Back to Ysaÿe’s Solo Sonata no. 3 - final section to mull over is the very opening - at its deepest, it is a meditative monologue it seems. It’s marked “lento molto sostenuto”, the character of which seems to manifest itself in our smallest joints, starting from the fingers. Sustaining the tone requires sensitivity in feeling the contact between the bow hair and the string (lower half) and the fingers “massaging” the bow stick (upper half).
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But, what for me is a bit trickier is the left hand - in order to help the bow sustain, the left hand must maneuver between double stops seamlessly, anticipating a bow change or a string crossing. The inherent springiness of the suspended strings help with feeling the different pressure gradients the fingers have against the fingerboard.
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I decided to apply some of Dounis’ rhythmic variants on such double stops, as they help target not only lateral movement but also transverse movement (across the fingerboard).
Rhythms are found on page 177 in the Dounis collection.
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PS - excuse my bemused expression at the end of the first clip... my bow knocked against the wall slightly 😅
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“Molto moderato quasi lento” from Ysaÿe’s Solo Sonata no. 3 - one more piece added to the puzzle. One of the biggest benefits of practicing in reverse order, especially in a piece like this where climax is stacked upon climax, is that the limits are tested first. Reserve in its literal sense is activated when needed, and most certainly, the biggest amount of reserve is called for at the very end of the sonata.
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In this particular section, meanderings in harmony require meanderings in the body’s responses - constant fluctuation between harmonic suspension and quasi resolution is manifested in bodily effort and release.
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Coming together... save the introduction, which will soon be tackled!
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Ysaÿe’s Solo Sonata no. 3 - sewing the patches together, slowly but surely. Yesterday, I attempted to run through the section where the main theme / material is presented, and it just didn’t work out. Bouts of physical tension was rampant, probably due to the body trying to cope with combining rhythmic integrity with harmonic intensity. Today, after warming up with with some bow change exercises from both Carl Flesch’s Urstudien and Dounis’ Artist’s Technique, the physical sensations and literal embodiment of phrasing became much more effortless. Probably because I dreamt of the work the evening before 😅
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There’s something to be said for mulling over a tricky passage - the mind and soul are at work without the instrument and bow, imagining the specific pathways drawn by the fingers, arms, shoulders, back, and ultimately, the body as a whole. Helps so much.
I also experimented with shifting more weight towards the right side of the body, as I noticed that I tend to favor the left disproportionately - almost excessively. The violin as such is naturally elevated, and the right hand has gravity in its favor. Less effort, more friction...!
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...work in progress, but coming together.
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