Violin trio repertoire without accompaniment????

May 28, 2008 at 03:56 PM · Friedrich Hermann wrote 5 or so violin trios ranging from moderately difficult to virtuosic.

May 28, 2008 at 05:02 PM · There's a transcription for violin trio of some of the fugues in three parts of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier (the Emerson String Quartet btw. released a string quartet version recently). I could imagine, that kids would love to work on it and explore the tricky interplay despite its technical less challenging grade.

Mozart ("Musik für drei Violinen") and Haydn wrote trios as well as Telemann. No idea how challenging it is, but there's a transcription of Tchaikowsky's Seasons for 3 violins ("Charakterstücke").

Certainly nothing for your kids, but since we are talking about violin trios: there are three very nice violin trios written by Johanna Doderer, named

Erwachen I (~ 10 minutes)

Erwachen II (~ 10 minutes)

Erwachen III (click on the bottom link list on music, it's a recording with Patricia Kopatchinskaja) (~ 28 minutes),

describing the moment of awakening. I heard Patricia Kopatchinskaja once playing it, quite challenging and very appealing, I really liked it!

May 28, 2008 at 06:22 PM · There are 3 volumes of trios arr. by Doflein.

May 31, 2008 at 05:08 PM · Thank you so much for your suggestions! This is the first time that I have entered anything, or read anything on this website, how helpful you have been. I knew about the Telemann--too elementary, fyi, and there are Haydn Trios for 2 violins, cello & violin, and violin, viola & cello. I haven't been able to find 3 violins. I will look up the other composers that you all offered. Please look at our website,

www.kcstringquartet.org

to see more about our great program in Kansas City, the students come from all over the area, and beyond, and the faculty is terrific, nationally renowned. There's a short, fun DVD clip from the camp on the homepage.

Thanks again!

May 31, 2008 at 07:03 PM · I have a xerox around my studio, somewhere, of a trio for three violins that I got from Barbara Lamb, a truly gifted jazz violinist from Nashville. She was Mark O'Connor's first teacher. It is called "Montana Glide", by Paul Anastasio.

It is an intermediate to advanced piece that has incredible, haunting three-part harmony in it.

It is slow and requires a steady hand, very slow vibrato, but has no pyrotechnics and as I recall, requires little in the way of position work. But because it is so lush and has very close harmony, it is challenging for any young violinist to play.

Barbara played it on an album she released in the 90s, called Fiddle Fatale (an incredible album, by the way).

In my experience, when you find a "fiddle piece" that is expressive and complex and suitable for virtually any audience, like this one, it is often easier to get kids to be excited about it than some of the dumbed-down classical arrangements kids end up having to play for recitals.

June 3, 2008 at 07:46 PM · Claude-Henry Joubert - Rejouisssances II: 9 Pieces For 3 Or 4 Violins.

There are a couple of gems in there ...