What Is Your Range of Expression

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30685158.post-18891655757400450532008-04-22T11:56:00.000-05:002008-04-22T11:57:22.247-05:00What Is Your Range of ExpressionThis past Sunday I opened the door to a violinist come all the way from Hartford, Conn.. Two flights and a night in a local hotel were just part of the admission price, but she wasn’t agoin’ to allow anything to stand in the way of her pursuit of excellence. I felt honored and inspired to give her the best I have to offer. She’d brought two exquisite Caprices of Kreutzer to play as well as the Joachim cadenza to the Mozart A Major. I say ‘caprices’ because Kreutzer himself titled his best-known opus ’42 etudes or caprices’. These two, #1 and #23, are most definitely in the category of the latter. Oh, and in case you don’t know. A caprice is more than an etude. A caprice has Musical value, and as such is often worthy of concert performance. Kreutzer #1 is extraordinary. Technically it requires tremendous bow arm and left hand control. The tempo is Adagio Sostenuto. The phrases unfold in slow motion. A player must possess extreme patience, self-discipline and pin-point accuracy. This caprice begs every ounce of passion a soul can offer, but while doing so he must account for every millimeter of bow spent, every gram of arm weight applied, and every meeting of finger and string. The faint of heart stand will forever remain on the surface, like little water bugs flitting about the surface of a pond. The reckless, who greedily plunge into the waters like hungry ducklings, will find themselves quickly bobbing back to the surface gasping for air. Kreutzer #1 is for the sober minded; for the violinist with deep, self-directed passions. And it’s for the violinist with a keen appreciation for detail, subtlety, grace and nuance. In volume 3 of <a href="http://www.violinmastery.com/kreutzer.htm">Kreutzer for Violin Mastery</a> I share a great deal of the wisdom I shared on Sunday morning. No, I won’t lie and say it’s Everything I can say in a 2 and 1/2 hour ‘intensive’, but it will surely get you well on your way. AND you have the benefit of going on to great coaching on 20 additional etudes and caprices. All the best, <a href="http://www.violinmastery.com/index.htm/">Clayton Haslop</a> P.S. Yesterday month 7 of the <a href="http://www.violinmastery.com/violinbeginnerscircle.htm">Violin Mastery Beginners Circle</a> program went out, This month it’s vibrato, third position, and entry level shifting that’s filling the instructional DVD and notes. And any new comers who invest in a one year subscription can have this and all the previous 6 months sent out together in one, arm-straining package.Clayton Haslophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889619328562893257noreply@blogger.com