Classical Mandolin solo Videos on YouTube

**Jonathan Rudie** · Sep-04-2006, 1:02pm

Recently found this brave fellow bearing his mandolin soul on YouTube.com for all the world to see and hear. #Perhaps we could use this topic to post links in the future for all classical mandolin videos found on the net. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUY5L-cpNzA

**margora** · Sep-04-2006, 2:32pm

Hmm, the first of these (solo classical mandolin) I've seen on youtube (nice mandolin). In general I think youtube is a great thing for plucked string fans: there are many wonderful classical guitar clips, and even lute (Hopkinson Smith, in particular).

**Jim Garber** · Sep-04-2006, 3:03pm

Yes, brave indeed. That Notturno Cielo Stellato is not an easy piece.

We do have three lovely videos by our own Linda Binder (Hrimaly).

Jim

**margora** · Sep-04-2006, 3:23pm

Yes, Linda's performances are very nice!

**Neil Gladd** · Sep-05-2006, 12:53pm

I have 2 of my recitals (from the early 1990s) and a couple other performances on videotape, and I was just looking at one the other day with thoughts towards posting an excerpt online. I'll announce it here if I decide to.

**Jim Garber** · Sep-05-2006, 3:12pm

Neil,

That would wonderful. Keep us posted.

The only time I saw you play was at Weill Recital Hall in New York, prob in the mid 1980s.

Jim

**JimD** · Sep-05-2006, 7:25pm

Neil,

Last time I saw you play was in Boston in the mid 1980's.

Same tour perhaps?

Please do keep us posted.

**Eugene** · Sep-05-2006, 9:14pm

I've seen you play more recently, Neil. I'll watch again.

**Neil Gladd** · Sep-05-2006, 9:55pm

Originally Posted by (JimD @ Sep. 05 2006, 20:25)

Last time I saw you play was in Boston in the mid 1980's.
Same tour perhaps?

Yes, as a matter of fact. Here is the program you both heard.

I have a tape transferring to DVD even as we speak (or type, as the case may be). Then I'll figure out how to get into an uploadable file.

**8STRINGR** · Sep-09-2006, 1:45pm

Hi Folks,

I was directed to this part of the Cafe's forum to ask if anyone has ever played, know or have heard of any duets with the mandolin and classical violin together?

I have a friend who is a classical violinist and wanted to maybe work on some kind of musical duet with her. Any suggestions, links or songs come to mind that I could hear or download from?

Thanks for your help!

I'm normally in the "mandolin" forum. #

**an uncalloused fingertip** · Sep-09-2006, 8:26pm

Do bowlback players normally hold the mando at that high of an angle when playing? It looks mildly uncomfortable.

**markmdavis** · Sep-11-2006, 10:42am

Neil,
It was great to see your programs. This is the sort of high quality, challenging and interesting programming that the mandolin needs to succeed today.
One question: I am most interested in Brian Israel's Concerto - was it ever published? recorded?

Mark

**Neil Gladd** · Sep-11-2006, 7:30pm

Originally Posted by (markmdavis @ Sep. 11 2006, 11:42)

Neil,
It was great to see your programs. This is the sort of high quality, challenging and interesting programming that the mandolin needs to succeed today.

Hi Mark, and thanks for the compliment! I haven't seen you in years!

Originally Posted by (markmdavis @ Sep. 11 2006, 11:42)

Neil,
One question: I am most interested in Brian Israel's Concerto - was it ever published? recorded?

Sadly, no and no. Since the piece was written for me, I feel an obligation to get it out into the world, but am not able to at the moment. When it becomes available, I will certainly announce it here.

For those of you that don't know about the piece, he wrote it for me entirely from his hospital bed shortly before dying of leukemia at the age of 35. He finished composing the version for mandolin and piano, but never had a chance to orchestrate it. I've talked to his widow a few times, and she said that he wanted me to orchestrate it. I've started it, but it's yet another of the worthwhile projects that having a fulltime day job keeps me from completing.

Getting back to the original thread topic, I found one of my video performances that I like well enough to post. Since it's a long piece (12 minutes), I will post the movements individually, as soon as I find a way to convert them.

**jasona** · Sep-13-2006, 1:01am

Originally Posted by (margora @ Sep. 04 2006, 14:23)

Yes, Linda's performances are very nice!

Seconded. And she gets great tone out of that Pandini.

**vkioulaphides** · Sep-13-2006, 7:34am

Originally Posted by

"Do bowlback players normally hold the mando at that high of an angle when playing? It looks mildly uncomfortable."

If you mean the gentleman at the top of the thread, no, his posture is not "normal"; and the excessive angle of the mandolin does get in the way, distorting all the angles, that of the right forearm, that of the left arm, wrist, and hand. It really detracts from his playing.

Au contraire, Linda's posture is exemplary, and only contributes to her fine playing. I enjoy her performances more, the more I listen to them. Needless to say, there is a LOT more to Linda's lovely playing than just good posture but I am, of course, singling out only this one positive element, in reply to the specific question.

