Contemporary violinists: composers and performers

November 4, 2013 at 02:08 PM · Rocky:

If I remember my music history correctly, improvisation was a feature of the concerto cadenza going back to the Baroque era, and gradually began to be composed beforehand so as to avoid mere "show-off" displays by the soloist.

But I, too, wonder who today is in the great tradition of the "violinist-composer." Paganini and Kreisler and Sarasate, et. al., are famous for arrangements of opera melodies and folk music and so forth. Except for copyright issues I suppose, today's virtuosos have Broadway musicals and TV theme music and popular songs and rock'n'roll and movie music to draw on.

And aren't there a few cross-over artists (not to mention Bluegrass and Irish and so forth) today who are improvising in their concerts?

Well, maybe another violinist-composer will come along. Why not you, or another violinist reading this? Anyone out there interested in improvising a cadenza on the spot?

Cheers,

Sandy

November 4, 2013 at 02:20 PM · There ya go; France Musique. I just had 50 minutes of a Radio France new music program devoted to my music. I'm playing my Trio which starts about 31' 47". Use this link for the podcast.

November 4, 2013 at 03:00 PM · Rocky:

Perhaps Roman Kim could be on his way to entering the tradition.

November 4, 2013 at 03:16 PM · Nigel, Your main link to the Apple website worked ok, but for some unfathomable reason I could not get the second "view in iTunes" link to work, so was unable to listen to your performance :(

November 4, 2013 at 03:35 PM · Trevor, you can listen via streaming on the very first link (France Musique), once that page opens up just click on "ÉCOUTER L’ÉMISSION". As for the iTunes podcast, after clicking on "View in iTunes" you may need to click on "Free" on the right hand side of the page to download the podcast in the first instance. I hope you can get to it!

PS I noticed it is also available on this URL here; http://sonosphera.com/node/142367 I'm not sure if that's an official Radio France site or not, but it works.

November 4, 2013 at 06:56 PM · Failing to mention Mark O'Connor in the category of violinist-composer would just be unscholarly. One might not enjoy all his works, but you have to admit that he is a serious contributor.

November 5, 2013 at 12:34 AM · Nigel, the France Musique and Sonosphera links worked fine, but still not the iTunes one. I just wonder if there's a rights issue or similar blocking it - Apple iRadio is apparently not yet available in the UK for iTunes, the iPad and its siblings (although it has been promised), so I wonder if this could be behind it.

November 5, 2013 at 01:36 AM · This has been a recurring topic for me for a long time. The great line of violinist composers seemed to come to an end with Fritz Kreisler until Mark O'Connor came upon the scene fifty years later. And yes, Trevor, I agree that Roman Kim has now joined that pantheon.

Here is a link to the blog post that I wrote a while back on this topic.

http://schoolofviolinartistry.com/blog/?p=24

The Parallel World of the Violin -- Why are the violinist composers so special for us?

November 5, 2013 at 02:31 PM · Roy:

Why are violinist-composers so special to us? Let me take a stab at it.

Because most of the time, the violinist (as any performing artist) is an interpreter of someone else's artistic "vision." The violin is perhaps the instrument closest (aesthetically) to the human voice. What is more natural than wanting to share one's own "vision" in one's own "voice."

Then again, maybe not.

Cheers,

Sandy

November 6, 2013 at 02:26 AM · Thank you all!

You introduced me to 2 composers and performers.

Nigel, your music is very interesting and it was my pleasure to listen to the radio show.

Roman Kim is definitely an emerging composer, inclining (for good or bad) to the virtuoso side.

Still, it appears that they are minority, comparing to thousands of new violin players graduating every year. Yes, bluegrass and jazz violin players are creative, but us, the classically trained performers, not so much.

November 6, 2013 at 07:40 AM · " Is the education system to blame? "

YES!!!

Teaching students to only follow what is written suppresses creativity. Telling students to listen to recordings so they can learn to be musical also suppresses creativity. Its used too much as a main teaching tool. Not teaching students improvisational skills at a young age.

November 16, 2013 at 07:40 PM · Rocky, thanks for taking the time to listen to my show, and I appreciate very much your feedback and kind words.

November 16, 2013 at 07:55 PM · Yes, Sandy. The violin is indeed our "voice". We may or may not have a vision, consciously or unconsciously, but we always have a voice. I think the same is true of any instrument. The piano is the pianists voice. However the violin is perhaps more voicelike.

November 21, 2013 at 08:38 AM · Consider Jazz violinist Jean Luc PONTY: Here is an excerpt of one of his songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N-G5evyvaw

Phenomenal French violinist Jean Luc Ponty has always been one of my fusion faves. His dexterous fluid playing is almost guitar like. His brand of fusion, at least with the albums I have are full of melody, dynamics, & a ethereal over all feel. He has in his band a rhythm section, keyboardist, & guitarist. I don't know their names, but they more than adequately fill & color his songs with precision & skill that 70's fusion world was noted for.

My favorite Jean Luc Ponty album would be "Cosmic Messenger," just a masterpiece of ethereal ear candy. Its moods, textures, & melodies just sweeping my musical muse into a dream like landscape from another world. The album has an absolute soothing quality to it, & I'm not putting it down when I say it could have been one hell of a sound track to a quality science fiction film set in outer space, or even a film like "Blade Runner." It's just other worldly. Luc Ponty just seems to instinctively know how to create music dreamscapes that are at once soothing, but intense enough to let you know this is not elevator music, nor is it anything that simple, these songs are complicated creations, much more than they let on. They are filled with exciting melodic ideas that lead to exciting conclusions. Luc Ponty is the Captain & navigator extraordinaire of these voyages to the outer rim of music, & I for one, have been a happy passenger of these rides for years, & hopefully many more to come!

1. Cosmic Messenger

2. The Art Of Happiness

3. Don't Let The World Pass You By

4. I Only Feel Good With You

5. Puppets Dance

6. Fake Paradise

7. Ethereal Mood

8. Egocentric Molecules

November 21, 2013 at 05:25 PM · I also enjoy Jean-Luc Ponty's playing, even though he plays electric.

However, if you are not a fan of electric violins try his recording with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Melo, " The Rite of Strings" for a very enjoyable acoustic recording.

March 20, 2017 at 12:56 PM · Has anyone ever come across Zach Brock. He's a fantastic improvising violinist I saw playing with Snarky Puppy. He trained classically at Northwestern University I believe.