Vocalise

By Gaby -

Once a year, hubby and I play the obligatory church service at his hometown church in Middletown, OH, and every year, he stresses out over what to play since he doesn't really "play" his violin anymore.  Last year, he lifted a piece by Vivaldi and wrote it out on Finale since it was nowhere to be purchased or found since apparently the only evidence of some of these violin concerti is on a recording by Pinchas Zukerman.  Probably one of the better concerti Vivaldi wrote, but, unfortunately, they are not available for the public to play.  I played the tutti part on the organ and he played a simple part on the violin and it was gorgeous.  This year, when Ryan asked me what we should play, I at first suggested just an easy duet for two violins; but after more thought, I remembered Vocalise by Rachmaninoff which I've always wanted to play (on either violin or piano).  So that is what we'll be playing this Sunday.

I am cheesy, but what is not to love about this piece?  Especially when played by Itzhak Perlman.  Enjoy!

Comments

Anonymous said…
I love Vocalise and played it on viola for my senior recital (trumpet major - viola minor).
September 6, 2011 at 10:32 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I can't wait!!

By Gaby -
Today, I opened up my laptop to catch up on my blog reading, and came across Puttin' On the G.R.I.T.S' blog with pictures of her Aspen trip...and it totally reminded me that in just about two weeks or so, I'll be GOING TO ASPEN!!!!  Can't believe how close it's getting.  Ryan and I have been patiently anticipating this trip since January.  Poor Ry, he needs to get away so badly.  New position = new stresses. But before that, I'll be going to Lexington, KY and Nashville, TN w/ my parents and two doggies.  Lexington is first to meet a 2nd (or 3rd?) cousin that I've never met before on my grandfather's side.  This is exciting for me b/c I never got to meet my grandfather as he died 2 months before I was born. After that, we'll be moving on to Nashville to see some old family friends.  We'll be there for most of the week, so I think I may take my violin with me as it'll be two retired couples + me.  I suspect there will lots of down time.  I ...
Read more

Warning: Do not read if you dislike feeling depressed:/

By Gaby -
This summer will have been my fifth year living and working in Columbus, and as I experience a turnover nearly every single year, I've been pondering more and more in recent weeks that I need to change some things.  I don't think any violin teacher or artist out there ever thinks they are doing the wrong thing or teaching their students incorrectly--don't we all tend to like the way we think and/or do things?!  But, even though I come to expect turnovers in students as a regular and normal thing, this year has just been so...weird.  I thought that I had matured enough and was experienced enough to get over those humps and not take it so personally when students left or quit as I did when I first started teaching, but I really have to admit--I've been shaken by particular students leaving, and with specific experiences w/ some parents.  Feelings of doubt--even incompetence--have washed over me, and that quickly turns into anger and defensive reactions when I can't pu...
Read more

Life lately

By Gaby -
Image
There are good days and there are bad days.  The good days are when I'm distracted from all things concerning my mom, or the times I see her in person or over Skype and catch her smiling or talking normally and it calms my soul;  the bad days catch me by surprise and kind of piss me off, quite frankly.  Like yesterday-- I was doing just fine, as I think I'd been for the past week, until I sat down last evening and opened a book I picked up from the library that I'd seen on someone's recent book list:   When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi.  I am not sure what I was thinking, reading a book written by a man around my age who died of terminal lung cancer shortly after writing it, especially in the midst of my own mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. I guess I thought it would help me come to terms with the concept of death and dying.  And it IS a good book--Kalinithi was a good writer, a neurosurgeon by training, but writer and philosopher at heart (he al...
Read more