Ready for Vocalise

August 12, 2009 at 6:50 PM

here comes a "shock" announcement:

I am going to play Vocalise by Rachmaninov this year. I have somehow always resented playing this piece and hoped that my teacher wouldn´t give it to me. I must admit that I felt offended when he handed it to me and said: "I think you are ready to play this now". I felt he wasn´t challening me enough since I considered Vocalise not to be advanced repetoire and I wanted a challenge. I had therefore decided no to play it. Now, after listening to it a countless times I have realized that it´s an exquisite piece. It´s such a powerful piece filled to the brim with emotions. It speaks without words, a beautiful, sometimes heart rendering but ultimately a hopeful message, Now, I can´t wait to get started on this piece. I have played it through once and I realized that I just couldn´t wait to get it beautiful.

So now I am ready to play Vocalise. I ve realized that when my teacher said that I was ready he meant that I had gotten good enoug in vibrato to play it (a huge achivement for me :) ) Also that I was ready to explore the beauty of really slow pieces (I ve always had a preference for fast one´s). I have realized that Vocalise is advanced repetoire. After all...the biggest of masters have played it. I am looking forward to walking in their footsteps with this song. I happen to love Rachmaninov´s 2nd piano concerto and now I am loving another piece of his. I´ll come to love more and more soon I think.

So Vocalise, here I come armed with Mya (my violin), I am determined ot master you *background music again of Dvorak 9th, 4th mvt.*

From Bill Busen
Posted on August 13, 2009 at 3:50 AM

Since you have a beautiful piece, and a great love of it, and a newfound freedom of vibrato, think about what each of the different speeds of vibrato that you could use conveys. And where you want to use each kind. Have fun!

From Rev. Edwin Perez
Posted on August 13, 2009 at 4:14 PM

There is much that can be learned from this great 'song without words' especially the art of singing with the violin. Bow control, fingerings chosen for musical effects, variations in vibrato, the tasteful use of portamentos can be acquired just by studying this deceptively difficult transcription of Rachmaninov's masterpiece. I try to keep this piece performance ready so I can play it cold whenever people ask me to play the violin. Enjoy your study of the piece because you will love the tune for a lifetime. Also, since you love his Second Piano Concerto, listen to his Piano Concerto #3 in d minor, Op. 30. You might fall in love with it too.

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Ready for Vocalise

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