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Soothing Stuff 7
Strung Out
Soulful Strings.
When it comes to individual instruments,
many say that the expert scraping of horsehair on steel is the closest thing to the human voice.
Wordless they may be,
but the beautiful sounds that come out of the timber boxes of these instruments can reach deep into your soul.
The great composers have always held them in high esteem,
composing the good bulk of their music for, or including string instruments.
The Violin
The violin is the smallest of the string family of instruments and fits snugly under the chin of the player.
It is by far the most common and versatile of the string instrument family, and was always the most popular instrument with composers, especially in the hands of a virtuoso. Properly handled, the violin can show off , even sizzle, like no other instrument.
Here the emphasis is on its quieter, more meditative, moments:
1. Beethoven – Violin Concerto in D major, op.60 – 2. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Bruch – Violin Concerto No. 1 in g minor, op.26 – 2. Adagio
3. Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto in D major, op.64 – 2. Andante
4. Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K216 – 2. Adagio
5. Vaughan-Williams – The Lark Ascending.
The Cello
The magnificent cello is the third largest common string instrument after the violin and the neglected viola.
(The double bass, the largest string instrument, is rarely heard on its own,
except in jazz and the odd rockabilly tune.)
The cello is a bit large to be held like the violin and resides on the ground between the knees of the cellist.
With its increased size comes a larger, deeper sound that is in turn stately, melancholy and rich.
Although there have been far less cello concertos than violin concertos,
it has still been the recipient of some magnificent music.
Here are some magisterial moments:
6. C.P.E. Bach – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in A major, Wq.172/H 439 – 2. Largo con sordini, mesto
7. Boccherini – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (No. 7) in G major, G 480 – 2. Adagio
8. Dvořák – Cello Concerto in b minor, op.104 – 2. Adagio ma non troppo
9. Haydn – Cello Concerto no. 1 in C major, Hob.VIIb:1 – 2. Adagio
10. Vivaldi – Cello Concerto in c minor, RV 401 – 2. Adagio
All together now...
11. Brahms – (Double) Concerto for Violin and Cello in a minor, op.102 – 2. Andante
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