Chapter 4 Technical Mastery and Skill Development - Part 1 (5 videos)

Brahms’ Violin Concerto has quite a few technical and musical Challenges

- Double-stopping and Chords: The first movement demands immense technical precision in double-stops and large interval leaps.

- Cadenza: The most commonly played cadenza is by Joseph Joachim, the violinist to whom the work is dedicated.

- Balance with the Orchestra: Brahms' orchestration is thick, and the soloist must project over a powerful orchestral texture.ts.

Thumb vs Frog  

A general problem in strong bowing: your thumb is right beneath the frog, probably slightly pressing towards up, and risking to decrease the sound without you even realising. Unless you try this different technique.

Play Octaves

How to play Octaves in this Brahms concerto: interpret the tempo and find the right moment to cut and retake. Maestro Ostrovsky explains it step by step.

Staccato

A very important point about Staccato: in this case, it's not meant to just "shorten the notes", but it's rather meant to separate two parts of the same phrase. Don't miss it!

Don't Miss It!

A famous passage, also famous amongst musicians cause it's very easy to miss it. Discover which one it is and how to get prepared to play it perfectly.

Masterclass 1st movement  - Part 1

The composition is known for its lyrical melodies and rich orchestration and melts the sense of grandeur with the flavour of Hungarian folk rhythms.