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Weekend vote: Did your mom first introduce you to music?

May 8, 2021, 8:27 PM · Sunday is Mother's Day in the United States, and so Mom's on the mind.

Very often, it's Mom who deserves some credit for introducing a young child to music, and so I thought it would be fun to do a little vote and start a conversation about what that role was, for each of us. What was your mom's role in introducing you to music, if any? Please choose the answer that best describes her role or was the most memorable to you, and then tell us all about it in the comments!

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For the Record, Op. 154: Vadim Gluzman's Beethoven/Schnittke; Alina Ibragimova's Paganini; Dallas String Quartet

Laurie Niles

May 7, 2021, 2:01 PM · 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!

Violin Concertos: Beethoven and Schnittke 3
Vadim Gluzman, violin
Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, James Gaffigan conducting

The Beethoven Violin Concerto is considered one of the greatest violin concertos, and for this recording, violinist Vadim Gluzman has chosen to use lesser-heard cadenzas by 20th century Soviet/German composer Alfred Schnittke. These cadenzas, which quote from violin concertos across the centuries including Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Ysaye, Schoenberg, Berg, and Schnittke himself - link the work to the other piece on the recording: Schnittke's Concerto No. 3 for violin and chamber orchestra. Check next week for our Violinist.com interview with Vadim. BELOW: Vadim Gluzman talks about recording the Beethoven and Schnittke Violin Concertos.

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How Good Bow Distribution Can Free the Bow Arm

Paul Stein

May 5, 2021, 7:32 PM · Watching the string players in an orchestra manage the exact movement of their bows is a beautiful sight. The bows travel great distances, followed by sudden shifts from the frog to the tip. It looks so uniform, so easy -- but bow distribution is a skill with many roadblocks.

When rhythm and the bow arm start working together, though, then bow distribution becomes almost spontaneous.

Exercises which promote this kind of sudden and spontaneous bow distribution can be effective for freeing up the right arm. Every musical passage, down to the individual bars, contains a unique example of the path and speed of the bow. But generic exercises can provide an overview which can improve flexibility. Keep reading...

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Klezmer Fidl Blog: Klezmer Violin Ornamentation

Steven Greenman

May 4, 2021, 1:14 PM · The subject of klezmer fidl ornamentation brings up varying ideas, concepts, individual teaching methods, and opinions. For klezmer violinists today and those studying East European Jewish instrumental folk music, we are fortunate to have internationally renowned practitioners who have developed their own unique sound, style, and musicality. These fabulous masters of the style have spawned new professional klezmer fidl clones who often emulate the specific stylistic nuances of their teachers. I have even heard some of my colleagues tell me that he (anonymous klezmer violin student Yoysef Fidl-Shpiler) sounds just like Greenman! In some ways, this is flattering, but my goal as a teacher is not to create klezmer clones (klezmer klones?) but rather to encourage students to develop their own unique sound and style based in the tradition. However, we do have to start somewhere, and I have developed my own system for teaching klezmer violin phrasing, ornamentation, articulation, and more.
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Technique