with Sally O'Reilly. She is still a major influence in my life. I turn to her advice when struggling with professional relationships, learning new repertoire, teaching my own students and most importantly when making big decisions (like buying a new instrument, applying for graduate school, and acquiring letters of recommendation). I still use the technique books we worked on together, and still put myself back in her bootcamp routines periodically. She motivated me to work hard and use my technique to express myself fully on the violin. Lessons were really productive yet pleasant. Don't get me wrong - she is very demanding and her expectations are high. I was definitely not a stranger to the practice room in those days. She did not try to change my individual nature, only to nurture it and organize it violinistically. She is funny - like hilariously funny. She even has a Facebook page devoted to her quotes called 'The Incredibly quotable Ms. O'Reilly' - check it out, there are some real gems on there.

Cool right? Here is a quick history of my life - who cares? Ready for the the plot twist? My very first violin teacher and her daughter, the awesome violinist at the block party both studied with Sally O'Reilly!!!!! 

It was like the stars had aligned from the very beginning. My first teacher was Janai Fuller, and she is now the director of The Suzuki Institute of Seattle. You can read her brief bio here. Her daughter, the reason I wanted to play violin in the first place is Angie Fuller. The following is Angie's professional bio copied directly from the Dallas Symphony website:

Violinist Angela Fuller Heyde joined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as principal second violin in September of 2009. Previously, she served as concertmaster of the Houston Symphony and as a first violinist of the Minnesota Orchestra, and has been a guest concertmaster with the orchestras of Atlanta, Bergen (NORWAY), Indianapolis and Seattle. Fuller Heyde made her Houston Symphony concerto debut in September of 2007 with critically acclaimed performances of the Bruch concerto. An avid chamber musician, she was a member of the celebrated Prospect Park Players in Minneapolis with conductor/pianist William Eddins and Milwaukee Symphony principal cellist, Joseph Johnson. She has collaborated with such artists as Janos Starker, William Preucil, Charles Castleman and Andrew Litton. A champion of new music, Fuller Heyde gave the Texas premiere of Hilary Tann's Here the Cliffs with the East Texas Symphony in Tyler, TX, and performed that work again with California's Monterey Symphony. Other solo appearances have included the concerti of Brahms and Sibelius with the Minnesota Orchestra. Fuller Heyde began violin studies at the age of three with her mother, Janai. Her teachers include Camilla Wicks, Sally O'Reilly and William Preucil at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She was the 2000 winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition held in San Francisco, as well as the winner of the 1998 Minnesota Orchestra's WAMSO competition. In addition to frequent appearances at the Minnesota Orchestra's Sommerfest, she has performed at the music festivals of Aspen, Grand Teton, Tanglewood, San Diego's Mainly Mozart Festival, the Chautauqua Institution and the Olympic Music Festival. A dedicated teacher, Fuller Heyde has served on the faculty of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music and has given master classes throughout the United States.

Do I have good taste or what!? Let me just spell this out one more time for you - the violinist who first inspired me to play is now a principal player in a major symphony, AND she is the winner of several international competitions. I know talent when I see it, even at the age of 4!

So now what? - Well, I correspond fairly regularly with Sally O'Reilly. I called her to discuss the final year of my Doctorate and my last degree recital program several months ago and she immediately suggested I go to Dallas to have lessons with Angie. Angie had performed Tzigane recently with the Dallas Symphony and regularly performs the other repertoire on my program. So off I went - Spring break became perhaps the most epic professional/personal reunion I have ever experienced. My entire violin life came full circle. To  learn from the person who had first inspired me to play violin was freaky, and awesome. To share more than just one teacher from our past is wild and certainly makes me feel extremely honored and very privileged (it also makes me want to practice like crazy because, you know, these are some major players in the violin world and I really don't want to be the bad seed/black sheep/epic failure in this lineage).

And how was the lesson? Honestly? I'd have to say it was one of the best lessons I've had in years...There is a reason Angie is so successful! It was full of the great tips and tricks, sound advice, musical wisdom, and a few clues into how she maintains her awesome violin skills. Angie is a great communicator - funny, dynamic, clear, encouraging and demanding - just like someone else we both studied with. I definitely walked out of our lessons feeling like I had a ton of work to do but also that I had a plan it was not an impossible road ahead of me and I was excited to get to work. Just the way I like it.

I wish I had a photo of us from way back in the early 1990s in Seattle - maybe my mom has one hidden away somewhere? If I find one I'll make sure to update this post.

Me and Angie in Dallas, March 2015. After a great lesson - and I'm still smiling (and so is she!). Ignore the pants - my mom says they make me look like I have Gangrene. She doubts my yoga-chic fashion choices all of the time.

Prepping Like a Pro

Over the past few months I was forced to step my performance and practice game up several notches. I gave my final doctoral recital in April, won an orchestra audition the week after, assumed a principal position in 2 orchestras and played some freaky hard 20th century music, all while maintaining my regular teaching and orchestra schedule. It was tough! The following tips are lessons I gleaned from others and truths I realized along the way. Many of them are tried and true and have been written about by many great pedagogues and performers. Some of them are little things I discovered on my own and a few may seem totally unrelated to the act of playing violin but are extremely important. 

1. Use a metronome! - as if you've never heard that one before! Sometimes we forget the versatility capable of such a seemingly simple device. I use my metronome for lots of random things. 

a. Slow practice. You think that's slow? Do it Slower! Fast movement of Bach got ya down? Work that sucker from the ground up. If I have a long passage of 16th notes for example - I put my metronome at 16th = 80 and I work it faster little by little. If you trip over a few notes go back and do them again AND THEN repeat the passage. This is the short cut. Practicing like this builds fantastic muscle memory. Nerves on Stage? Something about highly rhythmic, slow practice keeps your left hand working even when your mind might not be so calm.

b. Use it to test your memory. Here's another Slow practice tip I learned from Sally O'Reilly. Are you trying to memorize that Presto movement? Test your memorization skills by playing it with the metronome at 16th= 60-80 (or whatever the smallest subdivision of the beat is) without the music but with all of the correct bowings, dynamics and fingerings etc. Did your mind wander? Did you space out for a second? Did you come to a spot that is easy when played quickly and hard to organize when played slowly? BUSTED! Slow metronomic practice increases your mental endurance as well. I'm telling you - if you can't play it slow, you shouldn't play it fast.

c. Play it faster. This is especially appropriate for excerpts. Can you play it at the proper tempo? Good. Now do it faster. Did you find a place that falls apart? That is your weak spot. If you can't play it cleanly at multiple different speeds - both fast and slow - then you have some weak spots in your playing. Maybe your shifting gets a little sloppy and desperate when you crank up the speed. Maybe you find some weird accidental or unintentional accents caused by faster tempos. Welcome to the problem that needs to be addressed. And say hello to some technical exercises (see below).

d. Keep the subdivision. It is important to physically memorize the feeling of a consistent subdivision. If your little beats rush your big ones will too. Playing a passage 2 against 3? Triplets? Quintuplets? Guess you better figure those out EXACTLY before you start flippantly rushing through them. Play it 3 against 2, 2 against 3 etc. You get the idea. Figure out the precise placement of all those notes before you start making artistic decisions about slowing down and speeding up.

2. Drone! Pick a note, any note! Okay maybe not any note but something that will be consonant or perfect with at least 80% of the passage at hand. Play slow. No vibrato and align your intonation with the drone. Then pick another pitch and do the same - the root and 5th of a chord are a good starting place with this type of work. This tightens up your chords and passagework so your putting your fingers down in exact places and not just willy nilly in the heat of the moment. Speed it up once you are acing it and see if it sticks at a faster tempo. The last thing you should add is vibrato.

