News by E-mail

Carl Flesch:The Art of Violin Playing

Life in general: Have heard so much about this book.Just want to discuss about it.How this book helped you?

From Pitarun Mukherjee
Posted June 11, 2004 at 02:52 AM

Have heard so much about this book.Just want to discuss about it.How this book helped you?

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 03:10 AM

Greetings,
the first volume can be read as a fabtrastic overview of virtually all aspects of violin playing. then you can dip into it as a technical manual to r3esolve specific problems. It is a classic which shgopuld be read by any violnist, but if you want more bang for your bucks then Basics by Simon Fischer is top of the list for me,
Cheers,
Buri

From Amy F.
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 03:11 AM

It's a quite heavy duty book, and takes very involved reading. I prefer Flesch's Problems in Tone Production, which I found more immediately useful in my playing.

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 03:38 AM

Greetings,
yes the exercises at the back of that book are superb.
There is ver little new in the Galamian book that Flesch did not eithe spell out or hint at. But the Galamian book is -much- clearer and accesible.
Cheers,
Buri

From Christina C.
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 04:32 PM

What about Flesch's Basic Studies for Violins (or 'Urstudien')? I'm planning on getting Fischer's 'Basics', should I bother with Flesch's?

edit- actually I just noticed that my local university library has the Urstudien & both volumes of 'the Art of Violin Playing' so I can get a sneak peek at all of the Flesch stuff.

From Joel Arthur
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 04:21 PM

Here's an interesting anecdote I heard from my teacher about Mischa Elman and Carl Flesch. Flesch met Elman out on the street one day and asked him to comment about the subject of "tone", since he was working on that chapter in his book. Elman said "tone,tone, hmmmmm, that's something I have and you don't" Enough said.

From Brahms Violin
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 05:25 PM

Elman at his diplomatic best :).

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 11, 2004 at 10:30 PM

Greetings,
whetehr you buy Flesch or Bacis (or Galamian) depens on what you want. The flesch was a classic of its time and remians a fantastic sorce of information but it is one that requires a lot of thought and rereading and it is not always possible to find instant olutions to practicing problems. the Basics book is the spoon feeder of the violin world and should be lying next to the music stand and picked up at least three times a week. One can design practice regimes from this book and get most of your questions answered very clealry aboutt hings like bow hold etc. In time, I think it may be slightly more highly rated tha Flesch but it is somwhat different.
As for the Urstudien, some palyers do use them as part of normal routine and say the results are good. But Flesch was adamant that this was not hat thery wre intenbded for andwas rather bitter that they suddenly became part of mayny players practic eroutine. these are basically emercengy studies for higher level players who are frequently short of practicetime. They are interesitng and thought provoking but cannot replace regular etudes as the foundation of your playing,
Cheers,
Buri

From jennifer steinfeldt
Posted on June 13, 2004 at 05:00 AM

Guides me in teaching. If a student has a specific problem I want him/her to address, I consult the Flesch. Sometimes, if they are older, I'll photocopy the section and give it to them to read. Makes simple things complicated, which is always a good thing when learning. Dissect it and make it into your own language, and then make it work. Also, it presents more than one way of doing things for each technique. I like that. Gives you some options. The pictures are helpful. I like the angles they use because it really helps give a clear idea of the goal, whichever you elect your personal favorite. Of course, each individual is built differently and has different phsyical abilities, but for groundwork, it is an excellent resource.
-JS

From Carl Fulbrook
Posted on June 14, 2004 at 02:35 PM

I don't see how someone with technique like Elman could be so arrogant.

Carl.

From Mattias Eklund
Posted on June 14, 2004 at 04:55 PM

To start with, Elman was famed for his nice manners, not the opposite, and he respected Carl Flesch enormusly as a teacher. Secondly, Elman was famed for his transendal technique during the time that Flesch walked upon the earth.

From Carl Fulbrook
Posted on June 14, 2004 at 06:00 PM

I don't know much about Elman - only from the Bell Telephone Hour DVD (if he had "transendal technique" at some point in his life this certainly doesn't show it) and from the Art of Violin DVD. Sorry if I put my foot in it.

Carl.

Support Violinist.com

Become a Sponsor

Search Violinist.com

Interviews

Violinist Jennifer Koh talks about her latest projects involving 21st Century music.

Regina Carter has so much to say on the violin, sometimes she's had to reinvent the language of the instrument.

Mikhail Simonyan's "Beethoven, Not Bullets" supports efforts to bring music education to the children of Afghanistan.

More interviews...

Editor's Blogs

Laurie Niles
Violinist.com's editor is a professional symphony violinist and former newspaper reporter who interviews top violin performers and pedagogues, as well as reports on her experience in violin music and education.

Plus: The Weekend Vote