In awe with music

My work leads me to discovery and re-discovery of some of the finest music around.  An astonishing wealth of music is around us and has been around us for Centuries.

For centuries very talented and prolific musicians made and are making, writing and arranging music.  Thanks to the internet we now have more access to some of the music that is around.

I am in awe – totally.

When I first came to the US, I thought I was pretty well versed in what music was around.  Some music less known to me and other more - nothing new there.   Especially classical music I felt I knew well.  Music of all music eras was taught at the conservatory and I had explored playing music from the Baroque Era through the music that then was current or 20^th Century.

Folk music I was not as familiar with; Russian and Eastern European music, Irish fiddling.  Operette music and the beautiful operas I had played and witnessed in the Amsterdam theaters.  Popular music…I am a great fan of French chansons and Dutch cabaret music.  I even (haha) liked some Pop/Rock music, in the first place the Beatles… Jazz…

What I just mentioned is a huge variety of music and I didn’t mention all.  My mantra: there is good music and bad music.  No matter what music.  There is good and bad Hip Hop music, as far as I am concerned.  Though it is not music I am foremost interested in.  Of course we have our favorites.  I expanded my horizon in the last two decades, here in America.

Great Americana music - I was able to learn to play it and teach it, in my student practice and with my student orchestra.  I have learned to make connections with this music and the Early European music.  I have learned to enjoy the Blues and the wonderful tension of the Blues note in the melody.  I love it!

And now I am expanding further.  This year is particularly fun as I am exploring the music of the 60s with my orchestra.  I study the old tunes by the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, the Stones and others, like Bob Dylan.  And my eyes are opened for what I meet is incredible rich, deep and complex music with an overtone of directness in their melodies.  Realizing I may start to sound like a sommelier, discussing wines.

With my Baroque trio we have been able to step away from the beaten path – Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi.  We started to question: what Early Music was around in Europe?  We have started a music series, virtually traveling in Europe, in the different countries.  This year we are traveling down the rivers Danube, Rhine and Elbe.  And again I am in awe!  Thanks to the internet we have found wonderful works by great musicians from the past.  Nothing all that simple!  Nothing all that stuffy!  Our program now contains music by the Swiss composer Senfl, by his teacher Isaac, by German – and famous – Hildegard von Bingen (am Rhein) – by Hellendael and Wassenaar… and by the blind recorder player, van Eyck.   And while exploring we are treated to lifting some of the veil over our musical past.  Our heritage of music that spread its wings all over the world, along with all moving peoples.

I feel blessed to be in a position to learn so much and to enjoy so much.

Breaking a string... cross tuning / scordatura

Back from summer recess...
Yesterday I broke a string while teaching:
Was it the string?  I had not changed it for a while.  Or was it my action?  Maybe it was a combination.  I wanted to show my student the fun experience of cross tuning (scordatura).  And I tuned my G-string up, I guess, a little too fast.

We discussed a fun tune by Byron Berline.  "Memories of Scotland".  My student looked at the sheet music we have for this tune and she wondered how to play it...It looked impossible, playing an A note on the G-string and a C# on the D-string.  I showed her the indication to tune the instrument to an A-chord: (AEAC#). It would make all possible.

The string broke and I aborted the attempt to show her.  So far I never broke a string when changing the tuning of the instrument.  However I always have taken time and care in doing so.  I have performed H.F. Biber sonatas (12 mystery sonatas) for violin and harpsichord and found some very interesting tunings:
Ab, Eb, G, D and CFAC among others.  It takes some careful consideration...and I guess at times considering putting another D string on, versus the G string...

Cross-tuning or Scordatura, retunes the strings to chords that cause the violin to differently resonate or sing.  It is a fun and rich experience.  The student asked about cross tuning as she was asked to cross tune her instrument in an Old Time jam session recently.  The tuning GDGD certainly is a fun and safe way to go, since it lowers the two top strings one step and thus relaxes the strings.  No concern for breaking a string, though the strings do like to creep back up to their original tuning.  Keeping that in mind, I would certainly recommend playing cross tuning.  It opens up new experiences and horizons!

