The Violin: A Social History of the World's Most Versatile Instrument

The Violin: A Social History of the World's Most Versatile Instrument
Author: David Schoenbaum
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 753
Release: 2012-12-10
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0393089606

The life, times, and travels of a remarkable instrument and the people who have made, sold, played, and cherished it. A 16-ounce package of polished wood, strings, and air, the violin is perhaps the most affordable, portable, and adaptable instrument ever created. As congenial to reels, ragas, Delta blues, and indie rock as it is to solo Bach and late Beethoven, it has been played standing or sitting, alone or in groups, in bars, churches, concert halls, lumber camps, even concentration camps, by pros and amateurs, adults and children, men and women, at virtually any latitude on any continent. Despite dogged attempts by musicologists worldwide to find its source, the violin’s origins remain maddeningly elusive. The instrument surfaced from nowhere in particular, in a world that Columbus had only recently left behind and Shakespeare had yet to put on paper. By the end of the violin’s first century, people were just discovering its possibilities. But it was already the instrument of choice for some of the greatest music ever composed by the end of its second. By the dawn of its fifth, it was established on five continents as an icon of globalization, modernization, and social mobility, an A-list trophy, and a potential capital gain. In The Violin, David Schoenbaum has combined the stories of its makers, dealers, and players into a global history of the past five centuries. From the earliest days, when violin makers acquired their craft from box makers, to Stradivari and the Golden Age of Cremona; Vuillaume and the Hills, who turned it into a global collectible; and incomparable performers from Paganini and Joachim to Heifetz and Oistrakh, Schoenbaum lays out the business, politics, and art of the world’s most versatile instrument.

ViolinMind

ViolinMind
Author: Hans Jørgen Jensen
Publisher: Ovation Press, Ltd.
Total Pages: 142
Release: 2019-09-12
Genre: Music
ISBN:

ViolinMind is a pedagogical method book that focuses on intonation. It is a transcription for the violin of CelloMind published in 2017 by Ovation Press, Ltd. The co-authors of ViolinMind are Hans Jørgen Jensen, Professor of Cello at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and Grigory Kalinovsky, Professor of Music (Violin) at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. The mystery of intonation is dissected by defining the scientific principles behind it, and providing easy, intuitive examples of the three main kinds of intonation systems used today: Equal Temperament, Just, and Pythagorean. Playing with exquisite intonation has mostly been reserved for those who possess a strong intuitive sense of pitch and harmonic color; however, ViolinMind breaks down this barrier using a highly detailed, systematic approach, making the process of acquiring a sophisticated sense of intonation similar to any other technical skill. Chapters in the book explore in great detail topics such as the harmonic overtone series, the scientific principles behind Cents, the syntonic comma, the just scales, the Pythagorean comma, the Pythagorean semitones, advanced sympathetic vibrations, Tartini tones, and double stops studies in tritones. All chapters in the book include numerous practical samples and listening exercises that bridge the gap between the theory and its application. The chapters on intonation conclude with practical examples from the following repertoire: intonation performance practice in the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo (BWV 1001-1006), and intonation performance practice with piano. The appendices in the book provide detailed explanations about the Helmholtz intonation chart, the harmonic series, just intonation, the Schisma, as well as an illustration of two violin fingerboards from two method books from the 18th century showing pitch distribution for just intonation and Pythagorean intonation respectively.

The Violin Conspiracy

The Violin Conspiracy
Author: Brendan Slocumb
Publisher: Anchor
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2022-02-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 059331543X

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world—when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world. “I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit: a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.” —Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music. When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

The Man with the Violin

The Man with the Violin
Author: Kathy Stinson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-03-20
Genre: Braille books
ISBN: 9781554515646

"With a postscript by Joshua Bell."--Cover.

Szigeti on the Violin

Szigeti on the Violin
Author: Joseph Szigeti
Publisher: Courier Corporation
Total Pages: 260
Release: 1979-01-01
Genre: Music
ISBN: 9780486237633

Reminiscences, insights into great music and musicians, innumerable tips for practicing violinists. Includes 385 musical passages.

