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Bach's Solo Violin Sonatas and the Modern ViolinistAuthor(s): Henry JoachimSource: The Musical Times, Vol. 72, No. 1057 (Mar. 1, 1931), pp. 221-222Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/914851Accessed: 21-01-2016 13:27 UTC
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THE
MUSICAL
TIMES-MARCH
1
1931
221
of
the
Cathedral,
has
exercised
large
and
healthy
influence
upon
the musical
life of
that
great
and
beautiful
ity.
Brisbane
and Adelaide
are
also
centres
f
musical
activity.
The
Queensland
city
had
recently
a
four-days'
Bach
Festival
organized
and
conducted
byMr.Dalley-Scarlett,whilethe SouthAustralian
capital
has a fine
Conservatorium
n
connection
with
the
University, resided
over
by
Dr. Harold
Davies,
an
enthusiastic musician who
has also
devoted much
time
to
research
work n
the domain
of the
Australian
aboriginal
folk-music.
Australian
composers
are,
as is natural
in
so
youthful community,
ut few n
number.
Chief
among
them
is that
very
live
wire,
Mr. Fritz
Bennicke
Hart,
who
has to his credit no
less than
thirteen
omplete peras,
besides
many
other
works
on a
large
scale,
and innumerable
ongs.
Mr.
Hart
has
a
personality
of
aboundingvitality;
his
whole
being
throbs
with
life
and
energy,
and
these
qualities are reflectedn his music, temperedby
the
restraint of
a fastidious self-critical
aculty
and
a
real
feeling
or
beauty.
Mr. Frank
Hutchens,
of
Sydney,
is also
pro-
ducing
individual
work,
a
pianoforte quintet
in
particular
having many
fine
qualities.
The
Australian cities have
many
musical
clubs;
the
various branches of the
British
Music
Society
(particularly
strong
at
Melbourne),
the Kretsch-
mann Club at
Sydney,
and the
more recent but
thoroughly nterprising
.
A. B. Clubs at
Sydney,
Newcastle
(N.S.W.),
Melbourne,
nd
Adelaide,
the
members of which
consist
exclusively
of
the
holders of the
coveted
diploma
of
the
Associated
Board,
serving
s
a means
both of
drawing ogether
music-lovers and of spreadingappreciationand
knowledge
of
the
art.
Musical education
is
being
fostered
in
the
secondary
chools
and
Universities,
nd the annual
examinationsof the Associated
Board and
kindred
organizations
re
raising
the
standard of
technical
and artistic achievement.
In
the
elementary
schools there
s
yet
muchto
be
done,
but
it
is
hoped
that before
ong
singing
will come to be
regarded
by
the authorities s
the natural
heritage
of
the
child.
Perhaps
I
may
add
a
little
personal
note
in conclusion.
Everywhere
went,
n
both of
the
Dominions,
I
received
the
greatest
kindness,
friendliness,
nd
hospitality
from
all with
whom
I
came
in
contact;
and
the
Canadian
Rockies and
the Australian Bush and sunshine are
unforget-
table.
Each Dominion
has
its own individual
stamp.
The
Canadian,
when
speaking
of
England,
refers
o it
as
'
the
old
country';
the Australian
calls
it
'home.'
BACH'S SOLO
VIOLIN SONATAS
AND THE
MODERN VIOLINIST
BY
HENRY
JOACHIM
When,
in
the summer
of
1750,
Bach closed his
eyes,
his art was
put
to rest
withhim.
And
though
to
us it seems difficult o
conceive
music without
the
great
name
of
Sebastian
Bach,
who
to-day
is
acknowledgedto be one ofthe greatestmen who
ever walked
the
earth,
yet
in the
light
of
history
this fact becomes
quite plain
and
the historian
s
unable
to
put
the blame
on the
contemporaries
f
Bach.
The old
contrapuntal
eriod
and
objective
expression
eded
to
the
new
art,
the Rococo
period,
which is
the
dawn of
subjective
expression
in
music.
The
feeblest
ttempt
t
subjective expres-
sion
was
thought
o be nearer he
great
truth han
all
the
pedantry
and
contrapuntal
tricks of
the
Baroque age.
Little wonder
then,
that
with
the
passing
of that
age
Bach's music was thrown
nto
the common
rave
n which
t
was
to restfor
ightylong years. Onlytowards he end of the twenties
of the
19th
century,
when music
had become
satiated
with
subjective expression,
which is
the
true characteristic
f
romanticism,
was the
world
prepared
for
the art
of
Bach. His
spirit
had been
in the
air
for
some time
already,
but
the actual
revival
of his music dates from the
performance
of
the
'St.
Matthew' Passion
at
Berlin,
under
the
direction
f
Mendelssohn,
n
1829.
The
discovery
of his music was
not,
however,
accompanied
by
an
understanding
of
his
art.