Vibrato in Old Time Fiddling?

Yesterday I observed a fiddle contest and noticed some participants using a lot of strong vibrato.  They scored high and I felt it a good opportunity to reflect:

Among Old Time fiddlers, I have heard discussions and opinions being shared regarding the use of vibrato.  Certain Old Time fiddlers are convinced that this particular style of fiddle playing must be without any form of vibrato. Then again, depending on their regional tradition, other Old Time fiddlers have a slightly varied idea allowing for limited use of vibrato. I vividly remember the comments of an Old Time fiddle judge at a contest: some of the contestants were using vibrato while playing Old Time tunes and that was absolutely against the rules of Old Time fiddling.  Another Old Time fiddle judge, with a slightly different fiddle tradition, was of a different opinion and felt that some vibrato could be used, though sparingly.  It goes without saying that these two judges had very different opinions on the performance and the style in which the tunes were played.  

The question arising here is: are we discussing fiddle style or a violin approach to fiddling?  Is strong vibrato impressive and does it indeed enhance the fiddle tune?  I can't help but wonder. I have come across similar discussions regarding Baroque violin performance and it is my opinion that vibrato can indeed be used both in Baroque violin and fiddle music if used sparingly with a sense of enhancing the note or phrase.   Jaap Schrӧder mentions in his book, "Bach's solo violin works, a performer's guide": Vibrato has had an expressive function at all times; its application in the “warming up” of long notes was basic to early vocal training.  One could say that the sound becomes ornamented, and indeed the vibrato, like the trill, belongs to a repertoire of ornaments.

In other words I believe it takes a lot of musical control and understanding to use vibrato in fiddling...I was not impressed with the vibrato use I heard in the fiddle contest.  However, times and opinions change.  It remains an interesting topic and I'd love to hear your thoughts...

     

A loose wrist only in fiddling?

Fiddlers profess the importance of the loose wrist movement. Some of the finest fiddlers have explained to me how different fiddle bowing is from bowing by violinists. They emphasize that in order to play a good sound fiddle tune, it is imperative to have a loose wrist. It has come to their attention that violinists, on the whole, do not use that technique. To me this is a very interesting observation.

In order to use the circular bow movement, as tends to be the norm among Baroque musicians, one cannot ignore the wrist. The wrist in these strokes will have to be loose. The intense use of the lower part of the bow and the fast, crisp passages in Baroque music invite a loose wrist. A typical 16^th note phrase with repeated string changes - as one can find for instance in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi - loses its character, intensity and speed if they are executed solely with the arm. One can imagine a frantic arm-waving violinist, who may well be in trouble. Good violin technique involves the use of a loose wrist. However, the wrist is not the power source but rather the conductor of power driven by the arm. Violinists use the arm to support a full and varied sound. Therefore the use of the wrist is integrated in the total bowing technique of any good violinist. The use of the wrist is really dependent on the music itself and the style of music.

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Rhetoric in Music - The Notes tell All

At the Conservatory, many years ago now, I learned from two incredible musicians about rhetoric in music. This was during a special workshop: The Arcadia project.  Musicians: Jos van Immerseel and Jaap  Schröder.  Jos Van Immerseel is a Belgian harpsichordist, pianist and conductor. Jaap Schröder is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and pedagogue.

Ever since that wonderful workshop I have thought about the following: what do the notes tell me? 

Especially in Baroque music I feel the notes tell all.  They tell us the tempo, the expression, the dynamics and articulation.  As that may be seen as a bit much, I still contemplate that notion.  The notes speak to us and of course we can "play" with bowings.  Clearly using certain bow strokes help free the notes and phrases in baroque music and others restrict or "kill" the music.  A strong word perhaps, but many phrases work with down - up bow direction for instance.  Interestingly, I experience the same with fiddling.  The notes are set free...

