Thursday, January 19, 2012

Bach and Vivaldi Violin Concertos

Mike - I checked in my book Classical Music (The 50 Greatest Composers
and Their 1,000 Greatest Works) by Phil G. Goulding.

He suggests that for someone who is not an expert in Bach to use what
he calls his Bach Starter Kit  in which are included five world-acclaimed
works:

~two orchestral peices

~one organ piece

~two vocal compositions


Now here we are wanting to talk about Bach's Violin Concerto and
this is what Goulding says about that:


Bach's Violin Concerto in D Minor is regarded as one of the best examples
of counterpoint in music and one of Bach's most emotional pieces.  Both
movements are fugue-like, with each of the two violons doing its own thing
as an independent voice.

Here is what caught my attention about that- Mike:

More likely than not People regard Bach's music as non-emotional.
But Goulding writes that Bach's Violin Concerto in D Minor is regarded
as one of the MOST EMOTIONAL PIECES  he wrote.

So I'm thinking that I might want to listen to that when I get a chance.  I've
never heard any violin music by Bach - but I can tell you Mike that I'm going
to check this out when I can.
~~~

Now let's see what Goulding has to say about Vivaldi's Violin
Concertos.  And by the way Mike - when I checked the index
to find the page for Bach Violin works there were much fewer
references for that that I just noticed that there are for Vivaldi -
so that tells you something.

Again Mike - we have the f*ing Starter Kit - well it worked for
Bach so let's see what the Vivaldi Starter Kit has to say:

and what do you know?

Vivaldi wrote Four Violin Concertos which he called
The Four Seasons.  Just like the Four Seasons that we
experience here in the Midwest - Mike.  And I 'm going
to step out on a limb here and say that I see that probably
Vivaldi's Four Seasons Violin Concertos were eventually
transcribed for Piano - and that does not interest me because
I do not go in for substitutions - but rather I am only interested
in the Real thing.  And therefore if I find out that something
was originally written for the Violin - then I refuse to play it
on the Piano.  Know what I mean - Mike?

Goulding lists the four Violin Concertos like this:

Concerto in E (Spring)

Concerto in G Minor (Summer)

Concerto in F (Autumn)

Concerto in F (Winter)

And really - Mike - that's all that Goulding says about Vivaldi's Violin
Concertos - and I'm thinkin' that he only says that because Vivaldi's
Four Season Violin Concertos speak for themselves.
~~~

What other kind of Music do ya like  - Mike?

7 comments:

  1. Part of me agrees with the idea of playing a piece for the instrument it was written for but I've heard some really good transcriptions. I have in mind Stokowski's symphony version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ.

    On the topic of emotional pieces by Bach, there one called Siciliano. Very pretty but a little bit sad sounding. I don't know if it was written for piano, but the piano versions are excellent.

    bftm

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  2. Thanks Mike - I'm on it. I'll get back with you tomorrow after I see what I can dig up.


    By the way Mike - didja watch tonight's Republican Debates?

    You know - I just come alive during the Presidential Election Years...

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  3. Mike - I googled Siciliano.

    Nice. I played the flute in High School but never really liked it.
    I'm really not a mouth instrument person because the flute and other mouth insturments just require too much blowing - but rather I express myself better with my hands - like on Piano.

    I love Bach's Toccata and Fugue in Dm - and started to listen to
    the 1934 (google) version with Stokowski himself conducting the
    Philadelpha Orchestra but only lasted 15 seconds since it was not the way it was originally written.
    ~~~

    Mike - if you can hang with me just a little longer I would like to present to you a list that I have compiled that I call the Dream Recital.

    Now this is not ever going to happen and I figured out why: I simply cannot memorize music. So I am never going to be a Concert Pianist.

    But perhaps there is a place for me where I could use my knowledge of music and my playing ablilities at the same time.

    I'll be back later and as soon as I get the word that you have time and are interested in knowing what 8 or so works of the Masters I would like to study futher - I will list them and discuss them.

    Thanks Mike.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mike - I'll go even further to say that it has come to me - what I could conceivably do with my piano ablility - but I cannot even imagine that it could happen - since I never get what I want.

    Boo hoo.

    But if you can guess what it is and tell me what you are thinking then I will tell you if you are right and I will discuss it.

    But first you must read my Dream Recital List and discuss it with me.

    That is if you don't mind - Mike.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sue,
    I have enough trouble figuring out what's going on in my mind, and now I'm supposed to guess what's going on in yours?

    bftm

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mike - No you don't have to guess what's going on in my mind..

    All I want you to do is be honest and say what you are thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  7. and why you are even commenting on my Blog when very few people do.


    hanging it up now Mike.

    ReplyDelete