BRAHMS, Johannes
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
I. Allegro
Miriam Fried, guest professor
Raquel Areal Martínez, student
Vadim Gladkov, accompanying pianist
There are 3 main aspects that Professor Fried wants to work on:
- The clarity of the music in its formal aspect. They talk about the development of the movement, where there are two important elements: the accompaniment of the piano’s left hand, in minims, which gives all the drama; the combination of two repeated elements to give it more tension than in the exposition.
- Acoustic issues: the student tends to play the last note of the phrases very quietly. Making the diminuendo does not mean that it cannot be heard.
- Dialogue between violin and piano part. There needs to be more communication between the two, more conversation, and a very good understanding of the role of each part
All the phrasing, dynamics, character, fingering… corrections are aimed at improving these three basic aspects. Music is a constant movement and the bow is the instrument we use to shape these fluctuations.
The professor gives interesting advice: the student should study from the general score, to find all the interactions between the two instruments, and enjoy the musical differences that she finds, since in Brahms every detail is connected with the whole.
Finally, Fried explains more expressive aspects of this sonata and insists on the idea of developing the imagination to create a personal image of the piece.
Language: English
