For the Record, Op. 67: Matthew Lipman's World Premiere Recording of Shostakovich Impromptu for Viola
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!
Shostakovich: Impromptu for Viola and Piano, Op. 33
Matthew Lipman, viola
Violist and 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Matthew Lipman makes his Cedille Records debut with the world-premiere recording of Shostakovich's recently rediscovered Impromptu for Viola and Piano, Op. 33. From Patrick Castillo's liner notes for the album: "The Impromptu for viola and piano, Op. 33, by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) dates from 1931. Previously lost, the work was discovered in 2017 in the Moscow State Archives among the effects of Vadim Borisovsky, violist of the Beethoven Quartet, with whom Shostakovich enjoyed a fruitful partnership throughout his career. The manuscript, dated May 2, 1931, bears a dedication to 'Alexander Mikhailovich'— presumably Alexander Mikhailovich Ryvkin, violist of the Glazunov Quartet. Experts surmise that Shostakovich penned the Impromptu in one sitting. It joins Shostakovich’s final work, the considerably more substantial Viola Sonata, Op. 147 (1975), as the composer’s only works for viola and piano." BELOW: Matthew Lipman talks about the projectKeep reading... Tweet
Violinist.com Interviews, Volume 2: Violinist.com editor Laurie Niles' second book features exclusive, one-on-one interviews conducted over the last six years with 26 of today's best-known violinists, including Midori, Gil Shaham, Hilary Hahn, James Ehnes, Rachel Barton Pine, Augustin Hadelich, Ray Chen, Daniel Heifetz, Jennifer Koh and Lindsey Stirling. Amazon.com (Ad)
Tessa Lark Receives c. 1600 G.P. Maggini Violin Loan Through the Stradivari Society
Violinist Tessa Lark, 29, announced on Thursday that she has been awarded the use of a c. 1600 G. P. Maggini violin, through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
A native of Kentucky, Lark is known both as a classical soloist and a proponent of bluegress and new music, premiering works by contemporary composers and even writing some of her own. Last spring Lark received the 2018 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, and prior to that, in 2016, she received an Avery Fisher Career Grant. She was the Silver Medalist in the 2014 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and winner of the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition. Lark is a graduate of New England Conservatory, with an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, having studied with Kurt Sassmannshaus, Miriam Fried, and Lucy Chapman, Sylvia Rosenberg, Ida Kavafian, and Daniel Phillips. Keep reading...
The All-Purpose Left Hand Exercise - Form and Flexibility For Violinists
When it comes to the left-hand of a violinist, three things can go wrong: the fourth finger won’t reach far enough, the wrist becomes immobile, and the hand and the arm doesn’t adjust for plane changing that takes place on the fingerboard. For those of us who lacked the skills to play football or other “big motion” sports, we were lucky enough to inherit the micro-movement talents that our instruments require. In the pages of Violinist.com, we celebrate the tiny radii of string changing and shape shifting that small spaces demand of our left hands.
The mere thought of angles and eency-weency distances can frighten off players at all levels. The good news is that maneuvering around the fingerboard can be integrated naturally into our playing, without complex explanations. Our left hands find their way around the fingerboard the same way we handle another complicated motion, turning a door knob. When our minds grasp the over-all movement, our hands follow suit. Nothing short of miraculous, this ease of transferring from the mind to the movement is a gift we cherish. Not everything will work the way we want it, though, but we should be thankful for the talent that gets us to a certain point.
So how do we get our left-hand technique to function as easily as turning a door knob? Keep reading...
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