3. Record Yourself. Everyday and Every way. I was fortunate enough to work with a teacher who recorded every lesson I had. It made me cringe! But wow do you learn a ton from watching and listening to yourself. Sometimes you're so busy trying to pull off all of the fireworks on the page you can't hear everything that is actually coming out of the instrument. The only way to find the weak spots and improve is to hear them or have a teacher catch them for you. What happens when you don't have a teacher? You have to find these sections yourself - and this is the best way to do it.

I recorded little portions, larger sections, whole movements, rehearsals with pianists and lessons. I heard a whole bunch of stuff that made me want to quit the violin and never pick it up again. Yikes! It was tough listening to it all. But we do it in the name of progress and the quest for near perfection. Remember! YOU DO THIS TO IMPROVE NOT TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF!! Each day I would record numerous tracks then listen to them during my drives to work and gigs and teaching. Sometimes I was in tears, sometimes I was pleasantly surprised and always I had a distinct idea of what needed fixing or changing. Don't forget to listen for the musical elements as well as intonation and technique. You might stumble across a moment of your most natural musicality and it will be a pleasant surprise.

4. Sing. Sing for phrasing, sing for musicality, and sing for intonation. If you can sing it you can play it! If you have no idea what the next note should sound like how on earth are you going to find it on the violin? Don't cross your fingers and hope for the best, make a plan and stick to it. The first part of the plan includes what note comes next! Is there a big shift? Sing the note you're aiming for, once you figure that out you're halfway there. Sing against a drone. Its funny how your own tonal center, as in the one INSIDE you, needs to be just as precise as your intonation on the instrument. It helps you anticipate the correct pitches and plan more precisely. 

If you're looking for some real fun sing and play at the same time. Working on Bach A minor fugue I realized its kind of fun, and at the very least interesting to sing one voice as you play 1 or 2 of the others. Its hard! And funny - and according to my dog sounds absolutely terrible but if you can play in tune with yourself those double stops and chords will be so in tune it hurts. I started working on all double stops like this. It keeps your inner ear in tip top shape which only serves to improve your left hand.

5. Breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe, BREATHE. You must practice this. Breathing is calming. Breathing helps your brain function the best it can. If you hold your breath, you deprive your brain of oxygen and send your body into panic mode. This makes you rush, tighten up, forget things, miss shifts and function in a state of desperation. This undermines all of the work you calmly did in your practice room. Don't let a lack of breath get the best of you. Spend some time before the performance or audition or whatever calmly taking large, expansive breaths. Then continue this throughout the performance. Do you feel yourself clamming up? Or sense the tension from a tricky passage coming up? Replace that anxiety with a reminder to breathe. Even write it in your music if it helps. Keeping your breath calm and not shallow is essential for performing at your best.

6. Stretch. Amping up your practice schedule in anticipation of a big event can lead to tight and overworked muscles. I'm a huge fan of yoga. I practice on my own, attend class whenever I can and throw in a few poses mid rehearsal if I feel extra stiff. Almost immediately I can feel my body expand and relax, like a massive THANK YOU to my whole system. Even my brain feels better. I like to start and end my day with a little bit of yoga. At the minimum 20-30minutes in the morning and right before bed do a world of good. You can stretch however you'd like but yoga has always been the most effective for me. At times of my life when I feel really stressed I turn to slow, meditative and restorative yoga. Your body needs to open up and find length - not tighten up and muscle through a workout. I aim for that Yoga High at the end of practice. If I achieve that in yoga I know my violin practicing will go much more smoothly. 

7. Drink Water. Sounds Silly, I know but staying hydrated helps you concentrate and also wards off feelings of exhaustion. The last thing you want to do is battle fatigue while you're working up a recital. I like to think that I'm flushing all of the stress out of my body with every gulp of water. Its amazing the effect of being properly hydrated has on your entire system and ability to work.

8. Practice the thoughts. Thoughts are things. I'm not kidding! If you think 'I can't do this' or 'this is the spot I always mess up' guess what happens? Practice the positive thoughts, the helpful ones, the ones that give you success. Like 'I am calm' or 'Breathe' or even the practical rational things like 'where is my contact point?' Make a mental plan - sometimes the distraction of having real and practical things to focus on gives you no room for all of the awkward freak out thoughts that like to creep into our heads in times of stress. THINK RATIONAL THOUGHTS.

9. Sleep. Your brain needs a chance to throw out the garbage and clean all of the cogs and wheels of the mind. If you never hit the off switch you never have a chance to recharge. Don't skip the zzzzzzs. Not only does it hit reset it also magically helps all of the things you've worked so hard to solidify stay in place. That metronome work you did yesterday? Still there. That shift that was really difficult last week? Still improving. I love sleep, it feels good to be well rested. Don't deprive yourself the luxury of several horizontal hours.

10. Technique. Don't skimp on your scales! Seriously! A little a day keeps you a lean, mean, playing machine. I highly regret not spending more of my practice time solidifying the basics prior to my recital. Gearing up for the audition I amped up the Sevcik and Flesch and man were my hands well behaved and my playing was pretty rock solid. Now I keep a little practice log so I don't repeat the same things too often. The following is a sampling of my current favorites. I take a taste from each everyday. On a good day I spend 1.5-2.5 hours on this stuff. It feels good to dive in. At the end of your practice session you feel instant improvement. The benefits of practicing technique are far reaching and you will feel the effects in repertoire almost immediately.

Flesch Scales - all on 1 string, 3 octaves, arpeggios, broken thirds, chromatic. A new key each week

Sevcik Bowing - Like meditation for the right hand. Slows me down so I appreciate every inch of my bow. Hones specific techniques that might be a little weak (aka up bow staccato)

Sevcik Shifting - I rotate through a few of these every week. My shifting was getting sloppy and now I feel much more finely tuned. I practice slow, without vibrato.

Sevcik Double Stops - Intonation. FEEL THE INTERVALS.

Galamian Scales and Arpeggios - I pick the same key as the Flesch and do these for the accelerations and alternative chord progression in the arpeggios.

Schradieck - A messy, poorly behaved left hand cannot play efficiently. This helps my concentration and my dexterity.

Etudes/Caprices - Right now I'm challenging myself to some Paganini. Its the toughest of the tough but I think I'm getting there.

I could keep going. But these are the points I find most helpful in prepping for anything. Anyone have some good ideas to add? Leave a comment! 

proof of all the personal recordings I took as part of the preparation process.

HELLO! Again

Apologies for the extended absence! I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since my last post! Man time flies when you're super busy driving, practicing, performing, rehearsing, teaching, reading, working and sleeping!

I gave my final Doctoral recital on April 15th and was 'in the zone' so to speak preparing for the performance (hence my absence). During the preparation process I composed many blog posts in my head, made a few notes and kept a mental catalogue of things worthy of some commentary so be prepared for an onslaught of entries to these blog archives in the very near future. 

This past recital was the last portion of my degree to complete before really digging into research and writing the dissertation. It marks an enormous step in the degree, as I am now considered ABD (that stands for All But Dissertation and NOT A Big Deal) and so so so close to the Doctoral finish line. The only thing left is that silly little thing called a Document, Dissertation, Thesis or whatever academia is referring to it these days, oh and finding a job that requires a huge pompous degree in the fine arts. No Big Deal.

