violin thread

Horace Greeley hgreeley@leland.Stanford.EDU
Thu, 15 May 1997 08:22:38 -0700


Richard,

As Descartes would have it, no perception, no reality.

Actually, it was Pennario who first put that thought in my head.  As I
understand his comment, it was intended as a broadening of view of the
instrument, and, thus, a philosophic (rather than an technical) verity (for
him).

In practice, this concept makes teaching voicing less of a smoke-filled
room and gourd-rattle process in that it (seems to) help folk understand
the nature of how the hammer interacts with the string.  Another way to put
it might be that this concept lends a musical (philosophical) depth to the
description of the hammer as a variable rate coil spring.

Clear as mud?

Horace

p.s. - I almost forgot, yes, it was Saint Saens - using a Pleyel.

hg





Horace Greeley			hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu

LiNCS				voice: 415/725-4627
Stanford University		fax: 415/725-9942






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