Tradition,
which
s
of uchvast
mportance,
ad been
lost.
This is the
more
amentable ince
the
mental
attitude
ofthe two
periods
s
diametrically pposed.
Even to this day, in spite of thoroughhistorical
research,
opinion
varies as to
the
correct
under-
standing
and
interpretation
f
Baroque
music.
It
is,
of
course,
questionable
whether
musicians of
one
period
are
capable
of
seeing
music
of
a
past
period
with
the
eyes
of the
composer.
But
though
this
may
be
doubtful,
ne
cannot,
unfortunately,
credit
the world
with a
serious
attempt
in
this
direction.
The
tremendous
hange
whichmusic had
under-
gone
at the
beginning
f
the 19th
entury
aturally
had
a
marked
influence n musical
instruments.
Our modern
pianoforte
s
developed
from
the
ancient
clavichord
f
Bach's
time from
he
point
of view
of
interpreting
ach's
music,
however,
t
is far frombeinga development. The clavichord
has a
peculiarly
mall
tone,
and its
outstanding
characteristic
s
the
possibility
f
combining
ne or
more octaves
to sound
together,
hough'only
one
key
is
actually
struck.
This
is
a most
important
feature
n
keyboard
music
of
polyphonic
genre,
and
helps
the
performer
o
bring
out the
leading
voices.
The
violin as
an instrument
id
not
suffer
ny
change;
indeed,
s
everybody
nows,
t
was
brought
to
perfection
y
Stradivarius
lightly
efore
Bach's
time. Not
so the
bow,
which
was as
yet
subjected
to
considerable
modificationbefore
reaching
its
final orm.
In the
Germany
f the
Baroque
period
the stickwas of almostsemi-circularhape,andthetensionof the hairwas
regulatedby
the thumb of
the
player,
who
was thus able to
tighten
r
slacken
the bow
as occasion called
for.
It will
readily be
understood
hat
with
bow of
this
structure here
is
no
difficulty
n
sustaining
three or four
notes,
and
that
polyphonic
laying
on the
violin
becomes
quite
a feasible matter.
The
mechanically
tightened
bow
in its modern
shape originated
n
Italy,
where
it
very
soon became
popular.
Extreme
gility
nd the
arger
nd intenser
uality
of tone it was
capable
of
producing
werethe chief
causes of
rapid
acknowledgmenrt.
With its intro-
duction
came the more
highly
arched
bridge,
enabling
the
player
to cross the
strings
with
much
more ase andprecision. But as there re twofaces
to each
coin,
so
our modern
type
of bow
has
its
pros
and
cons. Its
advantages
are
apparent,
but
soare
ts
shortcomings.Polyphonic laying
annot
be rendered
with
such
perfection
s with the
older
form f
bow. Here
we
have the
arched
stick and
slight
tension
ofhair
together
with an
almost flat
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222
THE MUSICAL TIMES-MARCH 1 1931
bridge
enabling
the
player
to
keep
three
or
four
voices
going
without
ny
apparent
effort. In the
modern
ormwe have the
slightly
onvex stick nd
mechanical
tension of
hair,
with
considerably
rounded
surface of
bridge,enabling
the
player
to
use his
bow with more
freedom nd
at the same
time
producing
'carrying'
tone. But no more
than two
notes can be sustained.
It
is,
therefore,
not
astonishing
o find
n
a
country
ike
Germany,
where
polyphony
was held
in
such
esteem,
that
themodern ow took
onger
o
usurp
he rchedbow
than
in
Italy,
where here
was a marked
decline
of
counterpoint.
Thisdoesnothold
good
n the caseof
the
arger
members f
heviolin
family.
The
'cello,
for
nstance,
was
quick
to
adopt
thenew
bow,
nd
t
is
interesting
o
observe how
in the
six solo 'cello
sonatas
Bach
kept
his
polyphonic
imagination
within
very
imited
boundaries,
not
even
making
use
of
ll the
simpler
ombinations f
hord-playing.
Now,
coming
back to
Mendelssohn's
uccessful
attemptat restoringBach's music to the world,
it
is
of
importance
to
note
that
he
was
keenly
interested
n
popularising
he
six solo
sonatas for
the
violin,
and
forthis
purpose actually
wrote an
accompaniment
to
the
Chaconne. Schumann
followed n his
steps by publishing
the
sonatas
with
his
own
pianoforte
accompaniments
with
Breitkopf
&
Hartel,
in
1854.
Now
what
must
we
infer
from
his ?
Obviously,
that
these
great
artists had a
feeling
hat
the
sonatas were
in
the
way
of an
experiment
n
Bach's
part,
and one
that
was
not
altogether
satisfactory.
