On 09.05.2006 Christopher Smith wrote:
On an added note, I am not a violinist, but the effect (in measure 18 beat one) of the inner quarter note might be quite striking. I had to puzzle over it for a minute, as I could not figure out how it would be fingered, but then realised that the D is played on the D string way up the neck.
I don't think that was meant, and I certainly didn't play it that way. Personally I think these kinds of inconsistencies have little if any meaning.
It seems to me too, that measure 6 downbeat must be hard to play properly. But maybe to a violinist this is very easy?
No, in baroque violin technique you would not even attempt to play all four notes at the same time, the chord is "arpeggiated", to which degree is a decision made by each performer. One of the beauties of this kind of music is the inconsistency itself, and the "compromises" one has to use. Play an unaccompanied Bach fugue on the organ, and it will sound, well, not boring perhaps, but certainly less interesting. This kind of music is written to sound difficult, this is partly what makes it so unique. Many places cannot be played to their exact note values, yet, if the performer works _with_ these inadequacies instead of against them, many more levels of beauty will come to the surface.
Part of the listening experience of the great Ciaccona is to sweat with the violinist, at least that's how I understand this music.
BTW, the last movement of the Pisendel exceeds the level of difficulty of any of the Bach Partitas and Sonatas. It is a real test piece for any violinist.
Johannes -- http://www.musikmanufaktur.com http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
