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September 5, 2005 at 3:19 PM

Today was a really productive day, yet I only really spent an hour playing my violin. However, I did make good use of the other time.

I have found myself a few scores to look at - one, an Urtext edition of the Bach S&P (Available Online in the Werner Icking Music Archive), another a score of the Mozart Violin Concerto in D (K.218, available at Free Scores.com), and then finally a score of the Brahms Sonata, curtousy (sp?) of CD Sheet Music (CD Sheet Music).

For the Bach, I analysed the Largo from the C Major Sonata - analysing the Harmony, and working out where the cadences were. Then, knowing where the major cadences were, I was able to decide where I wanted to take the piece dynamically, and coloured in this printed score to give myself a visual aid of where I want the music to go.

For the Mozart, I just sat and auralised the score, listening in my head to the violin part, and hearing where the other parts went. I am sure this will be very helpful for when I put it together with the piano (and possibly one day with an orchestra).

For the Brahms, I first sat and listened (with the score) to the whole sonata, played by the Menhuins (Yehudi, with Hephzibah on Piano). Later, I studied the score, identifying where the violin needed to hold back for when the piano had the melody. I will also go through and identify where I need to lead for the piano (eg final chords).

I have also listened to Heifetz play the Bach C Major sonata, while following the facsimile in the back of the International edition of the S&P, and read an interesting article in the August edition of The Strad on double stopping - an article I intend to go back and take notes from