Instrument: Violin Composer: Georg Friedrich Händel Title: Sonate II Movements 1 & 2 Category: accompanied work composed prior to 1910 Individual performance techniques: Slurring Chromatic slides Staccato Harmonics Bent notes Bowing Technical challenges: Accuracy of the pitch Advanced bowing Control of the dynamics with the bow Clear articulation of scale passages Controlled vibrato Maintaining and changing tempo Expressive challenges: Sense of a dynamic performance Stylistic challenges: Bowing techniques of pieces in the Baroque period
Handel was a German-born Baroque composer and was a devout religious man like Bach. He wrote countless oratorios, sonatas, church music, operas, concertos and many others. Sonate II is one of many pieces that he had written and the performance techniques should be played differently to the classical or modern music. For example, at that time staccatos are played bluntly instead of being played sharply. This composition had a rather deep solemn tone. The Sonate wasn’t supposed to be played with a strict tempo. Feelings must be used to interpret the song. It’s like telling a story about going through life’s difficulties and emotions. To achieve the maximum performance of the piece, soft bowing must be used in the first movement. On the second movement, the tempo is allegro and the dynamics are mostly forte.
Exercises that will help achieve the best performance: Technical Learning scales is one of the most important and basic exercise that will improve the articulation and correct pitch of the melody. The scale consists of three full octaves ascending and descending from the first position to the 6th or 7th position. Triads, dominant septiem and cadence are also practiced.
Firstly, the piece must be played slowly. Avoid errors and play with a constant tempo that is comfortable. The tempo had to be increased over time. Tones must be clear and on the right pitch. This exercise will help the violinist to play the piece with clear articulation.
Etude no. 13 by Kreutzer is an excellent practice piece to smoothen quick transitions between the strings. The etude is very similar in technique to the technique used in the second movement of Handel’s sonata.
Technique Studies by Sevcik are very effective in training smooth transitions from position to a higher one and the lower position. The book covers exercises focusing mainly on position transitions.
Practicing vibrato on a single note in both on a slow pace and a fast pace trains the finger to be stronger and more robust in the quality of the vibration.
Watching professional performances of violinists could inspire gestures and techniques that can be played resulting in an expressive and beautiful violin performance.
Technical Challenges: Bowing: Handel’s sonatas must be played softly, therefore requiring soft bowing. The bow must be handled lightly and tipped slightly so that fewer strings on the bow touch the violin strings. Furthermore, the bow must be placed away from the bridge to achieve the soft quality of the tones.
Accurate pitch: All the notes are to be played with utmost accuracy. The fingering must be simplified to avoid cracky noises and wrong pitches. Unlike the piano or the guitar, even a millimeter can affect the pitch greatly.
Area of study Two: Performance technique
April 7, 2011Instrument: Violin
Composer: Georg Friedrich Händel
Title: Sonate II Movements 1 & 2
Category: accompanied work composed prior to 1910
Individual performance techniques:
Slurring
Chromatic slides
Staccato
Harmonics
Bent notes
Bowing
Technical challenges:
Accuracy of the pitch
Advanced bowing
Control of the dynamics with the bow
Clear articulation of scale passages
Controlled vibrato
Maintaining and changing tempo
Expressive challenges:
Sense of a dynamic performance
Stylistic challenges:
Bowing techniques of pieces in the Baroque period
Resources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITuECBJbBOU
performance by Anton Polezhayev
Handel was a German-born Baroque composer and was a devout religious man like Bach. He wrote countless oratorios, sonatas, church music, operas, concertos and many others. Sonate II is one of many pieces that he had written and the performance techniques should be played differently to the classical or modern music. For example, at that time staccatos are played bluntly instead of being played sharply. This composition had a rather deep solemn tone. The Sonate wasn’t supposed to be played with a strict tempo. Feelings must be used to interpret the song. It’s like telling a story about going through life’s difficulties and emotions. To achieve the maximum performance of the piece, soft bowing must be used in the first movement. On the second movement, the tempo is allegro and the dynamics are mostly forte.
Exercises that will help achieve the best performance:
Technical
Learning scales is one of the most important and basic exercise that will improve the articulation and correct pitch of the melody. The scale consists of three full octaves ascending and descending from the first position to the 6th or 7th position. Triads, dominant septiem and cadence are also practiced.
Firstly, the piece must be played slowly. Avoid errors and play with a constant tempo that is comfortable. The tempo had to be increased over time. Tones must be clear and on the right pitch. This exercise will help the violinist to play the piece with clear articulation.
Etude no. 13 by Kreutzer is an excellent practice piece to smoothen quick transitions between the strings. The etude is very similar in technique to the technique used in the second movement of Handel’s sonata.
Technique Studies by Sevcik are very effective in training smooth transitions from position to a higher one and the lower position. The book covers exercises focusing mainly on position transitions.
Practicing vibrato on a single note in both on a slow pace and a fast pace trains the finger to be stronger and more robust in the quality of the vibration.
Watching professional performances of violinists could inspire gestures and techniques that can be played resulting in an expressive and beautiful violin performance.
Technical Challenges:
Bowing: Handel’s sonatas must be played softly, therefore requiring soft bowing. The bow must be handled lightly and tipped slightly so that fewer strings on the bow touch the violin strings. Furthermore, the bow must be placed away from the bridge to achieve the soft quality of the tones.
Accurate pitch: All the notes are to be played with utmost accuracy. The fingering must be simplified to avoid cracky noises and wrong pitches. Unlike the piano or the guitar, even a millimeter can affect the pitch greatly.