What's your style?

[lwl]

How would you describe your personal style of playing?

Are you a romantic? If so, are you a romantic of the old style (ex: Elman, Kreisler, Menuhin), or of the more restrained contemporary variety (Shaham, Bell, Vengerov)?

Or are you a classicist, in the vein of Milstein, Grumiaux, and Hahn?

Do you favor elegance? Of a more French sound, a Viennese sound, or some other variety? (Francescatti, Thibaud, Campoli, etc.)

Or do you think of yourself as favoring a virtuosic style, allowing the music to speak for itself and favoring pyrotechnics? (Ricci, Kubelik, Fodor, etc.)

Or would you describe yourself in entirely different terms?

[fubbi2]

I would describe myself in the Hilary Hahn vein.

My friends and listeners however, seem to describe me in the Jack Benny vein.

[oldgeezer]

Surely you are joking. My “style” is bad violin player. I can play Kreutzer number 2 somewhat better than Jack Benny playing for laughs but that’s about it. Fiddle music is more fun but I’m not good at that either.

[DougH]

My spouse says I sound like a MIDI file ...

when I'm at my best.

LO!

[rainyann]

oldgeezer, I have to disagree with you. You "fiddle" just fine. I enjoyed your fiddling and most of all you are quite a pleasant guy!

Renee

[HuangKaiVun]

Baloney, oldgeezer.

You can PLAY - and you and rainyann will be getting the video to prove it once I get my extremely busy life straightened out.

My playing has changed dramatically from the Maestronet Reunion, largely due to my gut strings.

But I still try to play THE MUSIC.

[iupviolin]

I play the notes, and ONLY the notes. There's NO music! Who Plays with music? You'd have to be a fool to play with feeling. Never play more than just notes!!

(...trying to get a reaction from HKV)

[KillinKatz]

Hmph! If I play "music," you wouldn't recognize it!

Even when playing the notes, I sound like I'm killin' cats. But I'm learning... Though not advanced enough yet to have my own discernable sound, my intentions lean heavily toward the romantic, not quite melodramatic. Call it emotion in lieu of technique.

[bonsai]

quote:

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Originally posted by KillinKatz:

...it emotion in lieu of technique.

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I like that... I can relate to that.

-bonsai

[jordan747_400]

I go for more historical accuracy in my playing. I love to try and make the music sound just as it would have 200 or 300 years ago.

[staylor]

I'm developing a mixture of lwl's examples, but more of the old. Some things, a bit Kreisler like (i.e. striving), but not exactly Vengerov.

But most importantly, I might even have my own uniqeness, which if developed fully (which requires great technicality) may be something really worthwhile.

One has to really capture the inner meaning of each song. NO! not by being a proffessor of music! But if you can cry from hearing or thinking of the music, then you're it!

[gypsyfiddler]

Often people hear/perceive us differently than how we hear/perceive ourselves. It would be interesting to play for several people and see if they come to the same conclusions.

My own style is probably a synthesis of both the old-school AND new-school romantic. Confused? So am I!

[This message has been edited by gypsyfiddler (edited 09-04-2001).]

[lwl]

I admire grand gestures and the sentimental playing of the past, but such things are not part of my personality. I don't so much think of myself as a romantic player, as a lyrical one. I value clarity and sweetness and purity of sound, I employ small slides fairly generously, and I like to try to bring out details. I think I'm more "thoughtful" than "emotional".

[vieuxtemps]

I don't know what my style is, but I try to bring out whatever character/style I perceive in what I'm playing. The dangers are thinking that what I hear in my head is what others hear and overdoing little things.

My ideal Bach G-minor Fugue is romantic and grand, but not gushy or showy. As for this year's rep: I like the folk/gypsy and "bad-*** " in Bartok, and when I play Mozart I want to convey laughter and charm. I just hope my Bach D-Minor Partita doesn't suck!

-Aman

[MicaelaB]

I don't really have a personal style yet. I like a lot of different styles and I'd like to be flexible (now I'm just sort of neutral). I'd lean towards what lwl describes as a contemporary Romantic sound, but I like the Classicist style also.

I can define a style after I go play some more (currently) characterless Kreutzer.

[summer_breeze]

When I play, I don't think I play like anyone else. I let all my emotions come through, and try not to listen to others play the piece I am, until I have gotten it to what I want it to be. I also think that what I play like is different for me, then for others, meaning I percieve it pretty differently. I tend to play a little "harder", than others, due to my teacher who is russian, I think I learned it from her, but I still play with a lot of emotion, and I think that is clearly reflected. But, if I had to compare myself with a certain player, I think it would be, a mixture of Itzhak Perlman, with some joshua Bell.

[Stephen Fine]

I'm (sort of) proud to say that I am most definately myself. Certainly this is in part that I am not as refined as those previously mentioned, but also in part of my listening to many different people. I like my own style. When I play Mozart I'm a bit more romantic than Grumiaux, but less so than Heifetz (which isn't saying so much)... honestly if my interp was as clean as Grumiaux's I would like it better. My Bach is less romantic than Milstein's later Bach, but not quite as crisp as his earlier Bach... once again, if I was as clean, I would like myself better. I honestly love the way I play. I really try to learn things within the style they are written, and then experiment.

[Mu0n]

Let me at the self-degradation soapbox! I am the King of Sucky-playing, rah rah raaaah..!

The truth is, I can't afford a style just yet. Basic technique is required first. If you disagree, you either have never touched a violin, or you just plain forgot because yours has been developped for too long.

[Toscha]

It is a bit difficult to describe my playing style, but I think my playing is close to the old Russian school, with a touch of Viennese and Gyspy influence. However I do vary my style depending on repertoire and situations (obviously I don't play like a gypsy in the orchestra ).

Toscha

[oldgeezer]

Lydia has it right when she says that your personality is going to come through in your playing. It’s true even if your playing isn’t that great or if you really admire and prefer a different style of playing. If you are cool and introspective or romantic or a daredevil or whatever it’s going to come out.

[FiddlinJim]

A STYLE?????

I thought I was doin good to hit most of the notes!!

Now I gotta have a STYLE???

FiddlinJim

[fuchen yang]

quote:

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Originally posted by oldgeezer:

Lydia has it right when she says that your personality is going to come through in your playing. It’s true even if your playing isn’t that great or if you really admire and prefer a different style of playing. If you are cool and introspective or romantic or a daredevil or whatever it’s going to come out.

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Unfortunatly, many good players nowadays play without much personality, or rather, more mimickry than expressions. Guess some of the fancy training regimens did it.:-)

[the fiddler of dooney]

Everytime I play out of tune I just say: "I´m not playing out of tune. That´s my STYLE!"

So I never play wrong when I´m allowed to play freestyle.

...poor style.. isn´t it?

[lwl]

Actually, I don't think it's so much that present-day players play without personality, as that a very large number of present-day players come from such similar backgrounds that the things they have to express through their music are very similar to one another. And even so, there are differences that reflect personalities. Gil Shaham's sweet, sunny style seems to reflect his demeanor. Hilary Hahn is thoughtful. Anne-Sophie Mutter is bold. Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is outlandish. And so forth.

[FiddlinJim]

Fiddler of Dooney,

One wrong note is a sour note!

Lots of wrong notes, Thats interpretation!!

FiddlinJim