On 03.06.2003 16:49 Uhr, Andrew Stiller wrote >> Certainly in the Mahler, (where the effect the solo player will pick up a >> second instrument. The soloist in the Saint-Saens will either pick up a >> second instrument or walk off stage to retune (or, most likely, walk >> off-stage to get a second instrument and to come back for a solo bow!) In >> neither case will they have to tune/retune onstage while the music is going >> on. > > And for Haydn's 60th, where the notation is traditionally interpreted > as requiring the vns. to actually bring the string up to pitch while > bowing? > Haydn No 60 is a special case, as the process of tuning is actually part of the piece. The passage is an effect, but it is completely different from actually playing a scordatura piece. Technically it may be scordatura, but in the context it isn't really. And yes, I have played (in fact lead) this piece, I know what I am talking about.
Nonetheless, there is actually a Biber Sonata in the 1681 set, where the scordatura only starts half way through the piece, and the violinist is given two measures to tune the E string a tone down. I have done this numerous times in concert, and with a little practice and well-working pegs (this is baroque violin, no patent tuning system, and naturally gut strings) it can be done reliably. > Finally, it should be noted that plain gut strings are far more > tolerant of scordatura than nylon/wire/wrapped ones. I publish a > 19th-c. work for solo violin in which the player is asked to tune the > G string down a full octave for part of the piece! The composer was > himself a highly accomplished violinist, so there's no question but > that he knew what he was doing. The G string was definitely _not_ a plain gut string in the 19th century, nor in the 18th, and probably not even in the late 17th century. The G string was silver wound, sometimes silk wound. The interesting thing about violin strings is that although the technique of producing wound strings was available and used for the G string, it was not used for any of the higher strings until well into the 19th century. Tuning the G string down an octave is no easier with 19th century strings than with modern. I have yet to see any string, gut or other, that will allow this. It would need to be an incredibly thick string to allow such a low pitch. In fact I am pretty sure it would be easier to produce such a string with modern materials than with gut. I would like to know more about this piece, when was it written, what are the instructions if there are any, what does the passage look like, is it separated from the rest of the piece (ie, would it be possible to change instruments for playing this section)? If the answer to the last question is no I actually wonder how on earth it could be performed on any string material. There must be some kind of trick for this. I am very curious about this, how much is the edition? Johannes -- http://www.musikmanufaktur.com http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de -- http://www.musikmanufaktur.com http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