If you have a moment you should totally go see the amazing, and gorgeous posters created for the recitalt! I just uploaded them to the posters section of my website and they really make me look good. Matt and Meghan Irwin were kind enough to collaborate on some really awesome designs and Jeff Montague was so inspired he couldn't resist making his own version of the poster himself! I am so lucky to have such talented artists and designers in my life. Seriously - these people make me look so good!

Anyways - I'm back! Nice to see you again! I'll be back soon, I promise.

The Violin - Show Pieces and Concert Etudes

Show pieces, Concert Etudes, and Caprices, are considered the territory of the violin virtuoso. This repertoire is not for the faint of heart! Much of this music, in fact pretty much all of it was written by violinists in need of beefing recital programs and enticing audiences to marvel at their abilities. Back in the old days (think centuries ago) if you wanted to be a successful touring virtuoso you could't just play music that already existed. Instead, it was in your best interests to compose your own music, create your own image and sound and showcase your strengths and abilities.

A Caprice or Concert Etude is defined as a particularly brilliant instrumental composition evolved from a single technical motive. This technical motive could be something for the left hand like fingered octaves, 10ths, lift hand pizzicato, chords, the use of extremely high positions, dramatic leaps etc. OR they could be for the bow and right hand. Sometimes, in the really high level repertoire they deal with a specific combination of left and right hand technical wizardry.

A show piece was often a character piece, a brief composition based on a well known theme, song or a transcription of a piece not originally composed for the violin.

Centuries ago violinists didn't perform Brahms, Bach, Mozart, Paganini, Vivaldi etc. the way we do now. Entire recitals were not filled with the music of others or music from the past. Violinists wrote music for specific reasons - to teach, to showcase, to self promote, to astonish, and to capture the full potential of the instrument. In this post there will be tons of videos, and recordings, a little bit of lore and some fun stories I've picked up from various masterclasses and teachers. Prepare to indulge in some amazing music and spectacular violin playing!

We will start this conversation in the late 18th century with Paganini. Paganini is one of the most famous violinists to ever live. He was a real trailblazer on the violin and was the first to push the potential of the instrument to the absolute limit (or at least what was considered the limit in his time). In fact, there is a book titled Violin Virtuosos: From Paganini to the 21st Century by Henry Roth that evaluates each violinist, as they compare to Paganini. His basic question is:  Is Paganini the best violinist to ever live? Who is the best violinist of all time? The Bios for each paint a great picture of the variety of personalities, that attain superstardom on the violin. Not all virtuoso violinists were composers as well. In fact, as time goes by fewer and fewer performers compose music - seemingly because they became more and more consumed with the demands of performing.

Niccolò Paganini was a violinist, violist, guitarist, composer and celebrity personality. Originally from Italy, he toured all over Europe as a performer. In my post on the violin concerto I talked briefly about Paganini and his contribution to the concerto genre but here we can expand on that. Paganini had Marfan Syndrome, as did Abraham Lincoln. It is a disease that effects connective tissue in the body. Paganini had long slender fingers and extremely flexible joints, due mostly to his condition and this allowed him to explore the violin in ways that previously had not been explored. Many a virtuoso have anchored their career on their ability to champion the 24 Caprices and some see his music as the pinnacle of all violin repertoire. You can hear Itzhak Perlman play all 24 below.

The 24 Caprices are generally not studied until the student has a firm grasp of the instrument and are often the last Etudes or Caprices that a violinist learns. Sally O'Reilly once said she does not teach these to any student who does not have a high level instrument and bow otherwise it is virtually impossible to play them successfully. 

It is one thing to hear them, it is another to watch them performed - and who better than Heifetz to do the honors?

Paganini also wrote several show pieces that use a well known melody as the theme. Often, the theme is taken from popular operas at the time but occasionally a more popular tune is used instead - like God Save the King

and don't forget Nel cor piu non mi sent - this is definitely one of my favorites.

Paganini had many admirers and probably several admirers who followed him around to see him performances but none so famous as Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst. Rumor has it that Ernst was completely obsessed with Paganini and followed him around, often booking a hotel room right next door or above him to hear him practice and sometimes copy his work. Ernst, also a virtuoso violinist, is considered Paganini's successor, and was said to sometimes book engagements in cities slightly before Paganini in order to perform his plagiarized music before Paganini could. His rather crazy obsessive personality reeked havoc on Paganini driving him to extreme fits of paranoia and secretiveness (perhaps rightly so - how else could you deal with behavior like this?). Nevertheless, Ernst cranked out some show stoppers of his own. Check out Der Erlkönig based on the famous song for voice and piano by Schubert.

or The Last Rose of Summer

Pablo de Sarasate was a Spanish violin virtuoso and composer in the Romantic era. His style really used Spanish dances and songs as a focal point for his virtuosic compositions. Carmen Fantasy, based on the opera by Georges Bizet is one of the most difficult and also most famous of his compositions. It really captures the Spanish flavor and energy of the opera - all on one instrument (with accompaniment of course). The melodies are so well loved and the Spanish flair is remarkably charming on the violin.

Another really great one is Zigeunerweisen (or Gypsy Airs) - although this is not so Spanish. It is Sarasate's attempt at using or copying the popular gypsy music at the time. Although perhaps not very authentic it is still really awesome and remains very popular amongst violinists.

Malagueña is another that I love dearly. You can almost feel the Spanish sunshine oozing out of it.

Henri Vieuxtemps was a Belgian violinist and one of the first proponents of the Franco-Belgian school of violin playing. He was an active teacher, and these days is remembered mostly for his fiendishly difficult concertos. However, there are a few gems in the show piece genre - like Souvenir D'Amerique (can you guess what the song he uses as the theme is?)

Henryk Weiniawski was a contemporary of Vieuxtemps. He was Polish by birth but lived and worked in both Belgium and Russia. He also wrote a number of high level caprices, that have been arranged to include a relatively simple accompaniment line for either piano OR they can be played as violin duets - one violinist works their butt off while the other plays a simplified version of the piano part (hint: basic chordal notes or a bass line). Check out adorable and insanely talented Soo-Been Lee playing this as a solo caprice.

and here it is as a duet

Probably my favorite of Wieniawski's is Légende. It is just so beautiful! 

Fritz Kreisler was an Austrian born violinist who lived from the late 1800s until the mid 20th century. He was famous for his charm, his abundant use of vibrato - which, until Kreisler was used quite sparingly and only for expressive purposes. Kreisler actually did not win several auditions because the jury panel was repulsed by his relentless use of vibrato. My how the times have changed! I don't think I have ever had a lesson in which I was instructed to vibrate less than ALL OF THE TIME! Thanks for that Kreisler.

Kreisler also lived at the dawn of the recording industry. We can see early film of his performances and listen to some rather low quality recordings of his music. Still for sale are albums of Kreisler encores, both as sheet music and audio recordings of character pieces and violin pieces based on well known themes, older music or completely new and original compositions.

and here is a recording of Kreisler playing Kreisler. You can almost hear him smiling while he plays.

Born at the very beginning of the 20th century, Heifetz is considered one of the finest violinists to have ever lived. His technique was out of this world outstanding. People would go to his performances just to see if he would make a mistake. I just couldn't live with that kind of pressure but some people really excel in situations (or entire careers) like this. Even Kreisler admired his performances. Just watching him play is really fascinating- everything looks easy! He barely moves! Even Alexander Technique specialists cherish him and see his posture as the ideal for violinists. Heifetz wrote many short pieces, often transcriptions for the violin, and these collections are still for sale. I have yet to meet a serious teacher who does not own at least one copy of each volume (there are 3). The pieces are fun, challenging and lovable. They are written with the intention of showing off the skill and charm of the performer.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Heifetz is that there are so many recordings and videos of his playing. Just watching him and listening to his playing can serve as an excellent teacher to the aspiring or even seasoned violinist.

and of course.....

