The early violin and viola : a practical guide / Robin Stowell.

Author/creator Stowell, Robin
Format Book
Publication InfoCambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Descriptionxv, 234 pages : illustrations, music ; 23 cm.
Subjects
Violin--Performance.
Viola--Performance.
Instrumental music--18th century. --Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.).
Instrumental music--19th century. --Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.).
Performance practice (Music)--History. --18th century.
Performance practice (Music)--History. --19th century.

SeriesCambridge handbooks to the historical performance of music
Cambridge handbooks to the historical performance of music. ^A420193
Contents Historical performance in context. The seeds of growth ; The violin and viola literature ; Period violinists and violists ; Interpreting the evidence ; Standards of verity ; The value of historical performance -- The repertory and principal sources. Introduction ; The emancipation of the violin ; The mainstream solo violin repertory (c.1700-c.1900): a brief overview ; The mainstream solo viola repertory to c.1900: a brief overview ; Primary sources ; Principal violin treatises ; Principal viola treatises ; Other treatises ; Surviving instruments, bows and accessories ; Iconography -- Equipment. The violin: origins and early history ; Early centres of violin making ; The viola: origins and early history ; Accessories ; The bow: history and development ; Purchasing and early violin or viola ; Purchasing a violin/viola bow for early music -- Technique. Posture ; Holding the instrument ; Placement of the left hand and fingers ; Positions and shifting ; Diatonic and chromatic scale fingerings ; Timbre ; Vibrato ; Harmonics ; Pizzicato ; Pitch ; Tuning systems and scordatura ; Holding the bow ; Bow strokes and bow management ; Multiple stopping -- The language of musical style. Introduction ; National idioms and changes in style ; Specific and extempore ornamentation ; Rhythmic alteration ; Affect, rhetoric and phrasing (general principles) ; Articulation, accentuation and melodic inflection as constituents of phrasing ; Tempo and tempo rubato ; Taste -- Historical awareness in practice 1, three eighteenth-century case studies: Corelli, Bach and Haydn. Corelli: Sonata in A major, op. 5 no. 9 ; J. S. Bach: Partita no. 3 in E major for violin solo, BWV1006 ; Haydn: String Quartet in E flat major, op. 33 no. 2 (Hob. III:38) -- Historical awareness in practice 2, three nineteenth-century case studies: Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms. Beethoven: Sonata in A major for violin and piano, op. 47 ('Kreutzer') ; Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 ; Brahms: Sonata in E flat major, op. 120 no. 2 for piano and viola (clarinet) -- Related family members.
Abstract This practical guide is intended for all violinists and viola players who wish to give--or to understand and appreciate--historically aware performances of early music for their instruments. It comprises discussion of the literature, history and repertory of the violin and viola, the myriad relevant primary sources and their interpretation, and the various aspects of style and technique that combine to make up well-grounded, period performances. It also considers various related instruments, contains practical advice on the acquisition of appropriate instruments, and offers suggestions for further reading and investigation. Many of the principles outlined are put into practice in case studies of six works composed from about 1700 to 1900, the core period which forms this series' principal (though not exclusive) focus. Music by Corelli, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms is examined with a view to recreating performances as faithful as possible to the composer's original intent.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 213-223) and index.
LCCN 00065086
ISBN0521623804 (hardback)
ISBN0521625556 (pbk.)

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML855 .S79 2001 ✔ Available Place Hold
Music Music Stacks ML855 .S79 2001 ✔ Available Place Hold