Bach's Unaccompanied Violin Partitas and Sonatas

     There are pieces that every violinist wants to master and play passionately, I know do. Which ones are at the top of my list? Bach's incredible Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas and Partitas. Here is Nathan Milstein giving a masterful performance.

Bach's Sonatas and Partitas (BWV 1001–1006) are a set of six works rich with emotional variety and depth, complex harmonies, advanced technique and timeless melodies. Bach known as a prodigious organist and harpsichordist was also a violinist from a young age, which if these pieces are any indication, must have been quite the violinist. Some would say that this collection is the peak of polyphonic writing for a non-keyboard instrument and has taken violin technique to new heights as well. Though there were other solo pieces for the violin, Bach's collection was at a whole new level of technique. Those that were first to work on them were said to believe the pieces almost impossible to perform.

Bach started composing this collection in 1703 and finished them around 1720 when he was Kapellmeister in Köthen. Aside from his geographical area, the Western world was only really exposed to them in 1802 when Nikolaus Simrock published them in Bonn. The sonatas follow a four-movement pattern: slow-fast-slow-fast, which was not unusual for the Baroque period. The Partitas on the other hand are unorthodox dance-form movements in their structure, which works well with their improvisatory feel.

For violin students that are interested to start on the Sonatas, make sure that you are in Suzuki Book 6 or something comparable. Most of the pieces will still be very difficult, but some of them will be available to you to work on. Remember that these pieces are not meant to be worked on just once, but throughout your life. Don't give up and the rewards will be great!

Bach's Brandenburg Concertos

     The Münchener Bach-Orchester directed by Karl Richter in J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. J.S. Bach is known as a great composer and an organist virtuoso, who was a music leader (composer, conductor and accompanist) for the Lutheran church, an orchestra conductor and composer for the Duke of Weimer and for Prince Leopold. In 1721, during his employment for Prince Leopold, Bach wrote six string orchestra concertos called The Brandenburg Concertos dedicated to "His Royal Highness Monseigneur Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg."

It all started back in December of 1717 at the age of 32 when Bach was offered the job of Kapellmeister at the Court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt in Cöthen after a month of confinement by his previous employer, the Duke of Weimer. Bach left the Duke for Prince Leopold who loved music and was himself a violinist, harpsichordist and viola da gamba player. After four wonderful years, the prince got married to his cousin, the Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg. Bach and the princess did not like each other, so felt the urgency to seek employment with Christian Lugwig, whom met earlier. So Bach wrote the Margrave Ludwig a letter and sent these six concerti to display his abilities. As far we know, no answer ever came from the Margrave and the pieces were never performed at the Margrave's court.

The six Concerti are three movements each, except for the first concerto which is four movements. The instrumentation is based on the small orchestra that Bach led for Prince Leopold, which why there are some brass, some woodwinds, harpsichord and string orchestra. Each of the concertos has solos from the different sections along with the orchestral style, especially in the First, Third and Sixth Concerto.

Bach's St. Matthew Passion

        Here is Bach's St. Matthew Passion with Philipp Herreweghe directing the Kölner Philharmonie and Coro y Orquesta del Collegium Vocale Gent.

If Bach is known as first, it would be that he dedicated most of his music to the Lutheran Church. Bach was born after the Protestant Reformation, but he felt the influence of Martin Luther throughout his life, since Bach was at Luther's church for part of his life. Martin Luther had a profound influence on Bach's views of music, since Luther composed songs for the church in the German language and it was Luther that translated the Bible in the German language.

The St. Matthew Passion, based on the Gospel of St. Matthew, is about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is not unusual as the church universal has celebrated the death of Jesus since its inception. The reason the church celebrates the death of Jesus is, of course, because it is through Jesus' personal and volitional sacrifice on the cross that the justice of God is satisfied. Thus, when a person puts their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, it is His death that saves them from their sins to eternal life.

Bach undertook to compose this massive work in his time as the choirmaster to churches in Leipzig. The St. Matthew Passion was first heard in 1727 at the Good Friday afternoon service. The piece calls for two separate orchestras and choirs, which perform separately and together throughout the piece. One of the interesting aspects of the piece is that at certain points in the piece, Bach has moments of contemplation that is sung by soloists and the choirs.

Here is how David Gordon describes Bach's St. Matthew Passion: "The massive yet delicate work, with its multiple levels of theological and mystical symbolism, its powerful and dramatic biblical teachings, and its psychological insight, is one of the most challenging and ambitious musical compositions in the entire Western tradition."

Johann Sebastian Bach: A Passionate Life

     Every month, I talk with my private students about a composer in our lessons. One composer that I have put off until now has been J.S. Bach. He is such a great composer and has influenced my musical life. But this month I am going to introduce my students to Bach, especially since his music is all over the Suzuki books.

As part of my research on a composer I have started looking on Youtube for good biographies and I came upon this one. John Eliot Gardiner has already published a biography on Bach, "Bach-Music in the Castle of Heaven," so this documentary is very interesting.


I have enjoyed the background information on Bach and his family, the pictures of the countryside and all the great music along with it. Check out this great video!