And to tie this post together neatly with a bow, I leave you with Paganiniana by Nathan Milstein. A Theme and Variations based on Paganini's 24 Caprices. Milstein took several themes from Paganini's compositions and strung them together into an even harder piece - If that is even possible. 

The Violin - Sonata

The second installment of The Violin class covered the Sonata. A sort of confusing term actually that is used to describe a number of very different things. The word Sonata actually comes from the Italian word Sonare, meaning 'to sound'. It was used to articulate when a piece should be played rather than sung (Cantare was used to indicate 'to sing'). This rather vague beginning meant that pretty much any piece of music NOT sung was a Sonata. It continued on through history to rest its hat as a term that defines the structure of independent movements and the layout of movements in a multi movement work. How confusing!  In this relatively brief diatribe I will try to focus on the Sonata as a multi movement work, and used most often in violin repertoire.

Baroque

In the Baroque era a sonata was a piece of music for one or two solo instruments and continuo (generally a keyboard instrument of some kind plus an additional string instrument to play the bass notes), or for solo instrument. The trio sonata was written for two solo instruments and continuo and followed all of the same restraints and requirements as the solo sonata. Religion and Court often dictated the type of music needed at any given function and consequently two distinct types of Sonatas sprung to life: the Sonata da Camera and the Sonata da Chiesa. These types were written as trio sonatas, solo sonatas and sonatas for one soloist plus continuo. 

The Sonata da Camera was used specifically for courtly purposes and often, although not always, used popular dance styles as a means of organizing movements. These were composed for secular functions away from the church and the music often reflects that. The Italian composers from the Roman tradition (think Corelli) ordered their sonatas slow-fast-slow and of the sonatas I've heard there is no obvious dance melodies used. In the late Baroque the keyboard parts were fully composed and referred to as obbligato. The following is an example of Locatelli's work. He was very important for many reasons but mainly because he was a student of Corelli's, a virtuoso violinist, he also worked for many years in Amsterdam, a hot spot for printing and publishing in Europe at the time. Consequently his music spread far and wide and influenced many.

The following is the collection of Bach Sonatas for violin and harpsichord. They also do not follow the trend of using dance forms but are far more standard than those of Locatelli. If you have the time, I encourage you to listen to all of them. J.S. Bach was so imaginative and innovative, you can really hear the progress made in the sonata genre. The violin and Harpsichord are treated equally and share material. This really marks a change in approach from soloist and accompaniment to two equal collaborators.

For those wondering why I have not yet included any solo Bach partitas - voila! See below. The Partita No. 3 in E major makes use of popular French Dance types after the opening, ever so famous, Preludio. J.S. Bach really does justice to the genre and the violinist in his solo works. They are just fantastic! Each is very different and with a little research you can find the origins of his influence. I read in my studies that he spent quite a bit of time transcribing works by Vivaldi and you can definitely hear some of that flashy bow work here, particularly in the Preludio. 

The Sonata da Chiesa was written with religious intent and generally opened with a slow first movement, followed by a fugal second movement. Biber (which my autocorrect really wants to change to Bieber) has some crazy music, so so beautiful that isn't played often anymore. Today he is most often remembered for his Rosary Sonatas (also known as Mystery Sonatas), thought to have been written around 1676. They are a series of 16 short sonatas for violin and continuo with a passacaglia for solo violin as the finale that is AWESOME! I really wish it was performed more often. Each of the sonatas has a title related to the Christian Rosary devotion. Biber is important, and although he was quite forgotten for many years his music is demanding and often employs scordatura and other virtuosic techniques. In one of the Rosary Sonatas the A and D Strings are actually crossed below the bridge - crazy!

If you want to skip directly to the Passacaglia then skip to the next video.

J.S. Bach wrote both solo Sonatas and Partitas. The Partitas, as stated previously are secular and dance influenced. His solo Sonatas follow the traditional Sonata da Chiesa model of Slow Introductory movement, followed by a fast fugal movement, the third movement being slow and lyrical and ending with a quick Allegro or Presto movement. I am currently trying to conquer the A minor Sonata (probably my favorite of the 3 solo sonatas) so I thought I would include it here.

And being the enthusiast I am for this stuff I couldn't resist leaving a collection of J.S. Bach's complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. Although they fell into obscurity for some time we can thank Joseph Joachim for rediscovering them and popularizing them. They are now required materials for college auditions, some orchestral auditions and many high level competitions. There is so much to manage as a violinist and as a musician in these works, they are yet another reminder of Bach's greatness.

And finally...no discussion of the Baroque violin sonata would be complete without the inclusion of Tartini's 'Devil's Trill' Sonata. This piece supposedly came to him in a dream in which Tartini heard the Devil play the violin and was shocked and amazed by what he heard. He wrote this sonata as an attempt to capture what the Devil played in his dream. I used to think this piece got its nickname from how devilish and wild the trills are to play - it was not until several years later that I heard the story about his dream. The trills sound wicked hard, and they are tricky to play but they sound so Bad-ass (pardon my French). Pretty cool stuff.

Classical

The sonata as we know it today took root in the Classical era simultaneously as an organizational method and a genre of music. As a term it was applied to the structure of individual movements and the layout of movements in a multi-movement work. These multi movement works were also known as Divertimento, Serenade and Partita, and sometimes Sonatina was used instead of Sonata to indicate a smaller or shorter sonata or perhaps a less technically demanding piece. The term Sonata was standardized by Haydn in the 1770s and was increasingly used to describe solo keyboard works AND works for keyboard and one solo instrument - often violin or cello. Many of the Sonatas written by Haydn and Mozart are just two movements long, however three movements became standard during the Classical era. Movement order and style from this period (and later) are most often the following; I. Allegro (in sonata form) II. Slow movement of some kind or occasionally a Minuet and Trio OR Theme and Variations III. Allegro or Presto (often in rondo form). The Classical era gave rise to the amateur musician, a person with the means and desire to study an instrument at home for their own pleasure and enjoyment. Many composers were also teachers and wrote music for their students. The sonata was a popular genre because given the guidelines of the genre and use of Sonata form, it was relatively easy to write, and was the ideal type of music for those seeking knowledge and music as amusement in the home. C.P.E Bach was known as the champion of the amateur musician. He wrote 5 sonatas for violin and keyboard. They are more indicative of the early Classical style rather than what we hear in Mozart's music.

The keyboard really comes into its own in the classical era. It is no longer just accompaniment AT ALL. In fact, several composers - Mozart and Beethoven particularly title their works Sonata for Piano and Violin. In the following Mozart Sonata you can see the score - and it really shows how challenging the piano part is. You can hear and see the interplay between instruments really clearly. Both performers must have great skill and command of their instruments to successfully perform these sonatas. Full of grace, character, fire, beauty, motion and lyricism performers must bounce between these states extremely quickly. This is a two movement sonata - the first movement is in Sonata form (how confusing) and the second is a Theme and Variations.

