A little gift

[vkioulaphides]

Greetings, dear mando-friends.

Once again, I offer a little gift from my pen to the broader mando-community (courtesy of ever-generous Jim Garber, who has once again hosted my work on his wonderful website):

http://www.paperclipdesign.com/vk/

A few disclaimers are in order: my Studio Fiorillesco is most definitely NOT an "original composition", nor is it "modern music", nor is it a "concert piece". What this tidbit of mine IS: my humble tribute to one of the veritable giants of string pedagogy, Federigo Fiorillo, whose masterful use of instrumental figuration and tuneful turns-of-phrase inspired countless others in the long and auspicious lineage of violin virtuosos and pedagogues. Beyond Fiorillo's own Caprices, several subsequent violinists wrote studies/etudes/caprices etc. "in the style of", "after" Fiorillo. I have simply done the same, this time for the mandolin.

So... have at it, friends! While I harbor no unreasonable aspirations of moving your hearts or scintillating your minds with this little study, if I DO manage to give your fingers a pleasant warm-up, I'll count this piece as a success.

Pluck on, dear friends! :mandosmiley:

Cheers,

Victor

[Richard Walz]

It is interesting to note that Fiorillo was also (maybe initially) a mandolinist.

[Richard Walz]

Nice little study Victor. It might be interesting for you to know that Fiorillo also (maybe originally) played the mandolin.

[vkioulaphides]

Fascinating! I had NO idea, Richard; thank you for letting me know!

Uncanny... I have always felt that, of all violin etudes-caprices I know of --and I claim no comprehensive knowledge-- those of Fiorillo were the ones that lend themselves most ideally for playing on the mandolin. Who knew?... :disbelief:

Anyhow, I am delighted that you approve of my little finger-warmer-upper.

Cheers,

Victor

[Got8Strings]

Thanks Victor!

Could you possibly post an MP3 or YouTube video of what it should sound like?

[vkioulaphides]

Along with the PDF (that is actually what's posted), I sent Jim this score as a Finale file, which in turn he can post as a MIDI. I know he is rather busy these days, though, so I wouldn't want to push or rush him. Obviously such a MIDI would be an approximation, and a dreadfully mechanical one, too. A real, live mandolinist should play it Allegro brillante, fast, light, crisp. It needs not be as fast as possible, like a frantic race to the double bar, just "fast enough". ;)

I'll leave the audio component to Jim, who has done the same for all my other little pieces posted on his site (i.e. posting a synthesized audio file along with the sheet music).

Cheers,

Victor

[Plamen Ivanov]

Thank you, Victor! I'll give it a try on Sunday! :-)

Best,
Plamen

[Mike Bromley]

Nice! My playing in the key of G is stale to my own ears. Nice to have some direction. This should keep me busy for a month.....

[John Bertotti]

Excellent, thanks!

[vkioulaphides]

My pleasure, Mike & John. As winter inches its way towards us, it sure is pleasant to keep one's fingers warm with a little mando-tidbit. ;)

My own finger-warmer-upper this morning was Telemann's Trio Sonata that we're working up for Carlo Aonzo's 2009 workshop. Ahh... nothing like a few notes, well-laid on the fingerboard!

I hope I've accomplished as much with my little Study.

Cheers,

Victor

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Victor,

Thanks so much for this wonderful study! Nearly all Zwolle mandolin players play it now!

And it is also great fun to play it together with violin!


Best greetings from Niels & Alex.

[vkioulaphides]

A heartfelt "Thank You!" to the duo of Timmerman & Son. ;) My goodness... how much Niels has grown! :disbelief: Please give him my warmest regards, as well as those of our own Sophia; both she and I often reminisce about our brief, yet wonderful encounter during Het Consort's (first ;) ) U.S. tour.

As for mando-tidbits, more are on the way: earlier this year, I had mentioned my idea of a set of "divertimenti", casual etudes with no ambition of ever reaching the stage, yet expressly written with the mechanical characteristics and "personality" of the mandolin in mind. By way of hint, my next "installment" will be something (freely) after de Beriot, another giant in the lineage of violin pedagogy.

I also intend, of course, to continue writing brief concert-pieces for the mandolin, and share those with the broader mandolin-community as well. All I need is a little time...

Cheers,

Victor

[vkioulaphides]

Having written this little study quite literally as a divertimento, to divert myself (and, hopefully, also my mandolin-friends) with something casual to play, I was happily resigned to the likelihood that it would never be performed anywhere, except perhaps in some mandolin master-class, within the hallowed halls of some conservatory, etc.

Ah, but... I keep on underestimating the wonderful world we live in. Enter Alex, and his brilliant young student Ferdinand Binnendijk, and the fantastic performance "stage" that is YouTube, and...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sp9UfW8jy0

What impresses me beyond words is not just the fact that Ferdinand plays the notes of this study with unfailing facility —no small feat, in and of itself!— but also that he adds such wonderful musical character to this little study. And indeed this sort of "personal touch" is THE fundamental requirement of etude-playing; in other words, etudes are NOT meant to be played (by human performers) as if they were churned out by MIDI, or any other sort of synthesized, mechanical sound-medium.

I tip my hat to the young Ferdinand, who does honor to my little study, his dedicated teacher, and the great Fiorillo all at once.

Bravo!

Victor

[Mike Bromley]

Mighty fine indeed!