In fact, there has been a trend (discussed at length elsewhere) among players of the "Modern Italian School" (i.e. post-Anedda) to play with the mandolin more horizontal than was common earlier in history. That discussion belongs elsewhere, not on this thread; suffice it to say, however, that too vertical an angle (for the mandolin) is not seriously advocated by anyone I know of.

**Linda Binder** · Sep-13-2006, 8:35am

Thank you! I'll have to go back to look at the videos to see what I was doing right for a change! I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing more of the posted and soon-to-be posted performances.

Neil, the story behind Brian Israel's last concerto is just amazing. Thanks for sharing it.
--Linda

**Martin Jonas** · Sep-13-2006, 9:36am

Originally Posted by (vkioulaphides @ Sep. 13 2006, 08:34)

That discussion belongs elsewhere, not on this thread; suffice it to say, however, that too vertical an angle (for the mandolin) is not seriously advocated by anyone I know of.

As it happens, at least some modern German players hold the mandolin surprisingly vertical. Barbara Pommerenke, for example, has a very upright neck when playing, more upright than the diagonal, and she has a very clean technique with it.

Martin

**vkioulaphides** · Sep-13-2006, 9:48am

Originally Posted by

"I'll have to go back to look at the videos to see what I was doing right for a change!"

NOOOOOOoooooooo, Linda, don't do that!

I once attended a masterclass with Mstislav Rostropovich. A young cellist played —quite admirably— the ever gracious Maestro applauded, made some laudatory comments, and finally asked the cellist whether she had any questions to ask of him.

She replied that she was not conscious at all times where exactly her ring-finger was, in relation to the bow. (I will hold this truth to be self-evident, that all bowed-string players understand the *secondary* role of that finger in the bow-grip.) This, she said, concerned her greatly.

The Maestro smiled, then told the old story of the centipede—#which he pronounced charmingly dzandibit #

#In short, the centipede goes out for a walk; a little boy/girl stops the strolling creature and asks, "Mr. Centipede, when you walk, do you go RIGHT-left or LEFT-right with your 47th pair of feet?"

*pregnant pause*

"You know what happened?", asked MR. "Dzandibit can't walk any more!" The critter is still there, paralyzed by sudden self-analysis. #

So, my friend, do NOT go back and look at your posture. It's just fine. Leave just fine alone.

Oh, and please DO post more samples of your lovely playing! #

**vkioulaphides** · Sep-13-2006, 10:14am

P.S. Martin, I have never seen/heard Barbara play, and I agree implicitly with your estimation of her abilities. The gentleman on the Tube, as it were, is troubled both by the height AND the angle of the instrument— I would argue perhaps that it is the former that does him the greater disservice; too vertical a posture is not his main hinderance. He seems to be sitting on a sofa (?) or something, which also doesn't help much either...

I will assume you know better. Yes, I have seen some German players with both feet up on a little foot-rest —it reminds me of old confessionals #

— and all sorts of correlated adjustments of posture. I don't quite see the fundamental, "foundational" need to reinvent the wheel. The "usual" posture, with some discount upwards or downwards, works just fine. The counterargument, of course, is the "different sort of mandolins, different sort of picks, different posture, etc., etc." I respectfully cease and desist.

Victor the Complacent #

**Martin Jonas** · Sep-13-2006, 10:33am

Victor: I didn't mean to imply that Barbara's technique is like the one in the clip. The posture of the anonymous gentleman does look very awkward indeed and I would also agree that it is the height more than the angle that's behind it.

I was amused by Alison Stephens' comments on the "both feet on a footstool" technique used by some German players: she thought there were some ergonomic arguments in favour of this stance, but didn't think it was for her, partially because it doesn't suit her instrument or style but mostly because it looks so stupid...

Martin

**Neil Gladd** · Sep-13-2006, 10:34am

Originally Posted by (vkioulaphides @ Sep. 13 2006, 11:14)

I have seen some German players with both feet up on a little foot-rest

What confused me more than anything else I saw in Germany was a player who put his left leg on a foot stool, and the mandolin on his right leg.

**mathieu.sarthe** · Sep-16-2006, 2:20pm

Good evening.

I must agree with the first post, playing less than half of the notes written in cielo stellato and posting the video anyway is indeed very brave

**vkioulaphides** · Oct-11-2006, 9:05am

YouTube having been bought by Google yesterday —to the tune of $1.65 billion— one wonders whether Café contributors could be engaged, ah... more lucratively in our own observations.

*sigh*

**Dan Cohen** · Oct-11-2006, 9:38am

Originally Posted by (vkioulaphides @ Oct. 11 2006, 10:05)

YouTube having been bought by Google yesterday —to the tune of $1.65 billion— one wonders whether Café contributors could be engaged, ah... more lucratively in our own observations. #

*sigh*

Google must have heard that there was classical mandolin on youtoube!

**Jonathan Rudie** · Oct-26-2006, 2:10pm

Found this circa 1967 video on youtube of an Italian mandolin orchestra accompanying a singer. The video also provides an opportunity to examine the right hand technique of some of the players, with a very smooth and expressive tremolo. Enjoy: #

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iP3BXq5L6G0