Romantic

The Romantic era really expanded on what was codified in the Classical era. Composers solidified the use of Sonata form and the use of 3 or 4 movements in a multi movement work. This is also, as with most music for violin, when our great and most loved repertoire was composed. Again, I am going to do my best to refrain from just writing lists but some of these pieces are just THE BEST! What is so great about the violin is the ability to sound so intimate and precious and also so bold and dominating. That is just one of the reasons it finds so much success in so many genres. But maybe I'm biased.

Lets talk about Beethoven - everything always seems to come back to Beethoven. He wrote 10 sonatas for piano and violin and they span a large portion of his composition career (although he sadly did not write any in his late period, after he lost his hearing completely - those would have been wild, and probably extraordinarily difficult). You can hear the Classical nature of his early sonatas and the heroic nature of the Kreutzer Sonata - his longest and most epic. Any Tolstoy fans out there? Tolstoy wrote a story titled 'The Kreutzer Sonata' that centers on this very piece. And the French painter René François painted a work based on the story. Like I said - it always comes back to Beethoven, even for Russian authors and French painters. 

As you can hear from the very beginning this Sonata is beastly difficult! Nothing like a bunch of huge chords for solo violin to get the party started, am I right? A fantastic display of contrast and endurance - Definitely not for the faint of heart! But overwhelmingly for the music lover. The Kreutzer Sonata was composed in 1803 and was premiered by George Bridgewater and even though it was dedicated to the famous violinist Kreutzer, he never actually performed it.

Brahms wrote 3 sonatas for violin and piano and a scherzo movement for a collaborative sonata. Sonata No. 1 Op. 78 in G major is probably the most famous, and my personal favorite. This is another piece that I just love, love, love! Long, luscious melodies dominate the entire work. Written in 1878 it is cyclic, meaning materials are recycled throughout all three movements. Brahms borrows material from his own songs Regenlied and Nachtklang. This Sonata is also nicknamed 'The Rain' Sonata because Regen means Rain in German.

Another extremely important violin sonata is Franck's Sonata in A major written in 1886 as a wedding gift to the virtuoso Ysaÿe (more on him later). This is considered one of the finest violin sonatas ever written and is one of Franck's most popular compositions. It is completely cyclic ( sensing a trend in the late 19th century perhaps?). So charming, and so French n'est-ce pas? Another trend in the 19th century is the use of REALLY difficult piano parts. These days you have to think twice before programming one of these on a recital - to make sure there is a pianist around who can handle it!

Although sonatas for violin and piano dominated throughout the Classical and Romantic era, Ysaÿe wrote six solo sonatas that are real show stoppers. Each is dedicated to a different colleague, drawing on their quirks and style. These pieces are highly virtuosic and reminiscent of Bach's solo sonata writing. Violinists love them - in a time where much of the solo repertoire was fluffy and filled with superficial flash these pieces have a weight and seriousness to them that is very attractive. 

In fact, recognize anything here? hint hint the beginning? This is Sonata No. 2 Op. 27 and is dedicated to Jacques Thibaud, a very close friend and fellow Frenchman who apparently warmed up everyday with the Preludio to Partita No. 3 by Bach and it could be heard from his open window in Paris. This is perhaps the most popular of the 6 sonatas but there are all pretty darn cool.

Moving on to a couple other Frenchies with well loved sonatas still played and enjoyed today. Debussy wrote his violin sonata in G minor in 1917. It was his last major composition and the premier was his last public performance with Gaston Poulet on the violin. It is brief yet charming and full of the colors Debussy always conjured in his music.

Next is Ravel. His sonata No. 2 in G major was composed between 1923-1927 and really captures his love of Jazz and American music. This is like playing jazz for the classical musician - you have to portray the feel, and make some really cool effects but you don't have to do any improvisation. All the 'cool kats' think this piece is pretty neat - and it is. A very nice portrait of the versatility of the instrument. In the 20th century we start hearing, as with other genres, the violin used to promote specific aesthetics rather than simply the loveliness of the instrument (and Sonata form is virtually abandoned along the way). 

Prokofiev wrote 2 sonatas for violin and piano. The first in F minor was written between 1936-46 and is a huge task to take on for both performers - it is dark! Like graveyard dark, and gloomy and brooding, It is awesome. He also wrote a solo sonata which is not dark or brooding - in fact it is rather militant sounding. I once heard that this piece was often performed by a group of violinists in unison, and that is actually how I have performed it but otherwise I have never found this to be the case. Prokofiev also wrote a sonata for two violins written in 1932. I've only heard recordings but I really wish it was performed more often!

One more solo sonata worth mentioning (and admiring) is Bartok's sonata for solo violin. Premiered in 1944 by Yehudi Menuhin, it is outrageously difficult! Bartok at the time was very ill with Leukemia and this is one of his last compositions. Ever inspired by Bach, this piece recalls his solo sonatas and makes use of Baroque organizational and structural techniques like Fugues and Chaccone and a Presto movement to close. You know you're good if you can play this!

Well this turned out to be a little longer than I planned - oops! There is just some seriously cool stuff out there! I didn't even get to the Americans! Make sure to sink your teeth into some Ives (he wrote 4) and they are whacky, quirky, cool. Say hello to some hymns and pop tune quotes, a fair sprinkling of Americana, and some traditional sonata norms. The following is Sonata no. 4 titled "Children's day at Camp Meeting" and was composed around 1916.

And don't forget the Copland Sonata, premiered in 1944. There is just no denying that Copland sound!

Finally, here are a few thoughts to contemplate - clearly the solo violin sonata is pretty awesome (pretty and awesome), so why are there not more of them? Especially in the Classical era and early Romantic era? What about all those virtuoso composers and performers like Paganini and Sarasate? Paganini actually wrote sonatas for violin and guitar - he was conveniently a virtuoso guitarist as well - and they can be found here. But mostly the flashy virtuoso performer composers concerned themselves with show pieces, concertos and caprices - anything to remind audiences that they were hands down THE BEST violinists alive. The violin sonata as a genre tended to be more serious in nature and less about the fireworks (unless they served the music of course) and therefore attracted those of a more compositionally austere disposition. As with other musical genres in the 20th century the violin sonata abandoned some of the norms and traditions of the past. Today, sonatas are still written for violinists, but perhaps under a different title, with a different agenda in mind. The use of sonata form is not standard anymore and the violin and piano are often asked to employ non traditional techniques to create effects. Minimalists sound minimal, Neo-classicists sound Neoclassical. You get the idea. Hope you enjoyed this! Leave any comments or feedback below - I'd love to hear about your favorite Violin Sonatas!

The Violin - Concerto

This semester I have the opportunity to teach a really cool class at Oklahoma Baptist University; A class all about the violin! Last summer, as I was studying for my general exams I came up with the idea of teaching a class that focuses on some of the details of being a violinist that there just isn't time to discuss and talk about in lessons. There is so much fascinating information and beautiful music out there in this field and so little time to find it that I really feel an obligation to my students to pass on at least a small sliver of what I know. The more I studied for my exams the more I found this information coming up in my own lessons with my professor as well as lessons with my students. And truth be told I was kind of looking for an excuse to keep discussing the violin, researching it, listening to it, watching performances, reading about it, and absorbing it in any way possible. Talk about a violin nerd! I am confessing, right here, in print, to proposing a class purely so that I could continue to study something I love and maybe get a few others excited about it along the way.

This class is a whirlwind tour through some of the important stuff young violinists should know. Each month we focus on a different aspect of the field covering repertoire, composers, teachers, and performers. Given the chance, I could probably teach a class on each of these subjects because there is so much to discuss but I'll take what I can get.

