Books › An Encyclopedia of the Violin, 1925 › scan 216
Scan 216
An Encyclopedia of the Violin, 1925
16 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 188. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHAPTER XIII
3THE EVOLUTION OF VIOLIN TECHNIQUE
5When we consider the time which has elapsed from the creation of the violin, properly speaking, to the appearance of Paganini, it must be admitted that the evolution of progress was slow up to the moment when the tremendous genius of the great Italian illumined the firmament of art by the deploy of his magic powers.
7In order to understand the evolution of violin technique it is necessary to understand Paganini's genius; the formidable results of what he created in the field must be studied. Liszt and Chopin, so to speak, are the creations of Paganini, and it might even be said that Liszt did for the piano what Paganini did for the violin. We are compelled to pay the most enthusiastic tributes to these geniuses who made violin and piano the kings of instruments, and it is not going too far when we bestow the title of emperor on the violin, and that of king on its keyboard rival.
9The organ, naturally, holds a place apart: it is an orchestra played by a single individual, and equipped with nearly all the wealth of the orchestral tone palette.
11The unforgettable Corelli, the father of violin technique, opened new horizons of violinistic achievement by extending the variety of bowings, for until his epoch the violin was a mere vulgar instrument of accompaniment.
13Then came those "Airs with Variations" which were born of Tartini's inspiration, and whose flight came to an end only a few years ago, when they were replaced by the variations "without melodies" of modern music. Musical snobs may, if they choose, treat this primitive musical form with disdain; it has, for all that, been productive of savory virtuoso fruit.
15There are even airs with variations (and under this head I classify all themes musically varied) which are magnificent. We may take, for example, the sixty variations which Tartini wrote on a Corelli gavotte: they are a genuine treasure, and, incidentally, wonderfully valuable for the study of the bow; they are even known as "the art of bowing." The violinist who to-day is able to play these variations perfectly may be regarded as a finished artist. It is a pity that this superb work has been mutilated by editors minus a conscience, who have been guilty of such monstrosities as putting forth the complete work in partial and abridged editions. It should be played only in the original edition and in its completed form, and those who take the liberty of cutting it in any way deserve the severest censure.
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