If
the
average
violinist or music-lover
were to
be
asked what
he
feels
about these
solo
sonatas,
and
if
he had
the
courage
to
give
a
perfectly
onest
nswer,
he
would
probably aythathe feels he music o be great,but
that
somehowhe never
really gets
complete
satis-
faction
when
hearing
them;
moreover,
ven
the
greatest
violinist
rarely
seems
to be
quite
at
his
ease
with
them.
And
he is
right.
So
long
as
the
modern
rtist
persists
n
playing
with
a bow
that
was never meant
for the
rendering
f
polyphonic
music,
so
long
will he and his
listeners
e
left
dis-
satisfied t the
results
chieved. It
does not
lie in
the nature
of
Bach's
music to be
played
like a
succession
of
abrupt
chords
n which
only
the
top
notes
are of
any importance.
His music
is
a
wonderful
ombination
of
voices
conversing
with
each other.
Sometimes the middle voice
has its
say, sometimes he ower and sometimes heupper
voice,
but
whichever s the most
important,
he
chord
should,
in
the first
lace,
be looked at
from
a
horizontal
nd
only econdly
rom chordal
point
of
view.
Bars
9-15
of
the Chaconne
afford a
striking example
of
how
helpless
the
modern
violinist s in his
effort
o
interpret
ach
properly:
(Bar
9.)
:
A
V
Here
the
violinist
plays
the
four
notes like an
ordinary
hord,
but
actually
scoops
back on to
the
G for
he
purpose
of
bringing
ut
the middlevoice
I
This
procedure,
which
is
admittedly
the
only
possible
way
with
a
mechanical modern
bow,
utterly
ruins
the
dignity
and
composureof
the
music. How different he same
passage
would
sound
if
played
with an
arched bow
No more
shuffling,
o
more
scrambling;
the
bow remains
quietly
on
the
strings,
nd the
music flows
freely
and
unrestrainedly
s indeed Bach
expected
it
to
do.
The violinist
can
get
a
slight
dea
of the
tone
thus
produced by
unscrewing
he
nut of
his bow
and
placing
the
stick
under
and the
hair
over
the
strings,
refixing
he nut
with
only
very
little
tension. When the
bow is
drawn
across
the
strings,
he
player
will
be
surprised
t
the
peculiarly
beautiful,
lmost
ethereal
one
produced.
It
is doubtful
whether he
modern
player
and
listener will accustom themselvesto this small
tone,
more
especially
as our
modern
concert
halls
are far
too
large
forthis
intimate
music,
and the
modern
rtist,
being anything
ut an
idealist,
will
not so
easily
give up
distorting
he
Chaconne in
front
f a
large public
n
a vast hall-for
this
piece
is
regarded
as a
supreme
test of
technical
and
musical
equipment
of the
performer.
Nevertheless,
he writer
has not
given
up
hope
that
one
day
a violinist f
genius
will
appear,
who,
endowed
with sufficient
ourage
and
idealism,
will
not
hesitate to
present
the
music in the
spirit
n
which it
was conceived
by
Bach.
The
host of
recitalists
ill
hen,
erhaps,
e forced o
follow
uit.
*Pew
Duetc
CHAMBER
MUSIC
If the
present age
has,
apart
from
trauss
and
Elgar,
no
composer
who
commands he
applause
of
musicians
all over
the
world,
ts
scholarship
nd
researches have been
rewarded
by
discoveries
which
compare very
favourably
with
those
of
any
other
period
of
history. English
scholars
n
par-
ticular
have reason
to
be
proud
of
their achieve-
ments.
It
is
impossible
o
over-rate,
or
nstance,
the
importance
f the revival of
interest
n
Eliza-
bethan music.
And
now
Dr.
W.
G.
Whittaker
well
deservesourgratitude or hecareful dition f the
works
fWilliam
Young (Oxford
University
ress),
which
for
almost
three centuries
ay
forgotten
n
the
archives
of
Upsala
University.
Their historic
importance
is considerable.
As Dr. Whittaker
notes
in
the
introduction,
hey
anticipate
traits
which we
have been
wont to considerPurcellian.'
Yet
they
were
written
ive
years
before urcell was
born.
Every
point
of
special
interest s
noted
in the
remarks
prefaced
to
every
one of
the
five
Sonatas
(No.
1,
in
F;
No.
2,
in
F;
No.
4,
in
F;
No.
5,
in
C;
No.
11,
n
A
minor),
nd
to
the
Suite
(No.
1,
n
D
minor).
The student
may
thus admire
not
only
the
scrupulous
are of an editor
who,
ven
in
cases
of obvious
error,
otes the
original
s well
as the correction, ut everyfeature which adds
to
the nterest
fthe
composition.
Dr.
Whittaker
ells us
that
Young
clearly
con-
sidered
the Sonata
in
A
minor
No.
11)
his
best
work. And
the
composer's udgment
did
not err
in
this,
for
nowhere
lse do
we
find
nything
om-
parable
to
the
wide
sweep
and sustained
dignity
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