Violinist on BGT

[opus10no2]

A hilarious display of ignorance.

[Bob]

I think I agree.  An incredibly complex piece?  Isn't she just repeating one note a lot and it sounds fast?  Is there a violinist here who can comment.

This reminds me of a clip a theory professor brought in of a fiddler.  That one was even more for showmanship, but the piece wasn't that much. 

That's a Vivaldi Four Seasons for solo violin isn't it?  That's not the most difficult piece for a string orchestra is it?

[Bob]

The electric violin is kind of cool though.  The piece was nice too.  I really doubting it's a virtuouso piece though.  Maybe kind of like rotating the wrist on 8ves and it sounds like a lot more than it is. 

Is the keyboard and violin thing up there too?  I must hear that Technic keyboard!

[opus10no2]

It's a really cool piece, but this edit makes no sense.

She's out of sync, shows no real exceptional musical ideas or technique.

It's not bad by any means but I'd say a few thousand brits could do the same.

That Simon found this amazing and exceptional is truly shameful and embarrasing. 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

"Phenomenal" says Simon Cowell.

I had no idea botox affected your hearing.

[Bob]

"Amusing," says Bob.

[furtwaengler]

"That was an incredibly complex piece..."

Wow.

However, edit, the Susan Boyle thing bowled me over.

[go12_3]

As an amateur violinist(8 years of playing this instrument), I have tried to attempt this piece by Vivaldi, The Four Seasons.  This piece that she played was I think, Winter, which has a lot of the repetition of notes and passages, however, her left hand went above the 5th position which is a more challenging for fingering and pitch.  She did play on pitch though and she probably had to perform a piece that would show her ability in a few minutes, so why not a Vivaldi piece?   Not a lot of people do know enough about the violin and the difficulty in learning to play the notes on pitch and produce a wonderful tone. 

Best wishes,

go12_3

[iroveashe]

It's the Presto from the Summer actually, not Winter.

[m19834]

Having once been a violinist myself (in a former life) with the fastest bow in the world, I think this young lady is utterly ridiculous.  And the way the crowd reacts.  Psh.  What an ignorant world this has become.  If only you were there in my former life, you would know what making music really is, and what it really means to be a violinist.  The violin is a wonderful instrument, I sometimes miss it dearly.  My own beloved instrument is actually circulating somewhere in the world as we speak.  I have never bothered to find the precise hands to whom it now belongs.  I suppose one day I will meet up with it again.  I used to sleep with it ... hee hee.  I remember it, its color, its smell, its gorgeous sound ...  

[go12_3]

It's the Presto from the Summer actually, not Winter.

Thank you for the information, I do get mixed up with the melodies of the Four Seasons....

[furtwaengler]

Having once been a violinist myself (in a former life) with the fastest bow in the world, I think this young lady is utterly ridiculous.  And the way the crowd reacts.  Psh.  What an ignorant world this has become.  If only you were there in my former life, you would know what making music really is, and what it really means to be a violinist.  The violin is a wonderful instrument, I sometimes miss it dearly.  My own beloved instrument is actually circulating somewhere in the world as we speak.  I have never bothered to find the precise hands to whom it now belongs.  I suppose one day I will meet up with it again.  I used to sleep with it ... hee hee.  I remember it, its color, its smell, its gorgeous sound ...  

Wow...Really? This post makes me sad.

"Next week on Karli's Got Talent..."

[opus10no2]

To put this in perspective -

[kelly_kelly]

Okay, sure it's not the pinnacle of violin repertoire, but it isn't trivial either. I think you guys are underestimating. Though I'm sure there are much, much more talented violinists in the the UK.

[birba]

To put this in perspective -

Why aren't we able to view the clip?

[opus10no2]

[Bob]

Haha. 

You can right click on the video and pick "play on Youtube" or whatever the words are.

I think that show must be more about drama than the music.

They listened to 20 seconds of the piece.  The other 4:10 is the drama.

The piece sounded fine to me.  Kind of like student/background music though.  They didn't let them play the whole thing though.  Boo on them.

I find it funny that they expect the performer to come up with something new by the next day.

I think the whole is set up. TV drama.  Maybe the judges are purposely trying to break up the group to see what they do.

[minor9th]

Revolting...Imagine Simon's reaction if an actual musician performed?

[Bob]

That's what I was thinking.  If he's supposed to be a big music producer/executive... then either he's a bit clueless or classical music or it's fake.  I'm guessing fake.  If he's a music producer too.  It's TV.

[db05]

I think I understand where the judges were coming from. There's something pretentious about the performance and the choice of instruments. It is something that would have sounded better on acoustic, with a much much more subdued performance. I can't help thinking, sellout posers. The Asian girl is obviously showing off, much to the detriment of the act. Her decision in the end further proves it. So much for friendship and ensemble. 

The solo was just the judges riding with the audience. Hey, it's tv. 