The Dance of the Violin

The Dance of the Violin
Author: Kathy Stinson
Publisher: Annick Press
Total Pages:
Release: 2018-05-04
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1554519012

Even Joshua Bell makes mistakes, but there is always a second chance. As a young student of the violin, Joshua Bell learns about an international competition to be held in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He chooses a piece of music, which his teacher suggests may be too difficult, but Joshua is determined. It’s a piece of music he loves. At the competition, Joshua experiences the usual jitters. Once his name is called, he strides to the stage and begins to play, but almost immediately, he makes a mistake. As he is about to walk off the stage, he asks the judges if could try again. They agree, and this time, the playing is impeccable. Dušan Petricic’s brilliant illustrations full of movement and color, capture the sounds made by Joshua’s violin, from the missed notes to the swirling, uplifting strains of the perfectly executed piece. Children will readily empathize with Joshua’s misstep, but they will also learn that there is always a second chance.

Scales for Young Violinists

Scales for Young Violinists
Author: Barbara Barber
Publisher: Alfred Music
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-09
Genre: Music
ISBN: 9781470619299

The "prequel" to Barbara Barber's widely-used Scales for Advanced Violinists is here Scales for Young Violinists is a user-friendly scale system which presents two-octave major, melodic minor, and harmonic minor scales with arpeggios. The first five Foundation Keys (C, D, E, F, G) introduce beginning double-stops in octaves, 3rds, and 6ths, remaining in first position. One-octave scales in double-stop octaves, 3rds, 6ths, and harmonics are presented in all twelve keys. Preparatory shifting exercises, bowing and rhythmic variants, a helpful circle of 5ths, and progress chart make this the perfect beginning scale book for every violin student.

I Can Read Music, Volume 1

I Can Read Music, Volume 1
Author: Joanne Martin
Publisher: Alfred Music
Total Pages: 105
Release:
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1457402661

These easy-to-read, progressive exercises by Joanne Martin develop a student's reading skills one stage at a time, with many repetitions at each stage. I Can Read Music is designed as a first note-reading book for students of string instruments who have learned to play using an aural approach such as the Suzuki Method®, or for traditionally taught students who need extra note reading practice. Its presentation of new ideas is clear enough that it can be used daily at home by quite young children and their parents, with the teacher checking progress every week or two.

CelloMind

CelloMind
Author: Hans Jørgen Jensen
Publisher: Ovation Press, Ltd.
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2017-11-03
Genre: Music
ISBN:

CelloMind is a two-part pedagogical method book that focuses on intonation and left-hand cello technique. The coauthors of the book are Hans Jørgen Jensen, Professor of cello at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and Minna Rose Chung, Associate Professor of Cello at the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba. Part I: Intonation. The mystery of intonation is revealed by defining and explaining the scientific principles that govern it. To know and understand how to combine the three primary intonation systems has never before been expounded in a methodology publication--and for good reason. Playing with exquisite intonation has mostly been reserved for those who possess a strong intuitive sense; however, CelloMind breaks down this taboo using a systematic approach with a highly attuned manner. The three systems of intonation that string players most commonly use today--equal temperament, just intonation, and Pythagorean tuning--are each explored and explained in great detail. All chapters in the book include many practical samples and listening exercises that bridge the gap between the theory and its application. The chapters on intonation conclude with practical examples from the following repertoire: "Intonation Performance Practice in the Bach Solo Cello Suites" and "Intonation Performance Practice with Piano." Part II: Left-Hand Technique. The left-hand technique chapters in this section complement the study of intonation by providing a solid foundation of skills for essential cello playing. The topics and exercises have been selected to cover a wide range of technical skills that include playing with a light left-hand touch, speed, coordination, balanced vibrato, agility, finger independence, and efficient shifting. Original exercises developed for students over many years have also been incorporated into these chapters, as well as studies from Julius Klengel, Bernhard Cossmann, Louis R. Feuillard, Jean-Louis Duport, Yakov Rosenthal, and Fritz Albert Christian Rudinger.