Silvia Marcovici: Sibelius – Violin concerto op 47 – II. Adagio di molto

SIBELIUS, Jean

Concerto for violin and orchestra in D minor, op. 47 (reduction for violin and piano)

II. Adagio di molto

Silvia Marcovici, guest professor

Erica Ramallo Lucini, student

Amaia Zipitria, accompanying pianist

Professor Marcovici congratulates the student on maintaining the rhythm and mentions that the vibrato was excessive. She suggests practicing it with scales, making a regular and slow movement, with a feeling of weight and not with energy like an earthquake. This piece is so intense that it needs moments of rest to be able to reach the end. The tension must be prepared little by little, without spending all the energy, almost without vibrato at the beginning. They stop at a phrase – which is like sighing – and slowly work on the way the string is attacked and contacted with the bow. Furthermore, it is like building a long and heavy phrase, the tension must be maintained until the end: remaining without lowering the bow and without breathing, taking time. Silvia Marcovici also recommends using more bow as the melody gets stronger.
The masterclass continues with indications regarding the dynamics and the sound balance with the orchestra, the parts in which she carries the main melody should stand out more. They also discuss aspects related to the duration of the notes, phrasing, and avoiding glissandi, seeking more clarity in the execution and more expressiveness in the climax. It is important to achieve the required character, expressing as if crying or sighing for someone, and then her part is not so relevant… she must follow the orchestra without delay and breathing.

 Language: English