SKU: PR.144407530

ISBN 9781491136614. UPC: 680160687992.

A violinist herself, Lauren Bernofsky has described SONATA FOR SOLO VIOLIN as drawn from autobiographical inspiration, including gestures from Bachâ??s beloved Partita in E Major. Bernofsky opens with a Preludio movement whose references to Bach may be disguised, but they are surely lurking. The second movement is lusciously contrapuntal with the idiomatic finesse of a violinist composing for her own instrument, while musically journaling the emotional pain of living through 2020. The third and final movement is aptly marked â??white-hot,â? and the music certainly is.
My SONATA FOR SOLO VIOLIN was commissioned by violinist Megan Healy as part of The Maud Powell Project, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The project included the creation of five new works for solo violin inspired by and dedicated to the memory of pioneering American violinist Maud Powell (1867-1920). Healy premiered the sonata on May 8, 2021 at PianoForte Studios in Chicago.Among the works Powell most frequently performed in her recitals was the â??Preludioâ? movement from Bachâ??s E major Partita, and I decided to refer to that music in my own first movement, also titled â??Preludio.â? The beginning subtly reflects Bachâ??s opening three-note motive, wherein the music dips down a semitone and then comes back up. This melodic material returns throughout the movement in various forms. I also refer to Bachâ??s sixteenth-note dominated texture, and the gesture in the third measure, which outlines a perfect fifth and then fills it in with notes that alternate between a scale and a pedal tone. The corresponding passage in my piece occurs in the same place, measure 3. Apart from these references to Bach, my sonata is much more modern sounding, especially in its chromatic character.I was still thinking of Bachâ??s solo violin writing while composing the second movement, particularly the polyphonic nature of the slow movements, where the melodic interest moves around between the voices. Emotionally, I wanted my movement to reflect the acute sadness I had been experiencing over the political and social situation in the United States as I wrote the piece. I realized that this is a historically noteworthy time in U.S. history, marked not only by political unrest, but also by a challenge to the very values that I consider essential to what makes a person fundamentally human. I wanted to create a record of that pain in my music.The final movement is marked â??White-hot.â? It is imbued with a relentless, passionate intensity. Wanting again to reflect aspects of our own time, I included glissandi that refer to rock music, specifically the â??fall-offsâ? I frequently hear played by electric guitarists. I borrowed from another (completely different) musical tradition as well, one that is near-and-dear to my heart: Klezmer. Klezmer (Eastern European Jewish folk music) is characterized in part by scales colored by augmented seconds, and is often performed by solo instrumentalists who improvise embellishments like quick grace notes. The second, more lyrical theme in this movement is my nod to Klezmer style.While this piece is an homage to Maud Powell, I also think of it as my own musical autobiography, as it combines some of my favorite aspects of music, and is played on my own instrument.

SKU: HL.49047398

ISBN 9798350127898. UPC: 842819121244. 9.0x12.0x0.061 inches.

This work for solo violin was commissioned by American Violinist Wendy Case for her CD of works for solo violin by living composers titled The Tiger and The Clover released in February 2022 by the label Blue Griffin. Just as Wendy proposed this new work, I heard the news that the Polish poet Adam Zagajewski who I had met through mutual friends, had died. I had long admired his essays that thoughtfully and with grace and ease, merged the past with the present in the way that only a poet can, lifting the reader onto a plain of images, thoughts and words that conjure seamless journeys through time, space and the imagination. His essays often refer to the music of Bach and I found myself writing this piece inhabited by the physical pleasure of playing Bach's suites for Lute transposed for the guitar. The piece revolves around a simple repetitive semiquaver motif playing with the Aeolian mode starting on G. The motif ascends and descends playing with and against the low G string to extend itself away from the home mode, then returning and gradually extending into quavers to reach the key of E major while hinting at A minor. The repetitive nature of the piece invites the player to explore variations in sound quality and dynamics and to enjoy the effect of the notes playing against each other as they rise and fall away but always maintain a constant tempo and rhythm.

SKU: M7.VOGG-675

ISBN 9783802406751. English.

The ideal way of getting into playing the violin!This violin method provides the beginning as well as the advanced violinist with the main step-by-step information on playing the violin. Many photos show the correct way of holding the violin and bow.Musical notation and music theory are explained in an easy-to-understand manner.The well-chosen musical pieces teayh the basics of playing the violin from the very first notes to well-known pieces. Fingering diagrams and scales help the student to quickly feel at home on the violin.The encluded CD contains all songs wirh accompaniment.Practicing with a jazz trio is a lot of fun and will pep up your playing.