Help me out here. My sons violin instructor is a master so I assumed he would be "OLD". No way, he is about 30 and I suppose is pretty good. I found something strange out about his behavior though. He gets up real early in the mornings to play music on a broken violin. I was talking with him the other evening and he said that he plays early music on a broke violin. I asked him if there was much of an audience for early music and he said that the audiences were usually large when he performed. I cannot imagine someone wanting to get up early in the morning to hear someone play on a broke violin. Can you help me out here?????
maybe i am wrong but perhaps he meant " bar-roke" i have no idea how to spell it but it sort of sounds like "broke". i know its from early ( like midevil) days. i took classical guitar and i vaguely remember something about this. not sure if you meant this as a joke so dont flame me for it.
Hey Audiguy, sounds like your teacher plays some music on an old Baroque Violin. Indeed there is a big audience for historically accurate performance. Basically, violins now were different --albeit slightly- than they were in Mozart or Bach's time. They differ in the way the instruments are set up; for example, baroque violins use gut strings (yes real cat gut) while modern violins use steel strings. Along with violins, almost every other instrument has gone through several changes in the past few hundred years. The piano is another example. It evolved from the harpsichord into hte pianoforte which hits the strings with a hammer (in order to create variation in dynamics) instead of plucking strings like a harpsichord. The pianoforte was a relatively quiet instrument until around Beethoven's time when the instrument went through some more slight modifications to become more powerful. Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the orchestra. 300 years ago Vivaldi's orchestra would have consisted of just around 14 people (4 first violins, 4 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, a violone (bass), and a harpsichord --depending on the song they were performing at least. The 14 piece orchestra back hten is dwarfed by the modern orchestras that play with 75+ people. The reason I, and many other people, enjoy historically accurately performed music is to get an idea of what the music would have sounded like in the time of the composer's like. If you listen to a big modenr orchestra like the Vienna Philharmonic perform Bach it is horribly different than what it would have sounded like with an historically accurate orchestra(or period orchestras as they are sometimes called) --a small group of 15 people performing on instruments that have gone through much evolution to reach where they are today. I am the biggest supporter of historically accurate performance in the world...I believe all music should be perofmred the way the composer intended it to be heard --on instruments of that time period and with an orchestra of that periods size. Period instruments have a special sound that just makes them that much more beautiful on the music they were intended to play. Violins in a baroque set up have a softer, ringing, and more haunting sound than modern violins. The only reason for change to modern violins is because they are more powerful and can support the larger orchestras that the Romantic composers on up would write for. If you have an interest in checking out what historically accurately performed music sounds like, check out any of the recordings by an orchestra called "The Academy of Ancient Music". They have a bunch of CD's out there and I have most of them Try buying a recording of Vivaldi's 4 seasons by them and comparing it with a recording by a modern orchestra of the same music. Then you will be able to really hear the difference. As some of you may know I play the Bass (pictured below), but I also play the Violone which is basically the 17th century equivilant to the Bass. I play it in a baroque orchestra out here in SoCal. Not only was the Violone half the size of a modern bass, but it also has two additional strings (gut strings btw), a different type of bow, frets like a guitar, and many more differences. The Violone evolved into what is now the modern bass although the bass as we know it today didnt really pop up until the 1820s around Beethoven's final years. A picture of the Violone is following...
BTW, I forgot to add what Early Music means. The term is used in a few different ways...Technically Early Music applies to renaissance music and everything previous to it (from around 1350-1620). However, when people say they perform Early Music they generally mean that they play in a historically accurate orchestra like the Academy of Ancient Music,which I mentioned earlier, and perform music from the Renaissance, Baroque (1620-1750), and Classical period (1750-1820) historically accurately.
Jordan, His name is James Gallagher and he plays in the Dallas Bach Society and three of the early music groups. One of them he flies to Europe to perform in. He goes to New York from Dallas on a fairly regular basis to play with a group up there. He returned about six months ago from giving a personal appearance for the King and Queen of Spain. I will try to get the names of the groups he performs with. You probably know them, at least by name. I will also see what the names of their CD's are. Our son, who is 13, started playing violin when he was 9 and was picked up by James as a personal student 2 years ago. I am amazed when I hear him play. I think, can this be our son? He just auditioned for the Lone Star Youth Orchestra (the youth organization of the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra). He is sitting 6th seat 2nd violin. There are 12 1st violins and 14 2nds. Most of the others in the orchestra are 15 to 18 years old. I guess he is doing pretty good. He had to play a 1,2 and 3 octave scale, a regional class solo and sight reading. He play "The Gavotte" by memory for his solo and had to sightread one of the movements of the Brandenburg concertos. The conductor said he did an excellent job. Can you tell I am really proud of his accomplishment. When he was 6 he told us he wanted to play violin. He is proving to us that he meant what he said.........:>) When he started school this year he decided he wanted to play in the band since his middle school does not have an orchestra. He said he wanted to play tuba. I asked him why tuba? He said that since the violin is a lead instrument that the tuba would help him develop his ensemble skills. Started as a beginner tuba player 18 weeks ago and now sits 1st chair in the symphonic band. His band instructor said his violin background has really helped him. Now he is picking up the trumpet and french horn (which I used to play). He absolutely loves music. I will show him your post. I really appreciate your explanation. And I guess James meant he plays a baroque violin in and early music group.
Audiguy, you should be very proud of your son! Sounds like he is doing great! I love hearing about teenagers who enjoy music. His musical skills will help him out in college and if he continues (which im sure he will!) it will look great on job applications and everything! Its great for the mind as well, improving mathematical, coordination, communication, and strategic skills. Back in Mozarts time friends would get together and read music as a form of entertainment! With no TV they would get together certain nights and do something like practice Mozart string quartets with their family, friends, and relatives. Stark contrast to today when hardly anybody --especially young people-- plays music anymore. So, always encourage your son to continue!