During the month of February we are taking a look at (and a listen to) the incredible wealth of repertoire written for the violin. Granted, it is really hard to limit the information to just one hour a week so I thought I would just leave the leftover notes here for everyone to see (and for my students to hopefully read, listen, watch, take notes and eventually remember) and with any luck maybe someone else will find this stuff interesting too. The following are some general notes on the violin concerto throughout history.

The Concerto 

The Concerto can loosely be defined as an instrumental work that maintains contrast between orchestral ensemble and a smaller group or solo instrument or among various groups of an undivided orchestra. Beginning in the 18th century the term was applied consistently to works in 3 movements, ordered fast-slow-fast, for soloist and orchestra, 2 or more soloists and orchestra (concerto grosso) or undivided orchestra. In the late 18th century and for most of the 19th century the solo concerto was a prominent form of virtuosic display. Before 1700 the term applied to pieces in a variety of forms for an even greater variety of performing media, voices and instruments. The violin was a popular choice in every era. It is highly virtuosic, projects well over an ensemble, is versatile and beautiful to watch and also to listen to. Yehudi Menuhin credits the popularity of the violin, and specifically the violin concerto, to its ability to still emotions in the listener and to tug at the heart strings of the audience. I completely agree! It is emotive yet technical simultaneously.

Baroque

The concerto as a genre came into its own at the end of the 17th century. It was considered a progressive offshoot of the sonata, designed for performance with a string orchestra. It was around this time that the violin as we know it was born. Stradivarius, Guarneri, and several others were creating the impeccable instruments that we still admire and imitate today. Italy was alive with excitement for the violin and with the advent of such sublime instruments and a shifted focus, and attention to instrumental music the violin became immensely popular.

In Italy there were 2 primary centers when it came to composition. Rome and Venice. At the head of the Roman tradition sat Archangelo Corelli. In Venice Antonio Vivaldi was considered the master. The Roman approach to the early concerto, specifically credited to Corelli used a small group of soloists - typically 2 violins, cello or lute and continuo - accompanied by a larger string ensemble. This was known as a concerto grosso. Corelli's Op. 6 consists of 12 Concerto Grossi. They are beautiful and lush and still quite popular today. These pieces are accessible to performers of all abilities, as is much of Corelli's music and can be heard regularly on student recitals and in Baroque ensemble performances. It was actually Torelli, another composer from the Roman tradition, and not Corelli however, who is credited with writing the first solo violin concerto. Corelli and his fellow Roman composers used the movement order slow-fast-slow in trio sonatas, concerti grossi, and solo concerti and his style is not nearly as extravagant or showy as Vivaldi's.

In Venice, Vivaldi introduced an exciting and new musical language full of strong effects like orchestral unisons, virtuosic solo lines and lyrical moments that offset the high speed dexterity. The virtuosity of his solo lines set a new standard in violin repertoire as did his ordering of movements fast-slow-fast. As a teacher and performer he wrote hundreds of concerti for all types of occasions and instrumentation. The rise of the concerto also coincided exactly with music publishing in Europe. Therefore the influence of Vivaldi and Corelli was far reaching and their style and trends spread across Europe quickly. Venice was the center for commerce and printing at the time and Vivaldi, known as the 'Red Priest' was highly sought after during his lifetime. After his death his music waned in popularity and it was not the late 18th century that it garnered acclaim again. Now, The four seasons, is some of the most popular and most recorded violin music in history. 

The concerto as a genre spread quickly across Europe. Many Italian composers and violinists moved around and worked in courts all across Europe. In Germany Vivaldi was highly imitated by the likes of J.S. Bach, Telemann, Pisendel and many others.

The Baroque concerto was extremely important for several reasons. It served as a massive stimulus for violin technique; There were huge virtuosic advancements in the repertoire and the conception of the instrument changed dramatically. It also served as a vehicle for new performers and consequently bridged the gap between amateur or 'rank and file' musicians and virtuosos offering them a stage to perform on together. And most importantly it raised the profile and reputation of instrumental music substantially so that it soon rivaled opera and in popularity.

Classical

By the mid 18th century the solo concerto had basically taken over and the concerto grosso fell out of favor. The solo concerto was widely cultivated all over Europe. Each region added their own particular traits. In France works for violin were immensely popular. Leclair, and Gaviniés wrote many, and Viotti (who wrote 19 violin concertos) became the most important figure of the later violin tradition. Very little of this repertoire is still performed or taught today. Gavinies études are taught regularly for their technical challenges but I have never heard one of his concertos performed. Concerto No. 23 in G major by Viotti however is taught regularly to intermediate students in preparation for the transition into more serious repertoire. In fact, Joseph Silverstein once said in a masterclass that students should always learn to play Viotti before they attempt Mozart because there are important violinistic skills to be learned in them and it is an excellent place for one to sharpen their teeth in preparation for the repertoire to come.

In the German tradition the Mannheim court really paved the way for virtuosic performing and composing with the abundance of highly skilled performers. Increasingly they made use of what is now known as sonata form, and often used a Rondo to organize the last movement. Johann Stamitz and his sons Carl and Anton were highly respected musicians and their music is still performed today - although admittedly more so on viola than on violin.

When we think of Classical music and specifically the classical concerto Mozart and Haydn immediately come to mind. Their music was instrumental in shaping the following generations. Mozart wrote five concertos for solo violin, three of them are still widely performed and are often requested at orchestral auditions because of the high technical level required to play them well. He also wrote sinfonia concertante for violin and viola, a spruced up version of a concerto grosso. In Mozart's music you can hear the influence of opera and the highly virtuosic solo lines are no longer accompanied by simple orchestral parts but instead the orchestra takes on a much more important role and the parts become more demanding. Rather than just accompanying the soloist the orchestra takes part in a growing dialogue. In class we talked specifically about the 5th concerto in order to highlight some of the 'Turkish' or Eastern trends that were beginning to seep into classical music. Mozart's last violin concerto is arguably his most popular and perhaps most interesting due to the shifts in meter, key and feel particularly in the last movement. You can hear the more central role of the orchestra as well as the interplay between major and minor in the last movement below.

Romantic

In the 19th century the concerto was considered a pivotal and defining form in musical culture. By 1800 it was the synthesis of past traditions tracing back to the Baroque era and was also ideally situated to best express the ambitions inherent in early romanticism. Composers toyed with the dynamic of soloist versus ensemble. This is when it gets really interesting! There are so many fantastic pieces written in this era - the violin was so versatile and could express a whole range of emotions and the soloist was seen as a dramatic protagonist pitted against the orchestra. The concerto as a genre was also able to maintain the structural coherence that made it so successful. Due to the popularity of public concerts it was also an excellent arena for one to further their career as a soloist and virtuoso. Composer performers used the genre to highlight their abilities and flaunt their talent while showcasing the sonority and expressive range of the instrument. There were also conservatories, such as the Paris Conservatory where excellent violin faculty composed pieces for students as examinations and as technical exercises. And finally, composers who were not violinists by trade tried their hand at writing in the genre. Symphonists, and pianists who were never known as great violinists wrote highly technical and extremely demanding repertoire in this genre for the first time, and the performance of these pieces required a violinist of extreme ability to perform and premier their works. At this point I am tempted to just list off my favorite pieces, those still taught, ones I had never heard of and everything in between. Instead I will do my best to outline a few sub categories and explain which are the most beloved, wish me luck!

