The Bow, Its History, Manufacture and Use: 'The Strad' Library, No. III.Saint-George, Henry
History
The Bow, Its History, Manufacture and Use: 'The Strad' Library, No. III.
Saint-George, Henry
Stringed instruments
DE BERIOT, "Le Tremolo."
KONTSKI, "La Cascade" (tremolo).
PANOFKA, "Le Staccato."
PRUME, "Les Arpeges."
VIEUXTEMPS, "Les Arpeges."
VIEUXTEMPS, 1st Concerto in E (staccato).
BAZZINI, "Ronde de Lutins" (saltando staccato).
In an earlier section of this work I alluded to the bow as being
"tongue-like"; it is something more, for it is also the breath of the
violin. As breathing is to a vocalist so is bowing to a violinist. It
governs the phrasing, or, rather, is governed by it in the first
instance and then controls its delivery to the listener. Thus it will
be seen that too much attention cannot be paid to the real Art of
Bowing. By which I do not mean the brilliant technical feats of
_arpeggio_, _staccato_, _tremolo_, _etc._, but the pure legato bowing
of cantabile passages. It is in such song-like movements that the
true artist reveals himself by the nearness with which he approaches
that highest of all musical instruments, the human voice. Pure liquid
tone, the inflexions suggested rather than insisted on, clear
phrasing and an avoidance of all extravagance are the hall marks of
an artist, and not the possession of brilliant technique alone. To
those who are content with superficial glitter electro plate is as
good as sterling metal. But critics of discernment (by which I do not
mean _all_ those who write concert notices for the daily papers)
require something of more lasting value.
THE END.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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