Top 10 Violin Books, Highschool reading level and beyond
Violin Mastery, Martens. Free on Google Books. "Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers, Comprising Interviews with Ysaye, Kreisler, Elman, Auer, Thibaud, Heifetz, Hartmann, Maud Powell and Others."
My Memories, Ovide Musin's autobiography, Free on Google Books. Ovide Musin is a scarcely known Belgian violinist that travelled the world on steamships around the turn of the 20th century. A stand partner to Eugene Ysaye as a teen, Musin performed everywhere from China, Mexico, Hawaii, Texarkansas(!), and all of Europe. This volume (with some old photographs) details his adventures.
Galamian, Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching - available in paperback at Shar. Galamian was one of the major pedagogical figures in the 20th century. Most importantly, he thoroughly describes the multitude of bowstrokes, from detache, to portato and spiccato. My most influential teacher, Charles Castleman, was a student of Emanuel Ondricek (teaching assistant of Sevcik, Ysaye student) and Ivan Galamian.
Bach's solo violin works: a performer's guide, by Jaap Schroder - available on Amazon. Schroder writes about every individual Bach movement in some detail, with suggestions for a more informed performance. It sounds intimidating, but it's really a great reference if you're working on some solo bach. Schroder has also recorded all of the solo Bach for violin.
A treatise on the fundamental principles of violin playing, by Leopold Mozart - Free on Google Books. This is Mozart's dad on violin playing. However, the advice here is less applicable to playing W.A Mozart than it is to early
Indivisible by Four : A String Quartet in Pursuit Of Harmony, Arnold Steinhardt. The Guarneri Quartet, founded in 1964, was one of the most successful professional String Quartets. This is a window into the workings of the group from it's first violinist. Arnold Steinhardt.
Stradivari's Genius: Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection, Toby Faber. The language is very colloquial, despite the long title. Why are Stradivarius violins revered above most others? Why has the violin design remained virtually unchanged since the 1700s? Read it!
Violin Playing as I teach It, Leopold Auer. Free on Google Books. Tchaikovsky first intended to have Auer premier his violin concerto. Auer refused! Leopold Auer goes down in history as one of the greatest performers and pedagogues. I can technically consider myself a great-great grand student of Auer if you consider the passage from Auer-Zimbalist-Rosand-Koljonen- to me. :-)
Ricci on Glissando: The Shortcut to Violin Technique, Ruggiero Ricci. Comes with a DVD featuring Ricci. It explores the glissando technique that paganini himself may have used. It is a technique base that relies much on listening and reaching, versus the "trombone-style," clean shifting that most orchestral palyers use today. I've found this book to be an invaluable insight to playing in high positions, playing double stops, and playing with real legato.
My Memories, Ovide Musin's autobiography, Free on Google Books. Ovide Musin is a scarcely known Belgian violinist that travelled the world on steamships around the turn of the 20th century. A stand partner to Eugene Ysaye as a teen, Musin performed everywhere from China, Mexico, Hawaii, Texarkansas(!), and all of Europe. This volume (with some old photographs) details his adventures.
Galamian, Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching - available in paperback at Shar. Galamian was one of the major pedagogical figures in the 20th century. Most importantly, he thoroughly describes the multitude of bowstrokes, from detache, to portato and spiccato. My most influential teacher, Charles Castleman, was a student of Emanuel Ondricek (teaching assistant of Sevcik, Ysaye student) and Ivan Galamian.
Bach's solo violin works: a performer's guide, by Jaap Schroder - available on Amazon. Schroder writes about every individual Bach movement in some detail, with suggestions for a more informed performance. It sounds intimidating, but it's really a great reference if you're working on some solo bach. Schroder has also recorded all of the solo Bach for violin.
A treatise on the fundamental principles of violin playing, by Leopold Mozart - Free on Google Books. This is Mozart's dad on violin playing. However, the advice here is less applicable to playing W.A Mozart than it is to early
Indivisible by Four : A String Quartet in Pursuit Of Harmony, Arnold Steinhardt. The Guarneri Quartet, founded in 1964, was one of the most successful professional String Quartets. This is a window into the workings of the group from it's first violinist. Arnold Steinhardt.
Stradivari's Genius: Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection, Toby Faber. The language is very colloquial, despite the long title. Why are Stradivarius violins revered above most others? Why has the violin design remained virtually unchanged since the 1700s? Read it!
Violin Playing as I teach It, Leopold Auer. Free on Google Books. Tchaikovsky first intended to have Auer premier his violin concerto. Auer refused! Leopold Auer goes down in history as one of the greatest performers and pedagogues. I can technically consider myself a great-great grand student of Auer if you consider the passage from Auer-Zimbalist-Rosand-Koljonen- to me. :-)
Ricci on Glissando: The Shortcut to Violin Technique, Ruggiero Ricci. Comes with a DVD featuring Ricci. It explores the glissando technique that paganini himself may have used. It is a technique base that relies much on listening and reaching, versus the "trombone-style," clean shifting that most orchestral palyers use today. I've found this book to be an invaluable insight to playing in high positions, playing double stops, and playing with real legato.
