Now here's a curious thing...

I bought a violin so I could once again play Ode to Joy. Not, of course, 
that I'll have an entire orchestra to drown out my awful violin skills 
this time. :-P

So anyway, I had a look on YouTube, and it's the strangest thing... none 
of the recordings I could find sound anything like what I played at 
school. In particular, I specifically remember that the piece starts out 
pizzicato. I remember this because... well, playing pizzicato is 
FRIGGING HARD, actually. You'd think it would be easy; /clearly/ you 
haven't met our music teacher! 8-o Scary lady...

None of the recordings I can find have any pizzicato in them. None of 
them seem roughly the same tempo. They all have dynamics that rise and 
fall seemingly at random. The piece we stayed started very quiet and 
gradually got louder and louder. (I don't even know how to PLAY 
triple-forte on a violin. It doesn't *go* that loud!!)

That can only mean that either we were playing some strange 
rearrangement of the piece, or... I have no idea, actually.

Post a reply to this message

On 14/05/2012 9:27 PM, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> I have no idea, actually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnT7pT6zCcA

:-P

-- 
Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Mon, 14 May 2012 21:27:54 +0100, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:

> Ode to Joy.

Do you mean from the last movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony, or some 
other arrangement?

There's no massive pizz section in the 9th symphony (the 5th as a whole 
movement done pizz only, so maybe that's what you're remembering?) that I 
recall.

As for playing loud - oh, yes, you can - more pressure and faster bow 
strokes.  If the strokes aren't fast enough, then it sounds scratchy (and 
that's no good).

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 5/14/2012 2:34 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Mon, 14 May 2012 21:27:54 +0100, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
>
>> Ode to Joy.
>
> Do you mean from the last movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony, or some
> other arrangement?

In the case that he's not about able to properly answer this, maybe it 
would easiest if he recorded a small audio sample of that he remembers 
of it?  It's obviously either an (somewhat odd) arrangement or another 
song though, since as you say that movement most definitely doesn't 
start with pizzicato.

> the 5th as a whole
> movement done pizz only, so maybe that's what you're remembering?)

Uhh... it does?  Are you quite sure you're not thinking of the 3rd 
movement of Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony instead?

Post a reply to this message

On Mon, 14 May 2012 15:23:37 -0700, Kevin Wampler wrote:

>> the 5th as a whole movement done pizz only, so maybe that's what you're
>> remembering?)
> 
> Uhh... it does?  Are you quite sure you're not thinking of the 3rd
> movement of Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony instead?

Oh crap, you're right.  How I mixed up Beethoven and Tchaikovsky is 
beyond me and is completely embarrassing. :)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 5/14/2012 3:45 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>
> Oh crap, you're right.  How I mixed up Beethoven and Tchaikovsky is
> beyond me and is completely embarrassing. :)
>

Well, you know, they were both ummm... composers who were born within a 
century of each other? :-)

Of course everyone (my self included) makes mistakes like that from time 
to time, but I can't pass up this opportunity to at least poke a little fun!

Post a reply to this message

On Mon, 14 May 2012 15:52:57 -0700, Kevin Wampler wrote:

> On 5/14/2012 3:45 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>
>> Oh crap, you're right.  How I mixed up Beethoven and Tchaikovsky is
>> beyond me and is completely embarrassing. :)
>>
>>
> Well, you know, they were both ummm... composers who were born within a
> century of each other? :-)

Yeah, that's it.  (I've played all three pieces, maybe that's why I 
conflated them....I suppose I could blame that)

> Of course everyone (my self included) makes mistakes like that from time
> to time, but I can't pass up this opportunity to at least poke a little
> fun!

Oh, it was well deserved.  As mentioned above, I've played all three, and 
for some reason I was thinking of the 3rd movement of B5, which is /
nothing/ like the 3rd mvmt of T4.

For my punishment, I shall have to listen to all three pieces.

Oh, damn. :)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 5/14/2012 6:06 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>
> Yeah, that's it.  (I've played all three pieces, maybe that's why I
> conflated them....I suppose I could blame that)
>

I take it you're a violinist (based on this and your comments to 
Invisible)?  I was not aware of that, are you still active?

>
> For my punishment, I shall have to listen to all three pieces.
>
> Oh, damn. :)
>

Behold the sad fate of those who disappoint Jim!

Post a reply to this message

On Mon, 14 May 2012 18:28:00 -0700, Kevin Wampler wrote:

> On 5/14/2012 6:06 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>
>> Yeah, that's it.  (I've played all three pieces, maybe that's why I
>> conflated them....I suppose I could blame that)
>>
>>
> I take it you're a violinist (based on this and your comments to
> Invisible)?  I was not aware of that, are you still active?

Yep, and haven't played in a while.  I need to get my violin repaired, 
actually - had some maintenance done several years ago and some varnish 
got stuck to the top of the sound post - the repair's going to cost about 
$400 to complete (we have a neighbor who's a violin maker who works on 
instruments for a few members of the Utah Symphony).

I played in the Greater Twin Cities' Youth Symphonies in Minneapolis as a 
kid - and toured the USSR in 1988 with the orchestra.

>> For my punishment, I shall have to listen to all three pieces.
>>
>> Oh, damn. :)
>>
>>
> Behold the sad fate of those who disappoint Jim!

LOL

Fortunately, I have good recordings of all three pieces. :)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 5/14/2012 7:05 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Mon, 14 May 2012 18:28:00 -0700, Kevin Wampler wrote:
>
>  (we have a neighbor who's a violin maker who works on
> instruments for a few members of the Utah Symphony).

Am I then correct in my assumption that you're an athiest who lives in 
Salt Lake City?  If so, how is that?  The other non-Mormons who I know 
who live there sometimes seem a little frustrated.  (Feel free not to 
answer if too personal/inflammatory for a semi-public setting like this).

> I played in the Greater Twin Cities' Youth Symphonies in Minneapolis as a
> kid - and toured the USSR in 1988 with the orchestra.

That's awesome!

> Fortunately, I have good recordings of all three pieces. :)

Out of curiosity, who are the recordings by?  I've always taken to 
Karajan for Beethoven and have a soft spot for Maazel's Tchaikovsky 
symphonies, but I've focused on breadth rather than depth in my 
classical music listening so I'm pretty ignorant on this matter.

Post a reply to this message