Violin Mastery: Interviews with Heifetz, Auer, Kreisler and Others

by Frederick H. Martens (Editor)

How long should I practice? Which pieces should I study? How can I develop a singing tone? All violinists ponder these questions, striving to make the most of their practice and performances. This enlightening and encouraging book holds the answers, offering a series of interviews with the most celebrated violin teachers and performers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Twenty-four famous violinists reveal the secrets to their success, sharing the lessons of their artistry and experience. In addition to aesthetic and technical aspects of playing, they discuss their personal conceptions of violin mastery. Eugene Ysaye reminisces about his studies with Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski, and Leopold Auer emphasizes the importance of fostering students' individual talents. Maud Powell describes her pioneering role as a female orchestral musician, and Jascha Heifetz voices his views on technical mastery and temperament. Hints and advice from other masters include tips on efficient practice, improving bow technique, and refining intonation. A rare find in the musical literature, this book is essential reading for every serious violinist.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2006

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful resource to have on hand, one I'm glad I bought essentially on a whim. I do think that these people (and we still do this today, I'm guilty of this too) occasionally get caught up in abstractions when they talk about playing the violin, but at the same time... it's hard not to? There's a lot that needs to come from feelings rather than logical concepts when it comes to honing your craft. There's also a lot of practical advice in this book, as well as a lot of name-dropping and potential leads toward other works on this topic.

The only vaguely "negative" thing I have to say is that you might not get much out of this if you're not a violinist or a teacher of violin. If you have an interest in reading interviews given by some early 20th-century violin greats, though, don't listen to me and just go for it.

[raysilverwoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little overview for any violinist in need of inspiration. My main issue is that the interviews don’t go more in-depth across the board. A few of the interviewees get specific on their craft and outline how to think about or practice certain things—these particular sections stood out to me. Unfortunately most of the masters offer more abstract analyses, though their words are quite meaningful if not enlightening.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are not a string player don't bother to read this. If you are it is worthwhile. It is a Dover reprint of a collection of interviews from 1919. The most famous violinists of the time were interviewed about violin pedagogy, performance, practice and repartoire. I found it interesting and inspiring. Made me go practice Kreutzer. Interesting that many of the stapels of the concert repartoire from the early 1900's are no longer played.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to play the violin to enjoy this book, but it helps at least to be familiar with some of the technical challenges of playing violin at a high level. Really a book for extremely advanced violin students, Violin Mastery can also be enjoyed as an inside look at the approach violin masters take to making emotion come alive through technique.

[Nel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the various opinions shared by some of the most accomplished violinists of the last century. Discussion topics range from how much one should practice to how one would define what the mastery of the violin is. This book is of most use to violinists, although other string players might also enjoy it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning about great violin playing... from the greats.