Many, many concerti were written for all sorts of reasons but by 1880 there were 3 distinct types of concertos found. Many had elements from all three. They were the virtuoso concerto, the symphonic concerto and the narrative concerto.

the virtuoso concerto - this subgenre flourished in the 1820s and onwards. It was the preferred vehicle for displaying the full range of the instrument. The orchestral writing was minimal and served only to provide a helpful framework to the soloist. A 3 movement form ensured that the performer would have ample time to display the velocity, dexterity, grace, accuracy, intimacy of expression and power and profundity available on the violin. Paganini's 6 concertos serve as an outstanding example of every technical feat the violin had to offer although the output of Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski certainly cannot be ignored. The Paganini concertos are impressive to hear and also to watch. One can't help but react to the firework displays captured on the violin. You can also hear the influence of Bel Canto opera in his musical style - the ever so flashy vocal style adored all over Europe. This video is great because you see some impressive close ups. I certainly watch and exclaim 'Wow!' when I see Paganini played well!

the symphonic concerto - this genre developed as a reaction to all of the flashy showmanship of the virtuosic concertos. It progressed on the same lines as symphonies did and the orchestra played a major role in these pieces. They are often very long, dense and musically demanding by all involved. The Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, and Brahms violin concertos are all examples of this genre. They are formally progressive, highly expressive and virtuosically demanding but specifically to serve the music rather than showcase the performer. They tend to be very long, melodically driven and harmonically interesting. Usually I prefer to watch a great performer on youtube rather than the notes of the score, but below you can see the Saint-Saëns violin part and get a feel for the musicality and virtuosity involved in these 'anti virtuoso' concertos.

the narrative concerto - by means of Liszt's innovations and the early romantic pursuit of instrumental music as a medium through which the poetic, epic and dramatic could be expressed these concertos often had a very specific agenda. Sometimes they were just one movement long, others were trying to capture a certain flavor or even tell a story. Lalo's 'Symphonie Espagnole' falls in this category (incidentally this piece was highly influential on Tchaikovsky when he wrote his own violin concerto a short while later). You can really hear the spanish flair he was trying to capture on the violin. It becomes the central feature of the piece - each of the 5 movements is full of character.

obviously this does not come close to covering all of the fantastic repertoire out there. But, again, to prevent myself from just writing lists of music and inserting a plethora of videos this is my brief overview.

The Big 5

There are five violin concertos considered to be the pinnacle of the genre; the most mature and difficult to perform, interpret and endure. They are masterpieces, adored not just by violinists but by the whole world. They are used in movies and appear on orchestra season programs regularly. I adore each of them and for many years they were the pieces I aspired (and still do) to play. The technical demand one must have on their instrument is cause for celebration itself let alone the musicianship and endurance, focus and concentration. So enjoy them and appreciate the years or work and dedication that you hear when one of these is performed. They are:

Beethoven Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op.61 (1806)

This one might be the very pinnacle of violin playing. If you can play this, and do it well you are most likely a professional with years of training....or you are insanely talented and either have a blossoming career or will have one soon. Everyone wants to play this one, and few want to teach it. It is almost religious to hear some violinists talk about this piece. So clean, pure and challenging. The fact that it is an hour long means you have to eat some protein before you even get started! To keep your head in the game for that long is exhausting. Not to mention the technical feats to be accomplished along the way It was premiered and then forgotten for many years and from what I have read the premier was absolutely dreadful. The soloist sightread portions of the work onstage, the orchestration is often dense and again it is LONG! The concerto was not met with wide success or interest for many years until Joseph Joachim discovered it and popularized it. There are now numerous cadenzas written for it - the most popular being the one written by Fritz Kreisler (heard in this video).

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64 (1845)

I love this piece! Ok, I love them all but this one I have studied intensely and just can't seem to get enough. Mendelssohn does a few unusual things formally - the soloist starts the piece. He does away with the orchestral introduction, he also composes the cadenza rather than letting the performer use it as an excuse to show off he uses it structurally to return to the primary material of the first movement. He also composes all movements to act as one long piece, each movement moves directly into the next. Mendelssohn consulted with his good friend Ferdinand David about performing this piece, editing it, and the expressive markings and Ferdinand David gave the premier of this piece. One of my teachers referred to this piece as 'Mozart on drugs' and I definitely see where she is coming from. It has all of the clean, classical, refinement of a Mozart concerto with all of the demands of a romantic, significant concerto of the 19th century. 

Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (1878)

When I was in high school I bought a recording of Hilary Hahn playing this concerto and listened to it at least once per day for a full semester. The fire and flair that the violinist bursts on the scene with is so exciting! The energy is right there, tangible even through a recording! The second movement is such a gorgeous melody, and cleverly Brahms gives a massive solo to the oboe. This was borderline scandalous but extremely successful. It was dedicated to and premiered by Brahms' dear friend Joseph Joachim who insisted on performing the Beethoven Concerto alongside it at the premier - talk about a marathon! The last movement is used in the film There will be Blood at the very end (I believe when the credits role).

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1878).

Written in Switzerland while Tchaikovsky was on vacation. He is said to have been charmed by Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole which was all the rage in Europe at the time. He wrote it rather quickly and intended for Leopold Auer to premier it, but instead Adolf Brodsky did the honors. It was not met with positive reviews. Auer was apparently not fond of it from the beginning and declined the offer and the dedication. He never really changed his song on this but he has feigned regret for not honoring Tchaikovsky's request. Comments from the premier include remarks regarding the violin being beat black and blue, others said it was long and pretentious but it has clearly grown in popularity since the premier and is now one of the most loved concertos in the repertoire. You can hear Tchaikovsky's style everywhere - the combination of grace and drama from his work in ballet is completely tangible throughout.

Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47 (1904)

This is the only concerto Sibelius ever wrote. The beginning always makes me think of a cold, snowy ride through the woods in a carriage with snow falling all around you. There were 2 premiers of this piece and it exists in 2 editions. The second edition is the most popular and most played. The first edition was considered too difficult and was heavily revised. Recently, Leonidas Kavakos was granted permission to record it, and I really would like to hear them played back to back. It was premiered originally by Nováček in Helsinki and later in Berlin with Richard Strauss conducting and William Burmeister performing. It is another great concerto where the soloist makes their entrance almost immediately in. In high school I used to say 'I can't stop playing the violin until I can play the sibelius violin concerto'.....and I still haven't learned this beast yet. But I still do love it just as much!

In the 20th century the violin concerto tended to serve this musical needs and requirements of the composer in a different way. Berg wrote a fantastic concerto, but it is difficult and wonderful because of its use of the 12-tone system. Similarly minimalist composers used the genre as another outlet for their aesthetics or it was often only written when commissioned or requested by particular performers. Nevertheless, the violin concerto is still incredible to witness in performance, to study in school and listen to ALL OF THE TIME.

A few of my favorites from the 20th century include - 

The Khachaturian violin concerto in D minor (1940) - Premiered by Oistrakh

The Korngold violin concerto in D major (1945) Premiered by Heifetz.

Shostakovich Violin concerto No. 1 in A minor Op. 99 (1967) Premiered by Oistrakh

This was a lengthy post - but I hope at least a little bit interesting. Leave some comments! What are your favorites? 

Notes from the Road

As a working violinist and long distance runner in Oklahoma I am frequently on the road. Many hours of my week are often spent getting from one rehearsal to the next, teaching here, performing there, running a few miles now and perhaps a few later (or several all in a row if I'm training for something serious). I teach in Shawnee, I perform regularly in Tulsa, Fort Smith and Fayetteville and those cities are not just a hop, skip or jump down the road from each other.

