Wohlfahrt Op.45 n.4 ( Allegretto )

Study number 4. (Download it here). This tuneful piece in G keeps to the same bowing throughout. The quavers should have twice as much bow as the semi-quavers. The semi-quavers should be played once in the lower half of the bow and once in the upper half.... alternating each time. Keep the sound even throughout, though in your later stages of learning you will want to add crescendos and other musically expressive nuances. You should use slightly more bow than illustrated in the diagram, especially if you have chosen a steady tempo. As with many studies here, keep the tempo steady (Moderato ! ) and never rush.
 

Allegretto is slower than Allegro...like a gentle Allegro. Learn this study phrase by phrase. And the first time you read each phrase chose a steady tempo, using more bow than indicated in the diagram on the previous page. Chose a tempo slow enough so that you can play through each phrase without stopping. Then play the phrase over and over, with a slightly more fluid tempo, until you know it by heart. Look away from the music and try it again. If you forgot some notes try it with the music....then without....alternating until you learn each phrase by heart. I would chose the following phrases in order when tackling this study. Some musical insight is given, and though one may not have a detailed knowledge of the harmony, one must feel the directions and the moods which the different harmonies and modulations suggest.

Above : Phrase 1 (listen) 4 bar phrase. This is our main tune. It is neutral in tone, so do not play it with your fullest sound. Save your best sound for later when the music develops. Learn this by heart, playing it at various tempi and colours ( piano / mezzo-piano / mezzo-forte and forte )

Above : Phrase 2 (listen). The surprise here is the C sharp taking us to the dominant ( opposite) key of D major. Direct the phrase to that last bar ( especially the first D of that last bar.) This arrival into D major should be played more forcefully then the opening statement ( phrase 1). The more advanced student will colour the first of the two C sharps with a little extra vibrato to add more colour to this note. Don't worry if you cannot do vibrato, the study can be played without it.

Above : Phrase 3 (listen). We thought we were in D major, but the music reverts to its tonic key of G by forgetting altogether about the C sharp......giving a rather cool tone to this phrase. As the two halves of this phrase ( each a phrase in its own right ) are identical the second should be treated as an echo of the first, therefore I have added dynamics ( loudness markings mf and mp ). You might like to play f and p, and this would also be a valid artistic choice. 

Above : Phrase 4 (listen). This phrase boldly takes us through a modulation sequence into D major. As the first bar heroically passes into B major, play it with extra bow, very adherent and generous with sound, because it is this bar which eventually leads us convincingly into D major on the last note.

Above : Phrase 5 (listen). You may have noticed an extra bar here. The first germ ( 5 notes ) are used as a bridge to cancel out the D major into A major. Once again we have been diverted from our destination key D major! Thus I would suggest playing those notes with less expression, as they add white paper or plainness to the harmony keeping it stable.

Above : Phrase 6 (listen).  Play the last note with this phrase using the first note of the next just to round it off so it sounds nice as a complete phrase in itself. We do not know where the "uncertain" 2 bars will take us, so I believe an expressionless rendition is best.

Above : Phrase 7 (listen). Here we get an ending to all that has been building up. Start the phrase quietly so you can build up. Broaden the notes and slow down until you are sustaining the 3rd finger on the E with a general pause before reverting back to our original tune. Hold those last 4 notes as if reluctant to go back into G major and the tune. Unfortunately the midi phrases played when you click on listen do not give colorful demonstrations.

Next : The music reverts to the main tune, and this should be played with identical tone, speed and character as the opening phrase. You should be able to work out the next phrases for yourself. Phrases are often 4 bars long. Once you have learned a couple of phrases by heart then play them together in succession. It is worth adding that this study should be practised well beyond the note learning stage. It is a study ( as are all studies ) to be played and improved upon until each and every phrase sounds as beautiful as possible. Studies such as these are universally accepted as forming the backbone to all violin playing and technique. Do not settle for a superficial understanding and knowledge of such a study. The main purpose of this study is to familiarize the player with the bowing stroke it requires. This bowing stroke is presented in various flavors, sometimes more bow is needed for a broader sound, sometimes less for a plainer sound. In all cases the overall sound must remain even within the bar ( or half bar ).

 

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Last modified: January 31, 2001