Violist Misha Galaganov recommends exercises from August Wilhelmj and James Brown’s out-of-print A Modern School for Violin, to accompany his Technique article in the October 2021 issue
The following is related to The Strad’s October 2021 issue Technique feature ‘Trills and Embellishments’. To read it in full, click here to subscribe and login. The October 2021 digital magazine and print edition are on sale now
August Wilhelmj was a famous German violinist and virtuoso, a child prodigy, who studied with Ferdinand David and then came to England at the end of the 19th century. He and his colleague James Brown wrote a wonderful series of six books called A Modern School for the Violin, each divided into part A and part B. The A books provide basic technical exercises and advice; the B books provide more musical context. They contain some great exercises for developing the trill. To practise last-moment finger lifts and drops, and the development of trill speed and control, I particularly recommend:
Book 1b, exercise nos.9, 21, 33
Book 2a, exercise no.18
Book 2b, exercise nos.19, 22, 26
Read: 3 simple trill exercises for players and teachers
Read: Technique: Trills and embellishments
Read: 7 ways to improve your trills
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This article was published in the October 2021 Janine Jansen issue
The Dutch violinist performs on twelve of the world’s finest Stradivaris for a new recording and documentary. Explore all the articles in this issue . Explore all the articles in this issue
More from this issue…
- Janine Jansen’s Stradivari recording project
- The on-screen legacy of Jacqueline du Pré
- Exploring historic varnish recipes
- Juilliard’s new Chinese campus
- Duos from Kopatchinskaja and Gabetta
- The Strad Calendar 2022
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