{"id":2518,"date":"2021-02-15T22:19:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T04:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=2518"},"modified":"2021-06-21T20:31:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T01:31:16","slug":"exploring-violin-versatility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/exploring-violin-versatility\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Violin’s Versatility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Historians believe the first violin dates to sometime in the early 16th Century. Gaudenzio Ferrari\u2019s paintings show a three-string variant as early as the 1530s. As the Renaissance turned Baroque, Classical, then Romantic, the violin became a prominent figure in Western music. Perhaps too preeminent in orchestral settings. When asked to match instruments to a style of music, most people will invariably pair the violin with \u201cclassical.\u201d From a historical perspective, this association would seem sensible. But the very idea that the instrument should be primarily associated with any single genre is flawed. Such a mindset does a disservice to both those who express themselves through its strings as the instrument itself. Are we supposed to ignore the melding of influences by violinists ranging from Henry Flynt to Jean-Luc Ponty to Laurie Anderson to Andrew Bird? What about the performers who look to the country, bluegrass, or folk traditions like Vassar Clements or Alison Krauss? In reality, the violin is much more diverse in its applications than is often credited. This piece examines four recent albums that have continued to push the instrument\u2019s boundaries: Mark Feldman\u2019s Sounding Point <\/em>(Intakt, 2021),  The Jessica Pavone String Ensemble\u2019s Lost and Found<\/em> (Astral Spirits, 2020), Tomoko Omura\u2019s Branches Vol. 1<\/em> (Outside in Music, 2020), and Big Lux\u2019s Major<\/em> (Self-release, 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those paying close attention to the creative music scene should find Mark Feldman\u2019s name familiar. For the past almost thirty years, he has recorded extensively with John Zorn, appearing on some of Tzadik\u2019s most memorable releases including Bar Kokhba<\/em> (1996), The Circle Maker<\/em> (1998), and the underrated Filmworks XII: Three Documentaries<\/em> (2002). He was also one half of the excellent Masada Recital<\/em> (Tzadik, 2004) with his wife, talented pianist Sylvie Courvoisier. And he has several of his own releases as a leader, including on an unaccompanied instrument. While his tone and phrasing remain recognizable, Sounding Point<\/em> is different from all of these. <\/p>\n\n\n