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Before the Chinrest: A Violinist's Guide to the Mysteries of Pre-Chinrest Technique and Style

by Stanley Ritchie

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Historical violin technique before the chinrest

$34.16 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Historical violin technique before the chinrest

Stanley Ritchie examines violin playing practices from the seventeenth century through the early nineteenth century, grounding the discussion in principles associated with Francesco Geminiani and his own experience in baroque and classical performance. Illustrated sections address the practical mechanics of both hands, intonation, and interpretive considerations across the Baroque, Classical, and early-Romantic periods. Although centered on the pre-chinrest violin, the material also connects these approaches to viola playing and, in some respects, to modern violin practice. The book brings historical performance questions into close contact with instrumental technique.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Violinists investigating Baroque, Classical, and early-Romantic performance practice
  • Viola players interested in historically informed technical approaches
  • String players seeking guidance on hand technique and intonation

Themes

Historical performance practiceViolin techniqueBaroque and Classical interpretationIntonationPre-chinrest instruments

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Book overview

Drawing on the principles of Francesco Geminiani and four decades of experience as a baroque and classical violinist, Stanley Ritchie offers a valuable resource for anyone wishing to learn about 17th-18th-and early 19th-century violin technique and style. While much of the work focuses on the technical aspects of playing the pre-chinrest violin, these approaches are also applicable to the viola, and in many ways to the modern violin. Before the Chinrest includes illustrated sections on right- and left-hand technique, aspects of interpretation during the Baroque, Classical, and early-Romantic eras, and a section on developing proper intonation.

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