The 18th century violinist Tartini said "per ben suonare bisogna ben cantare" (to play well it is necessary to sing well). One of his most famous students, Maddalena L Lombardini Sirmen, toured Europe and played the violin and sang. She eventually gave up the violin for a more lucrative career as a singer.
When we listen to greats like Kreisler and Prihoda and Quiroga and Thibaud we hear something quite different from the sound of modern violin playing.
When we listen to great singers of the past we likewise hear something very different than our modern singers.
Here is the great soprano Rosa Ponselle singing Vissi d'Arte very early in her career.
The sound is not heard today but one feels that this was what the great violinists had in their head when they sought a singing tone. When I first heard this sort of singing, I thought it was quaint, archaic and a little stilted. But the more I listen I hear incredible vocal technique. It is all about tone and tone all the time. By tone I mean a quantity of resonant sound that is a resource to shape for artistic expression.
Nothing seems forced. Why do we shy away from this sound today? Why has it fallen out of fashion? Our singers (classical) make a basic pitch but the rich resonance is not present and, I think, not sought.
It is lacking in modern violin playing. Modern sound is so dull and boring. It gets dressed up with a certain incision but there is no individuality, no voluptuousness and no tone.
Mark O'Connor's method books -- released this week -- teach students using many styles of American music. Enter to win a set of the books this week, on Violinist.com. Photo: Deanna Rose
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