#Concerto in a minor vivaldi how to

And of course you need to play it at about Hogwood's tempo (even with modern instruments) if you want it to have some spirit. Nachez's version pretends to be melody without actually delivering melody and makes the function of the passage less clear. Musically I have no doubt that Vivaldi's version is superior: The passage is a harmonic progression leading up to the C-Major* of the following ritornello. Then I heard a recording with the original and decided to stop practicing the Nachez passage.

I wanted to play the movement as fast as Hogwood (it was nearly 50 years ago BTW) and never managed to play the passage in tempo, in fact not even close (interestingly enough my teacher was perfectly ok with my fast tempo). I too had to study the concerto using the Nachez edition (my teacher believed it reflected the original, unlike the 'simplified' version which was in fact closer to the original).

Feedback/tips for starting Vivaldi Concerto A minor.Check out how fast they play the third movement! Here is modern version with Vivaldi's original notes and bowings, played by Itzhak Perlman with the Israel Philharmonic.Īnd here is Baroque version by The Academy of Ancient Music with Christopher Hogwood, played with A strings tuned down to 415. Here is the Nachez version, conveniently set to the sheet music. Which do you like, as a player? Which were you taught? Which do you teach? Which do you enjoy as a listener? What are your thoughts about the differences? Provided we are given options! So I offer you a few options for your own listening. Which is nice, but then we can all do our own explorations and make our own decisions. (If you happen to teach in Europe, you can tell us more about this!)Īnd if you are wondering why Suzuki teachers feel obligated to agree on an edition, it is to allow students from all over the world to be able to play together. Around 10 years ago the European Suzuki Association took up the question: use the Nachez version for its pedagogical value, or something closer to the original, for historical and stylistic reasons? They ultimately agreed to a compromise: they offer teachers the option to use a baroque version. I'm not the only teacher to debate the two versions and to feel like there is validity in both. In my opinion, Vivaldi's original notes and bowings allow for a deeper exploration of Baroque style - and also a faster speed limit (i.e. Mastering the challenging music helps push them to a new level of playing, and going through this process helps give them tools and confidence for learning difficult passages in the future.īut after they have conquered the challenge I always do let them in on the 'secret' - I show them the other version, and sometimes we even listen to a recording of it in the lesson.

#Concerto in a minor vivaldi how to

In order to memorize it, we talk about how to look for the harmonic changes, sequences and important notes. In order to learn to play the fast-passage notes fluently, students usually need to practice playing the passage in various rhythmic patterns. As a teacher, I continue to use the Nachez version for pedagogical reasons - it presents challenge.