V.com weekend vote: What is the most difficult instrument to play?
When I tell people that I am a professional violinist, very often they will say, "Oh the violin - that is the MOST difficult instrument to play of any instrument!" Is it? Or are there other instruments that are more difficult than the violin? The violin pretty much always makes the list, when it comes to "most difficult instruments to play." What is your perspective on this question? What you think is the most difficult instrument to play, and why?
For the vote, I'm limited to 10 choices, so I picked 10 instruments that are notorious for their difficulty. However, I'm aware that I've probably missed quite a few (including my nemesis, the flute!), so if you have another instrument in mind, please choose "something else" and then tell us about it in the comments.
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For the Record, Op. 220: Gwendolyn Masin; David Greenberg; Nick Revel; Robert McDuffie
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!
Legends
Gwendolyn Masin, violin
Kirill Troussov, violin
Rachel Harnisch, soprano
Jan Philip Schulze, piano
Born out of an idea to elevate Irene Wieniawski (aka Poldowski) - composer, pianist and daughter of Henryk Wieniawski - as well as draw a family tree of blood lines and student-teacher relationships, the album showcases works that have rarely been explored before. These include Poldowski’s Tango for Violin and Piano, Eugène Ysaÿe’s String Quintet as well as George Enescu’s Sept Chansons de Clément Marot. BELOW: String Quintet in B Minor, by Eugene Ysaÿe:
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Don't Apologize - You're Learning!
Don't apologize - you're learning!
I've had so many students apologize for making mistakes, especially when trying something new and failing to do it perfectly on the first try. When I read that on fiddler Andy Reiner's Instagram page, I had to smile in recognition.
There is no need to apologize, stop it!
"Oh - I'm sorry for saying I'm sorry!"
Aaaaaaargh!
Reiner - a fantastic fiddler and teacher (also known as the Skiing Fiddler) - has a general philosophy that he has summed up in a succinct way that we can all understand:
"You have to suck at something before you can be good at it."
To put in terms my grandmother might have liked better: you have to be bad at something before you can be good at it. If you are truly challenging yourself and trying something new, it's going to be too hard at first, and you'll make mistakes. That's okay. Keep reading...
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The Week in Reviews, Op. 379: cellist Gautier Capucon; Colin Jacobsen; Noah Bendix-Balgley
In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.
Cellist Gautier Capucon performed Lera Auerbach's "Diary of a Madman, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra" with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
- WTTW News: "Capucon’s performance of this riveting score, fiendishly difficult work for all involved, was absolutely astonishing. So was the long, stunningly effective dead silence at the end."
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