Books › An Encyclopedia of the Violin, 1925 › scan 230
Scan 230
An Encyclopedia of the Violin, 1925
20 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 202. See the scan on archive.org.
1A defective bow technique is the point of departure for a poor application of the various strokes, and this, in turn, is due to the fact that a teacher capable of teaching the correct handling of the bow is very rarely to be found, for the very good reason that only too often the teacher does not know how to use the bow himself. And, to be quite candid, the violinist who is at home in every detail of bow technique is a very great artist indeed, and the really great artists are rare.
3The bowing used often influences the character of the work interpreted. Sarasate, for instance, always began the Saint-Saëns' Violin Concerto in B Minor in the following manner:
5B Minor Concerto – Saint-Saëns (1)
7the first four notes falling like blows of the fist on a drum head.
9Ysayé was the first to understand the beauty of the beginning of this magnificent Concerto, and stamped the two measures with the power of his interpretation by playing them in this manner:
11B Minor Concerto – Saint-Saëns (2)
13In the finale of the same Concerto, the interpretations of Sarasate and Ysayé were of equal value, for if Ysayé brought more of vigor to his exposition, Sarasate was superb in the lightness of imposing character of his playing:
15Finale – B Minor Concerto – Saint-Saëns (3)
17Ysayé's tempo is notably slower than that of Sarasate; yet to my mind it is preferable, wherever possible, because it stresses beauty at the cost of the trifling, and hence should be unhesitatingly approved. And, on the violin, beauty of tone is secured by the use of a broad and powerful bow stroke.
19The powerful bowing may be employed quite as readily for music which is to be played lightly, as for music which calls for the exercise of strength, and it recalls Vieuxtemps' saying that the violinist should have an arm of steel and a wrist of velvet. The profound truth of this maxim uttered by the great master of the strings is well-nigh beyond sounding in all its phases, and it responds absolutely to the demands made by the technique of the bow.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.