Why should we listen? - Playlists 2023
Happy New Year 2023!
This year I would like to share some tailored playlists with my students, subscribers and anyone passing through. Feel free to bookmark this page as I plan to update it throughout the year on a quarterly basis. Do you have a recommendation to add to the playlists? Be sure to leave a comment below!
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Why Is Listening Important?
Just as reading and immersing oneself in society helps develop language skills, listening to live concerts and quality recordings is vital to the growth of ones musicianship. Whether we are just starting the violin or a seasoned professional, we must all listen in order to improve. When we listen to the great artists, we train our ears and our minds as we renew our inspiration to continue practicing violin. When learning a new piece of music, studying a recording will help familiarize ourselves with the style, form, phrasing and musicality of that specific piece. Repeated listening can actually cut down the amount of practice time as we get acquainted before even touching the instrument. We can listen passively while engaging in another activity or listen actively while following along in our score. Both are useful and important.
Young children learn by watching others and imitating. Younger kids watch the older kids and copy their play thereby developing new skills. By encouraging your student to listen to their lesson music and watch great artists on YouTube or in the concert hall, you are helping them not only learn their lessons faster and with more ease, but also helping to develop their musical sensitivity.
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I still remember when I discovered the “Classical Music” CD section of my public library as a teenager. Each week was like uncovering a new treasure as I checked out the maximum limit of CDs and devoured them over the week. I worked through the Baroque Period, Classical Period, Romantic Period and dabbled a little in contemporary music. I discovered seriously famous artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Gidon Kremer, etc., and became acquainted with their playing styles. I listened through the violin repertoire and then worked through the chamber and orchestral CD sections. This listening project ignited my passion for music and made me realize that I needed violin in my life. Life in the digital age has made maximum-library-limits obsolete as we now have endless music streaming options. Therefore, I plan to curate a quarterly listening playlists that will include some classics as well as some music new to me via Spotify and someYouTube links. Please enjoy!
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Christina’s Spotify Playlist Schedule
Winter Playlist - January - March
Spring Playlist - April - June
Summer Playlist - July - September
Autumn Playlist - October - December
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Listen on Spotify - Winter Playlist
1) Dimitry Shostakovich: Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano *
Performed by: Violin - Julian Rachlin & Janine Jansen; Piano - Itamar Golan
I chose the second movement (Gavotte) of this piece as the ensemble piece for my student’s upcoming recital. Listening is the first step to learning new music and therefore I recommend my students add this movement to their listening schedule. For everyone else, please enjoy this incredible performance full of luscious rubato and panache.
2) J.S. Bach: Concerto for Two Violins
Performed by: Violin - Hilary Hahn & Margaret Batjer; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
A couple of my students are working on this piece so I wanted to add it to the list. This exciting performance is full of energy and life. This piece marks a rite of passage for students as they begin to learn more professionally performed music and less music written specifically for students. Learning this piece opens new doors to acquiring the techniques needed to continue playing violin into the student’s adult life.
3) Antonio Vivaldi: Four Seasons - Violin Concerto in F Minor Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 - “Winter”
Performed by: Violin - Nigel Kennedy; Berlin Philharmonic
Since this is the “Winter” playlist, I cannot leave out Vivaldi’s Seasons!I love this recording of Nigel Kennedy performing Winter. Mr. Kennedy and the players of the Berlin Philharmonic use almost contemporary techniques to create auditory images of winter scenes. Although trained at The Curtis Institute of Music, one of the most prestigious music institutions in the world, Nigel Kennedy embodies a style outside of tradition. It is interesting to compare this recording of “Winter” to another more mainstream recording which I will add to a future playlist. For now, enjoy this exciting performance.
4) Selections from J.S Bach : 6 Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
a) Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001: IV. Presto - Performed by: Gidon Kremer
b) Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005: III. Largo - Performed by: Hilary Hahn
c) Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006: I. Preludio - Performed by: Hilary Hahn
These two performer’s styles of playing Bach are incredibly different however powerful in their own style. Gidon Kremer has an outstanding performance of the 3 Partitas on Youtube that you can watch here.
5) J.S. Bach: Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV 1041
Performed by: Violin - Hilary Hahn; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
This piece first appears in leveled repertoire in Suzuki Book 7. This recording is yet another example from the Hilary Hahn’s Bach Concertos album.
6) Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Four Violins in B Minor, Op. 3, No. 10, RV 580
Performed by: Capella Istropolitana
This piece is so exciting and almost sounds like rock music with many its sequences, driving rhythmic pulse and close harmonies. It is just as fun to play as it is to listen!
7) Pietro Locatelli: L’Arte del Violino, Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 3
Performed by: Violin - Dmitry Sinkovsky; Il Pomo D’Oro
I discovered this artist a few years ago and became obsessed with his incredibly stylish performing. Mr. Sinkovsky - san, if you are reading this, please consider booking a concert tour in Japan! Not only is he an astoundingly talented and accomplished Baroque violinist, but he is also a beautiful countertenor. Please check out his album Sinkovsky Plays and Sings Vivaldi for an impressive performance both singing and playing violin. Mr. Sinkovsky’s immaculate performance almost emulates a singer’s voice with his expressive slides, thoughtful ornamentation and tasteful bending of pitch. My favorite movement of this particular performance of Locatelli’s Concerto is the cadenza in the 3rd movement. It explodes with almost frantic virtuosity moving faster than any other recording I have heard.
8) Tomaso Antonio Vitali: Chaccone in G Minor
Performed by: Violin - Henryk Szeryng
This violinist is one of history’s greatest violinists. I first discovered hims recording of Bach’ 6 Sonatas and Partitas as a teenager. This beautiful piece is one that many violinists strive to perform.
9) Two Duos for Two Violins - Performed by Pinches Zukerman & Itzhak Perlman
a) Leclair: Sonata for Two Violins in e minor, Op. 3, No. 5
b) Johan Halvorsen: Passacaglia and Sarabande with Variations on a Theme by Handel
10) Francesca Caccini: Ciaccona
Performed by: Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini
Female composers during the Baroque Era were at a disadvantage as they were not taken seriously by their male contemporaries. Successful composers were either supported y musical families or joined the religious order and could concentrate on creating their art by composing religious music. Caccini, being the daughter of a composer in the Medici courts, had every advantage possible. While listening to this piece, it is easy to imagine as pop music today. Musical elements include discordant jazz, chromatic scales and ends almost like an indie song. This piece is so joyful! Please enjoy!
*Numbered links take you to YouTube where you can listen to each example separately.
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