Rossini's Barber of Seville

I love outdoor performances. Here is the Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada at the Sommernachtsgala Grafenegg in 2012. This is another piece that I am performing with the Louisville Philharmonia at our next concert. It is nice to see the up-close shots of the instrumentalists and the beautiful scenery of the countryside.

On the day after Christmas, December 26, 1813 Gioachino Rossini's opera Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) had its opening night and it was a fiasco. The opera is based on Beaumarchais’s play with the same title, which was already set as an opera a few times with a favorite already reigning for over 30 years. So, Rossini had originally titled the opera the title Almaviva, ossia L’inutile precauzione, but everyone knew what he was doing and many were outraged that Rossini would directly compete with the favorite Paisiello version. But by it's second performance Rossini's version was already winning out; it is said that the crowd was coming after the performance to congratulate Rossini. It is said that it only took Rossini 13 days to compose the entire opera with the overture copied from two previous operas.

Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms

Here is the Wiener Philharmoniker in 1982 directed by Leonard Bernstein performing Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms.

I am listening to it today to be motivated, refreshed with the way it goes, catch some tips on tempo, intonation, expressiveness, ensemble, and anything else that I can catch to get ready for the rehearsal Monday with the Louisville Philharmonia.

Brahms wrote his Second Symphony in D Major on his summer vacation of 1877 in the village of Portschach. just months after his celebrated First Symphony. On December 30, 1877 the Second Symphony was premiered by Hans Richter. Following in the footsteps of Beethoven, the symphony is about 40 minutes. Some call this the Pastoral Symphony in memory and comparison with Beethoven.

 You never get to old or too good to gain from others, especially master musicians. Bernstein is an especially good conductor so I am appreciate listening to this recording. Enjoy!

Teaching Reflections: Indespensible Listening

    What are your teaching goals for 2015? All teachers need yearly goals to further their art and students. For 2015 one of my pedagogical goals is listening. The more I teach, the more convinced I am that a student, parent, teacher, and /or artist will gain immeasurably by listening to the pieces that he or she is working on. You are never too young, too old, too inexperienced, or too experienced to listen to great performances. Dr. Suzuki is correct on this point, listening is indispensable to progress!

“It is of utmost importance that parents and children understand the value of listening to recordings at home. Listening is central to the development of musical sensitivity.” ~Shinichi Suzuki

Maybe Not

 Just like in any field of study, professional music educators have differing positions, even when it comes to the role of listening to recordings in the training of the musician. Sometimes music teachers are very passionate about their perspective on how to teach. 

Here are two main reasons that are given often why musicians should not listen to recordings: 

1. Creates Robots. There is the concern that listening to recordings will just turn a musician, especially a young student, into a little music robot, just copying what he hears. This leads to the ruin of a musician’s creativity.
2. Illiterate Musicians. By listening to recordings of the pieces that they are learning, it will also lead the musician to ignore note reading and play what he has heard. So, listening to recordings prevent musicians from learning to read music proficiently, which is very important.

Maybe Yes

 It is important to take these concerns seriously, because every musician desires to be creative and most musicians, especially classical musicians, find note reading essential. With that in mind, here are some reasons why listening to recordings is indispensable, not harmful:

1. It inspires. For many musicians hearing a great performer is what inspired them to learn an instrument or sing. Excellent performers move our emotions and excite us in ways other things cannot. After starting to study an instrument, great performances motivates the student to persevere when it seems like he will never improve. As the student progresses, great performances will inspire him to aim higher, to not be satisfied with his current level of playing. 
2. The foundation. Starting from day one a student listens to his teacher demonstrate how to do things. Students that listen at home build their sense of intonation, rhythm, tone, phrasing, expression, etc. For young students this is not necessarily something they are aware of, to them it is just to get to know “how a song goes.” This is exactly what happens in the lesson with the teacher. The teacher demonstrates how to play notes in tune, with the correct rhythm, beautiful tone, expressiveness, etc. It makes the process of learning easier and more enjoyable. Students that I teach learn this way from me, but I also have them learn to read the notes and understand the connection of what the hear with what they see. This is why students are also challenged to sight read a piece in lessons. They get a few seconds to figure out the song with my assistance and then play it all the way through without stopping. The aural and the visual are both stimulated to grow. If done wisely, listening to recordings can boost note reading along with many other foundational skills.
3. Gives possibilities. No teacher wants musical robots, so instead of giving up all the benefits of listening to great performers I talk to students about possibilities. After the notes and dynamics are learned, we are ready to make some real music. It is at this stage that the recordings are considered valid and good ways to perform the song. It is not the only way, but one good way of performing. Next, the student will try to imitate the master in the expressiveness of the piece. All of us imitate to learn; it happens in sports, public speaking, medicine, you name it, we all imitate, but we don’t stop there. After trying the way of one of these master musicians, I guide the student to try the piece in other ways. This is fun, not burdensome or dread. We enjoy trying things in different ways, that is why we have all kinds of cars, homes, clothes, and many other things. The same goes with music, we learn, imitate and then get personally creative with what we’ve done.

Using great performances this way is not easy, it takes patience, explaining, guiding, being comfortable to try new things and a love for the excellent. There is no need for a musician to forgo all the benefits of listening due to feeling he is cheating or feeling like he is taking the easy way out. Keep listening, it’s indispensable!