Dear MYSO musicians,
I want to share with you two videos of Bach's "Double Violin Concerto," which we have been working on.
The first video features two LEGENDS of violin playing in the 20th century: Yehudi Menuhin And David Oistrakh. This was probably recorded in the 1950s. You'll notice that the playing is very powerful, but as it was the fashion of the time, everything is played very heavily and ultra-romantically:
In contrast, listen to the next video (and try to ignore the inexplicably strange graphics). The style of playing is much lighter and transparent. It allows for Bach's complex contrapuntal textures to come through more easily. This is how we believe now that this music should be performed, thanks to the work of musicologists and early performance specialists:
Enjoy these two videos. How else are these two versions different? Pay attention to tempi, articulation and vibrato. Let's talk on Saturday.
Best,
Raúl