Books › An Encyclopedia of the Violin, 1925 › scan 205
Scan 205
An Encyclopedia of the Violin, 1925
24 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 177. See the scan on archive.org.
1The détaché should be played in the exact middle of the bow.
2The player should know how to choose his natural point of descent or attack, that is to say he should give the détaché a breadth in keeping with the strength and the length of his arm. If his arm be long enough, he must see to it that he secures sufficient breadth of bow; and if his arm be short, he himself must determine the amount of bow to be employed.
3The player should not use a convulsive, irregular détaché. It is a direct result of a lack of judgment in the manner by which he tries to obtain the desired breadth in playing.
4A combination which is quite difficult to bring about, is that of giving the same amount of breadth to the notes of a passage played with mixed bowings:
6Concerto – Beethoven
8It is evident that the breadth of the détaché varies, and the point is to play piano, mezzo forte, forte or fortissimo.
9There are violinists who, so to speak, never use the spiccato, but use in its stead a very short détaché which makes the impression of being a spiccato.
10Several famous artists play the Paganini "Moto Perpetuo" with a détaché from beginning to end of the composition.
11For a professional violinist it seems decidedly strange to hear the famous "Moto,"
13Moto Perpetuo – Paganini
15played with the bowing as indicated over the notes instead of the proper bowing as shown under the notes.
16It is anything but enchanting, to be perfectly frank, and it serves to make clear that the player's right arm is not as well developed as his left hand.
18THE SALTATO, OR STACCATO WITH SPRINGING BOW
20In order to carry out successfully this difficult bowing, the wrist must be very flexible and, above all, exercise an indisputable mastery over the bow. The player must always have absolute control of his movements, and as everything is done on a very small scale, he must first of all possess great presence of mind.
21There is an interesting difference of opinion with regard to the manner in which the Introduction to Saint-Saëns' "Rondo Capriccioso" should be played, Several virtuosos play the passage in the following way:
23Rondo Capriccioso – Saint Saëns (1)
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