Violin performance practice from the baroque period to the early 20th century : a performer’s perspective

Abstract

This Dissertation will focus on the fundamentals of violin performance practice, including: phrasing, articulation, bowing techniques and also provide historical information, from the late Baroque period to the early 20th century, featuring five composers. In my first chapter I focused on the first four movements from the second Partita, in D minor by J. S. Bach, in which I have gained a better understanding of the violin repertoire in the Baroque period, by comparing between the Italian and French models of the dance suite and getting familiar with the Doctrine of Affections by Rene Descartes and Johann Mattheson which have thus had an impact on the execution of the various musical figures employed in the partita. In the other chapters, I have focused on the remaining composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Bela Bartók and Dimitri Kabalevsky, all of whom wrote significant works for the violin and acquainted myself with the style of each composer by distinguishing the various articulation marks, bowings, fingerings and phrasing. The Dissertation serves as an accompanying part of the recital, performed on June 14, 2017. In approaching a musical piece it is crucial to perceive the performance practice in which such work was composed and the changes that have been made in the structure of both the violin and bow, which affected tone production, led to different requirements in holding the instrument and had an impact on articulation and performance. Delving deeper and considering the aforementioned aspects, helped me to distinguish between the styles and characteristics of each piece in both my daily practice routine and the performance.