[thalbergmad]

That's what I was thinking.  If he's supposed to be a big music producer/executive... then either he's a bit clueless or classical music or it's fake.  I'm guessing fake.  If he's a music producer too.  It's TV.

He ain't interested in talent, only what can make money.

One does not always guarantee the other i feel.

Thal

[pianowolfi]

Having once been a violinist myself (in a former life) with the fastest bow in the world, I think this young lady is utterly ridiculous.  And the way the crowd reacts.  Psh.  What an ignorant world this has become.  If only you were there in my former life, you would know what making music really is, and what it really means to be a violinist.  The violin is a wonderful instrument, I sometimes miss it dearly.  My own beloved instrument is actually circulating somewhere in the world as we speak.  I have never bothered to find the precise hands to whom it now belongs.  I suppose one day I will meet up with it again.  I used to sleep with it ... hee hee.  I remember it, its color, its smell, its gorgeous sound ...  

You are very couragious! You are, like a long time ago, (or should I say many long times ago?) again and still, somebody whom I really appreciate and whose courage and verve is sometimes just unbelievable! I think it's good to allow oneself to remember. Remembrances are so precious.

[go12_3]

Having once been a violinist myself (in a former life) with the fastest bow in the world, I think this young lady is utterly ridiculous.  And the way the crowd reacts.  Psh.  What an ignorant world this has become.  If only you were there in my former life, you would know what making music really is, and what it really means to be a violinist.  The violin is a wonderful instrument, I sometimes miss it dearly.  My own beloved instrument is actually circulating somewhere in the world as we speak.  I have never bothered to find the precise hands to whom it now belongs.  I suppose one day I will meet up with it again.  I used to sleep with it ... hee hee.  I remember it, its color, its smell, its gorgeous sound ...  

Being a violinist myself, I wonder why you gave up playing violin when you loved it so much.  I am sure you miss it, but couldn't you get another violin and start enjoying it's sound once again?  I don't  mean to pry here, but whatever  we lose in this life can be recaptured. 

[m19834]

hmmm ... you don't think I am an unmodest and disgusting pig for my comments ?  Instead you want to know about it ?  heh. 

Let's see.  For a good while even in my life in this world, I was in a phase where I felt that if/when I loved something so much, I could prove it to myself and love it even more by letting it go (even though it would sometimes badly hurt to do so).  I don't even remember now a few of the small examples that I have, but I remember privately throwing something that I cherished into the ocean at one time.  And, many times, I have given away to a friend something that I most prized.  That was also out of love for them, feeling that I loved them so much, I would give them those things that I most prized and cherished myself.  There is more to it than that, but suffice to say, eventually I realized some grave mistakes along those lines, ha ha.

Anyway, I have even had a violin student in this life, believe it or not, and I have dabbled a bit at it when I had to take a class in University.  One evening in the midst of my University experience, at a time when I was becoming more fully conscious than ever before of who I am as a musician, I was nearly asleep and I suddenly heard the most heavenly little violin 'lick' in my head and it snapped me awake.  Somehow I will never forget that sound, yet funnily enough, trying to write it down is just ... it makes me insane, because ... well, it's like some kind of ... teaser.  Maybe there is *way* too much more there ... or maybe there is nothing at all ?  I don't know.

Anyway, what I need right now more than anything is the time and space.  For me it is a new ( ) thing to have access to the modern piano, and that is just an overwhelming curiosity to me  .

[landru]

... One evening in the midst of my University experience, at a time when I was becoming more fully conscious than ever before of who I am as a musician, I was nearly asleep and I suddenly heard the most heavenly little violin 'lick' in my head and it snapped me awake.  Somehow I will never forget that sound, yet funnily enough, trying to write it down is just ... it makes me insane, because ... well, it's like some kind of ... teaser...

I was going to write that you need to read Remembrance of Things Past by Proust, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone - not that it is bad, but because it all consuming and takes forever.

Anyway, Proust has a theme in the book about a certain violin phrase that Swann (one of the main characters) has fixated upon and he has associated with his "unhappy" love for Odette. I have "unhappy" in quotes, because if there is one thing you learn from reading that book, it is that Swann is happiest when he is unhappy... In any case, what you wrote about the "lick" is like what happened to Swann. Here is a web site that discusses it https://www.bagatellen.com/archives/frontpage/000855.html.

[Bob]

Violins can bite.  Beware.  (Bob is serious.) They're not harmless instruments.

[go12_3]

Violins can bite.  Beware.  (Bob is serious.) They're not harmless instruments.

I know one thing that bit me , was a dog!  Beware of dogs.....
 And my violin don't bite(from my experience).    

[pianowolfi]

Violins can bite.  Beware.  (Bob is serious.) They're not harmless instruments.

Yes if not handled appropriately they might bite your ear.

[richard black]

Having accompanied a lot of violinists for auditions, I reckon she'd not even get into a London conservatoire for a postgrad course. They just _might_ take her for undergrad. And I'm not saying the London cons are necessarily the world's most demanding either.