JAVS Fall 2005

virtuosic. 1 am sometimes sony tl1at the audience misses out on the opportunity to hear d1e music under mis audio microscope! lf one can get a sensitive group to agree on rhe mood or character of a piece or passage vividly enough, it can be a great "short cut" ilirough too much detailed discussion of bow strokes and otl1er technical questions. Just today T witnessed the transformation of the sound of a passage after discussing whemer a forte passage should be ang1y or joyful. lt was enough to make a rigid sound become lithe and living. Sending one player out a few yards to listen Cc'U1 sometimes clarify tl1ings, exposing how hard one has to work to bring a musical character vividJy to life or to achieve really

tempered in chordal writing; decid ing jointly where, for example in octave passages, it is desirable to 0 0 g1ve cerram notes more express1ve intonation or directionality; hang ing onto something tl1at is out of tune long enough to find out who needs ro correct in wh ich direction, rather chan instantly correcting. But, as wid1 balance, me type of sound is so crucial. It is rarely useful or even musical ly appropriate to usc much evident individual vibrato in octave passages. I like co get stu dents to imitate each other's sounds as closely as possible, like mimics, ro produce a broad sheet of collec tive sound. A good core is essential - it is coo easy to hide uncertain intonation in a wobbly, feamety, inconstan t sound. But I believe tlmt a moderate amount ofvibrato should normally be used so as ro 0

blend tl1e sotmds one is actually going to make. Getting one player to stop and listen very critically and help is very useful , developing their critic.tl faculties as well as enabling tl1em to be an impartial arbiter. Playing a passage with character and feeling and beauty at about 60% tempo can be extremely valu able, if approached witl1 tl1e right cars. This al lows time not on ly to hea r eve1y detail of intonation bur also to become more aware of expressive phrase shapes, convincing balance and interesting textures and inter-relationships. Brief moments of great harmonic beauty are easier to notice, and in general a level of perception of me whole music.tl content is built up, which deepens and enriches a passage d1at had pre viously seemed merely exciting or

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VOLUME 2 1

NUMBER 2

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