Grieg and Violins

Violin was Edvard Grieg’s favourite orchestral instrument. This affinity expanded to other string family instruments and a string orchestra. The article aims to characterise Grieg’s two-movement cycles of miniatures for string orchestra, emphasizing the features of their orchestration. The analysis revealed that these cycles should be considered as original and creative orchestral compositions where the composer efficiently employs the possibilities of string instruments.

Saxophone Virtuosity: Manifestation and Effect in the Classical Saxophone Repertoire

<p>To ascribe the word ‘virtuosity’ to a single and absolute definition is an impossible task. It is a term that is multifaceted in its meaning and which is understood differently in a variety of contexts. This thesis investigates how the word virtuosity has been used in music discourse, and then considers virtuosity in three aspects of saxophone performance: altissimo, fast finger technique and soloistic roles. The application of these three aspects of virtuosity to the classical saxophone repertoire is then examined. Specifically, I examine the application of altissimo in Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da Camera for Alto Saxophone and Eleven Instruments; fast finger technique in the cadenzas of Pierre Max Dubois’ Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra and Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra; and soloistic roles in classical saxophone orchestral repertoire. I also consider the relevance of the saxophone as a non-standard orchestral instrument to the notion of soloistic virtuosity. With these three aspects of virtuosity established, I explore the relationship between virtuosity and Claude Debussy’s Rapsodie for Orchestra and Alto Saxophone. This exploration first demonstrates how adaptations made to the Rapsodie can be seen to increase the virtuosic nature of the work. Second, it looks at how these adaptations could be contradictory to the composer’s intentions. Last, it considers the motivation and purpose behind these adaptations. The aim of this thesis is to disclose ways in which virtuosity may be understood in the context of the classical saxophone repertoire and how this understanding has affected Debussy’s Rapsodie in particular.</p>

Saxophone Virtuosity: Manifestation and Effect in the Classical Saxophone Repertoire

<p>To ascribe the word ‘virtuosity’ to a single and absolute definition is an impossible task. It is a term that is multifaceted in its meaning and which is understood differently in a variety of contexts. This thesis investigates how the word virtuosity has been used in music discourse, and then considers virtuosity in three aspects of saxophone performance: altissimo, fast finger technique and soloistic roles. The application of these three aspects of virtuosity to the classical saxophone repertoire is then examined. Specifically, I examine the application of altissimo in Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da Camera for Alto Saxophone and Eleven Instruments; fast finger technique in the cadenzas of Pierre Max Dubois’ Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra and Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra; and soloistic roles in classical saxophone orchestral repertoire. I also consider the relevance of the saxophone as a non-standard orchestral instrument to the notion of soloistic virtuosity. With these three aspects of virtuosity established, I explore the relationship between virtuosity and Claude Debussy’s Rapsodie for Orchestra and Alto Saxophone. This exploration first demonstrates how adaptations made to the Rapsodie can be seen to increase the virtuosic nature of the work. Second, it looks at how these adaptations could be contradictory to the composer’s intentions. Last, it considers the motivation and purpose behind these adaptations. The aim of this thesis is to disclose ways in which virtuosity may be understood in the context of the classical saxophone repertoire and how this understanding has affected Debussy’s Rapsodie in particular.</p>

Կոմիտասին և հայոց ցեղասպանությանը նվիրված Տիգրան Մանսուրյանի երկերը

Among the works, dedicated to Komitas and the Armenian Genocide, the oeuvre of the outstanding contemporary Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian (born 1939) holds a special position. T. Mansurian addressed this topic back at the end of the 1960s. Most notable are, however, his large-scale compositions, created over the past decade, such as Concerto No. 4 for cello and string orchestra, "Where is thy brother Abel?" (2010), Requiem for soloists, mixed choir and chamber orchestra (2011), Sonata da chiesa for viola and piano (2015). The musical language and stylistic peculiarities of the above works testify to the fact that T. Mansurian is a direct successor to Komitas' creative traditions and an innovator, too, whose works have largely enriched contemporary Armenian music, imparting a new quality to the Armenian compositional thought.

Nature: Dune of Footprints for String Orchestra (2017); Nature (2012); What Did We See? (2018); Re-greening for Large Singing Orchestra (2015), Tansy Davies

Review of: Nature: Dune of Footprints for String Orchestra (2017); Nature (2012); What Did We See? (2018); Re-greening for Large Singing Orchestra (2015), Tansy Davies London: NMC, D260, Audio CD, £12.99.

Didaktična literatura za violino Dušana Vodiška / Didactic violin literature by Dušan Vodišek

The article discusses didactic violin literature by violinist and pedagogue Dušan Vodišek. Covering the period between 1966 and 2016, his oeuvre represents a bridge between didactic violin literature of the previous century and contemporary didactic violin literature. Over these 50 years, he significantly enriched didactic violin literature in Slovenia with his works, which include a violin book for beginners, children’s compositions for violin and piano, youth compositions for violin and piano, compositions for chamber ensemble and string orchestra, and two textbooks on position changing. These materials provide original solutions to challenges concerning individual elements of violin playing and the musical development of students. Therefore, they also represent an important contribution to the development of violin pedagogy and violin playing in Slovenia.