The notes show direction: going up or down.  Melodic drama comes with huge jumps for instance.  I believe the notes tell us tempo and they function as a guide for our interpretation.  I am sad to notice that oftentimes tempo indications, such as grave are misinterpreted in modern violin performance.  Grave appears less slow in baroque music. When humming or playing a section of the piece, rhetoric as presented by the notes will lead us.  The notes will come to life in an appropriate tempo.  It is so very interesting: it never ceases to give me great pleasure to listen to what the notes tell me.

The Bridge

I am excited to announce the publishing of my book later this year.  It is in the editing stages and a lot is yet to be done, but it has been accepted for publication.  I would like to dedicate my book to George Custer, my fiddle teacher who passed away recently. 

The Bridge discusses the rich music culture of violin playing and of fiddling.  When I first visited the United States in 1990, I noticed the remarkable similarities between violin and fiddle technique.  I noticed some of the similar changes both have seen through time, like baroque violin performance to modern day performance and old time fiddling to bluegrass fiddling and beyond.  The book intertwines my personal findings with a gradual forming of a philosophy regarding violin and fiddle playing and teaching both. 

I too observed the general opinion between fiddlers and violinists alike that violin playing and fiddling are two totally different styles.  Many times I heard how violinists just cannot get the feel…they don’t play with a loose wrist, they play with a blanket of intense vibrato and they have a hard time improvising.  In my book I will address these issues.

I have come to believe we can learn to play both fiddle and violin in the many different styles.  We can teach an all-round approach right from the start.  We need no different instruments – yet we need an appreciation for and understanding of the depth of the styles we aim to play in. 

My research in fiddling from the perspective of a European violinist with a baroque specialization, took place in the early 90s.  I wrote the book around the start of this century and finished writing it in 2009.  Due to life’s circumstances, it took till today to get it closer to publication.  I look forward to the day my book is available to a larger public.

Discussing relaxed violin playing versus playing with greater tension... Baroque performance on a modern instrument

Jaap Schroder writes in his book: Bach's solo violin works - a performer's guide:

" Only flexibility in the bow arm can produce the relaxation of the left hand that is essential in baroque music.  Since the player's arms are naturally connected, freedom of movement on one side can and should be contagious and spread through the body.  From this perspective, the use of a baroque bow will be of immense benefit to the player.  It should have priority over switching to a lower pitch or acquiring gut strings.  The old bow, by its natural way of speaking and dancing, will teach the left hand how to behave."

As this is a section within his book, it may be hard to lift it out of its context.  I am intrigued with this however.  I feel it this way, in my experience.  Jaap Schroder (his name is with dots on the o) in this part of the book discusses the use of vibrato as an ornament and in a relaxed and controlled use.

I have come across a strong opinion among other violinists, that one plays baroque music in a modern style: since we use modern instruments, longer and heavier bows and since we do not use the old baroque instruments and the old tuning.  It is my personal experience that this is - I guess they say - hog wash - as I find one can play baroque music in a relaxed way on a modern pitched and set up instrument, according to the proposed manner by Jaap Schroder.  Using a baroque bow is infinitely helpful.  Its light weight and build facilitates fast, light performance of passages - rhythmic and filled with expression fitting the music.  Using a modern bow, holding the bow a bit higher up on the bow allows for a similar effect.
I believe one can play baroque style on a modern instrument just fine and I have done so for many years.  The music comes to life using a baroque-style approach - even on a modern instrument.

As I am new to blogging this is going to be interesting:

I would like to start with something I read just the other day as I read the book of my teacher at the conservatory in Amsterdam (now many years ago).  The book:

BACH's SOLO VIOLIN WORKS by Jaap Schroder

The quote below attracted my attention - especially when following some interesting other current conversations around Bach.

Anyway, here is the quote I rather like!
(Jaap Schroder:)  "I urge every violinist to "inhale" the spirit of Bach's music as deeply as possible.  Although his solos for the violin do not belong to the category of sacred music, every player must be conscious of the spiritual dimension in this music and never draw attention to the way he or she is mastering its great difficulties.  The well-known dedication Soli Dei Gloria (to the glory of God alone) written by baroque composers at the end of a manuscript may apply equally well, in an equivalent attitude of pride and humility, to the performing artist who places himself at the service of this monumental music."