A Study of Baroque Technique and Style in Violin Repertoire
Major
Music Performance
Advisor
Danis, Ann
Date
12-2014
Keywords
Music; Violin; Baroque Era
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
I began my study of music in the fourth grade when my school offered its students the opportunity to play an instrument from the string family. I chose the violin and have been playing ever since. I realized during high school that violin performance was the path that I should follow through college and that is exactly what I did. I love how music challenges me academically, mentally, physically, emotionally, creatively, the list goes on.
Music in the Baroque style was composed from approximately 1600 to 1750 by major composers including J.S. Bach, Jean-Baptiste Luly, Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, and G.F. Handel to name a few. Baroque music is characterized by heavy ornamentation and busy, “note-y” melodic lines. The purpose of this project was to spend a semester learning the techniques used to play violin repertoire in the style of this time period. I took lessons twice a week with my faculty sponsor, one in Baroque style and one in the modern style. We chose repertoire by Vivaldi, Handel, Boismortier, and Bach to work on throughout the semester and present at the end in a recital. In my recital presentation, I will discuss the differences between the modern violin and the Baroque violin as well as the differences between the piano and harpsichord as accompaniment. I will compare the similarities and differences between each piece I perform in terms of texture, accompaniment style, ornamentation, and the relationship of the bass line to the melodic line.