Often I find myself with hours of alone time stuck in the car trying to keep myself mentally occupied as I cruise-control the hours away, or trying to keep my mind off of the miles and miles I am putting on my running shoes. Sure, I make phone calls to friends, listen to all sorts of music and grab at least a few minutes of the news but often I need a little more. Something with a story, or a theme, some new information, a new fact to learn, a game to play or just an engaging host. Yes, I have access to an Audible account and take advantage of the hours of books available, but sometimes a long, narrated novel just isn't what I'm in the mood for. What I crave is a really good podcast binge.

I have been a podcast listener for years. The Moth and This American Life have been regular features in my audio diet for years now but recently I have discovered several more that actually make me excited for long drives and longer runs because they are just that good!

The following is a list of my favorite podcasts of the moment. I encourage you to check them out! I actually find myself trying to find excuses to listen to some of these - washing dishes, personal yoga practice, running, cycling, walking the dog, writing blog posts and working on this website, cleaning the house - you name it and I am using it as an excuse to worm a few extra minutes of podcast listening into my day! They range in subject matter from stories to science to music to history; Deeply personal interviews, funny game shows, Crime, ongoing investigations etc. You can regularly hear me chirping "did you know.....?" immediately after listening to some of these. They serve as excellent conversation starters, trivia, and cocktail party knowledge and are a fulfilling way to spend a few hours. I have included a link to the website for each, to visit the website for just click on the title. 

Serial - I know I wasn't the only person who looked forward to the newest Serial episode each week. In fact, there is fan art, blogs, reddits and other forums devoted to this podcast alone. The story is crazy, and true and totally addicting! One minute you are rooting for Adnan, the next you are convinced he is the killer. This podcast is binge-worthy and makes time fly by! I told pretty much every orchestra member I performed with about it in the hopes someone else would listen to it so we could gush about our murder theories together. Sarah Koenig follows the case of Adnan Sayed and the murder of Hay Min Lee in Baltimore, 1999. There were so many weird and vague and suspicious elements in this case to explore it was hard to turn it off. I cannot wait for season 2 (which will follow a different case). Seriously! Half of the podcasts below were discovered in an attempt to fill the void Serial left in my life.

This American Life - This one is a classic. Slices of Americana. Intimate portrayals of all sorts of things. Hosted by Ira Glass (cousin of the composer Philip Glass btw) it covers everything from the economy to  reunions, poultry, calamari, sleep walking and much more. Famous personalities like David Sedaris and Mike Birbiglia can often be heard reading their works or weighing in on a theme for the week. Sometimes I laugh really hard and sometimes the stories are extremely heart felt and touching or at the very least thought provoking. I have been listening to this one for years and have yet to get sick of it.

Radiolab - Also a classic. Generally radiolab focuses more on science than This American Life does, but nonetheless it is really engaging. They've covered a huge array of topics from Beethoven's tempo markings to the markings on the first human skull, to the warehouses where online shopping purchases are found. Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are a really brilliant balance in personalities and even when you think the theme for the week maybe isn't something you're interested you still have a "no way! how cool!" or "neat!" moment. 

Ask Me Another - This is a trivia radio show, and it is unbelievably fun and amusing. I often find myself blurting out the answers in my car - alone. But it is also fun to listen to with other people as well - it can get a little competitive as people race each other to scream the answers aloud. Ophira Eisenberg is an energetic and delightful host and the games are highly entertaining and imaginative. They also invite a celebrity guest or guests to participate in the games each week. I can tell you that the episode featuring the planet money hosts was side-splittingly funny -Try talking about the economy while using only one-syllable words. Good luck not cracking yourself up!

The Moth - I have loved The Moth for years. Each year they host a fundraising event called the Moth Ball and it is on my bucket list to attend at least once. These are real stories told live by real people without any notes. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes really sad, or heartwarming, thought provoking or satirical. Stories are told by all types of people from celebrities and comedians to police officers in NYC, to middle school kids enrolled in a story telling workshop, cancer survivors, parents, scientists, college students, chefs - you name it and they are sharing their stories. They host classes, and story slam competitions, travel the country, and provide a stage for the human experience.  

Inquiring Minds - An in-depth look at where politics, science and society meet. Each episode opens with a discussion of the hottest science news of the moment. There are some super famous authors, scientists, politicians and the like who make appearances on this podcast. I started tuning in because I caught wind of an excellent interview with Michael Pollan about the role of heat and cooking in our evolution and diet and consequently found a really great episode with Mary Roach (one of my all time favorite non-fiction writers) referencing her book Gulp! about the gastrointestinal tract. Many more topics are covered besides food and digestion - I've tuned in to ones on climate change and the solar system to name just a few. 

The Heart - All about intimacy and humanity. This one is a little bit more radical, risqué and sexually explicit but sincere and heartfelt all the same. I'll admit I've only listened to one or two but am definitely looking forward to hearing more.

The Truth - described as movies for your ears. There are actors, story lines, plots, sounds effects. It is great! Like a radio drama! Having spent several formative years in the United Kingdom I have a serious soft spot for dramatized radio programming. Enjoy!

Death, Sex and Money - Intimate interviews. Anna Sale has a knack for guiding conversation into personal territory but not in a confrontational or offensive way. Each episode features a different guest and the private person behind the public persona is often touching and ever so human. Dan Savage on communication and long term relationships, Ellen Burstyn on what makes her most proud are just two of the interviews available. They really round out the celebrity experience, highlighting the not so talked about elements of life that so many of us deal with or have at least thought about in the past. 

Born Yesterday - A podcast about the past. This one focuses on history. I recently listened to the episode on Sea Shanties and highly recommend it. The host traces the history, from many angles of all sorts of things from Sea Shanties, to particular phrases that are part of our everyday vernacular, to games and much more. I have only recently found this one but definitely enjoy it. Each episode has at least a few "wow! cool!" moments. It is all of the history I wish we learned more of in school. Casual, social history of random elements of life. Can't go wrong with a little trivia knowledge like that, right? 

Wiretap - hosted by Jonathan Goldstein. This podcast is stories, adventures and themes, interviews from the normal to the surreal. Welcome to inside Goldstein's head - and good luck! It is quirky but definitely enjoyable. This one is pretty new for me, but I'm sticking with it.

Meet the Composer - If you have ever seen a composer's name on a program and thought "who is that?" or you hear a modern piece and just don't get it then this is a great place to glean some insight into the world of modern composers. Hosted by the ever so cool, ever so talented violist and avant-garde darling Nadia Sirota this podcast makes sense of the music of today through interviews and sound clips. It has certainly turned me on to a few composers I had, until recently never heard of. In each episode she interviews and studies a different composer and you come to find out that they are people too! Extremely interesting, inherently fascinating. This podcast has imbued in me a great deal of respect for an individual's creative process and inspiration. Definitely a must for music lovers who feel intimidated by modern music or just want to know more.

Can you tell what my interests are? I love learning and I love stories. History, people, science, economics, love, death, sadness, hilarity, music, interviews - you name it and I probably just can't get enough! I hope you enjoy these recommendations. Please hang out and gush about your likes, dislikes, plot twists, theories etc. If I could I would join a podcast club (like a book club, but for podcasts) so maybe we can start a mini one here? All podcasts listed can be accessed and listened to via their website or through iTunes, and as far as I know pretty much any standard podcast listening app. If you have any suggestions or additions to this list feel free to leave a comment! I am always happy to add to my list.