{"title":"Learning to Feel Comfortable on Gut Strings: The Bow","authors":"Walter S. Reiter","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190922696.003.0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190922696.003.0014","url":null,"abstract":"Gut strings sound, feel and react very differently to today’s strings. At the heart of this lesson is the need for a constant two-way flow of information between the ear and the hand, for which both must be in a state of total awareness. The strings are in a constant state of flux, shortening and lengthening as the hand moves around the fingerboard, and responding to the needs of the music with its continual shifts of dynamics. The seven exercises in this lesson help the gut string novice establish a living relationship with the strings, testing their resistance via the bow and the fingers. This process has two phases, the Experimental Phase, in which the fingers, through tactile awareness, feel the string and gauge the correct amount of pressure for obtaining a clear, basic sound, and the Evaluation Phase, when the ear evaluates its resultant quality.","PeriodicalId":235393,"journal":{"name":"The Baroque Violin & Viola","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131515467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prelude","authors":"Walter S. Reiter","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190922696.003.0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190922696.003.0001","url":null,"abstract":"Lesson One takes the form of a practical introduction, advising the reader on the basic equipment needed for the course of study. Although various compromises are possible, the advantages of studying on authentic historical instruments as opposed to modern ones are made clear. The objection that studying the Baroque violin or viola will somehow “damage” the player’s modern technique is laid to rest: on the contrary, such study will enhance both one’s technique and one’s understanding of how to make music. The options for acquiring a suitable violin include buying one in its original Baroque condition, reconverting an old one that has been modernized, and buying a modern copy. The choice of a suitable bow is also discussed. There follows a short history of gut strings, a section on how to choose them, and a practical guide to fitting them. The lesson ends with a brief survey of Baroque pitch.","PeriodicalId":235393,"journal":{"name":"The Baroque Violin & Viola","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122627982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In the Footsteps of Corelli","authors":"Walter S. Reiter","doi":"10.1093/OSO/9780190922696.003.0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/OSO/9780190922696.003.0019","url":null,"abstract":"The influence of Corelli on the op. 2 sonatas of Vivaldi is clear, so in some ways this lesson is a consolidation of the previous ones. It identifies three essential prerequisites to successful interpretation: an unceasing observation and scrutiny of detail, an appraisal of the implications of each detail, and the identification and internalization of the emotions inherent in the music at any given moment. The detailed Observations section incorporates discussions on exclamations, the art of gesture and the use of second position, so important in this repertoire and so often feared by violinists. Alternative methods of shifting are clearly explained and the best places to shift identified, with reference to Tartini and Leopold Mozart. The lesson discusses what the sources say about using open strings, explains why it is important to spot ornamentation within a written text and how that impacts the way we play.","PeriodicalId":235393,"journal":{"name":"The Baroque Violin & Viola","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131929590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}