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What is the hardest violin to learn?

24 Caprices – Paganini Often cited as the hardest works for solo violin, Niccolò Paganini's Caprices make up 24 fiendishly demanding pieces for the string instrument, packed with double stops, left-hand pizzicato and endless spiccato bowing.

classicfm.com - These are the hardest pieces ever written for the VIOLIN - Classic FM
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These pieces of music are all terrifyingly ambitious and virtuosic – and they might just make your fingers bleed. Here are the most difficult pieces ever written for the violin.

Looking for some pieces of violin music that will make your fingers look like THIS?

You’ve come to the right place.

24 Caprices – Paganini Often cited as the hardest works for solo violin, Niccolò Paganini’s Caprices make up 24 fiendishly demanding pieces for the string instrument, packed with double stops, left-hand pizzicato and endless spiccato bowing. It’s no wonder people thought Paganini was in league with the devil… Violin concerto in D minor – Sibelius Reserved for the greatest virtuosos, Jean Sibelius’ only concerto is undoubtedly one of the most intense and difficult violin concertos ever written. British musicologist Donald Tovey once described the final movement as a ‘polonaise for polar bears’, saying, ‘I have not met a more original, a more masterly, and a more exhilarating work’. Sonata No. 9 ‘Kreutzer’ – Beethoven Beethoven dedicated his Sonata No. 9 to Rodolphe Kreutzer, who was considered the finest violinist of the day but Rodolphe, regrettably, hated the piece. It is notorious for its technical difficulty and emotional scope, as well as its unusually long length for a sonata. Partita in D minor BWV 1004 – J.S. Bach When in 2007, Joshua Bell stuck a baseball cap on his head, rocked up at a Metro station in Washington and began to busk, J.S. Bach’s Partita in D minor was his what he chose to play. He described it as “not just one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, but one of the greatest achievements of any man in history”. The double stops in particular sound pretty special. ‘The Last Rose Of Summer’ – Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst is not the biggest name in classical music, but his ‘The Last Rose Of Summer’ is notorious among violinists for being a complete nightmare to play. Ernst was an obsessive devotee of Paganini, the original violin rockstar, and he loved to include stupidly complex pizzicato in his music. Caprice in D major ‘Il labirinto armonico’ – Locatelli In places, Locatelli’s ‘Labyrinth’ bizarrely has the feel of an Irish jig. The melody, scored in a jaunty 3/4 time, jumps between an open D string and some terrifyingly ultrasonic pitches up on the E string. Keep some plasters in your violin case – your fingers will be crying after this one. Solo Violin Sonata – Bartók Any piece with ‘unaccompanied’ next to it is sure to send terror into the soul of any violinist. This a cappella work by Béla Bartók was dedicated to and premiered by Yehudi Menuhin, who demanded the composer make some tweaks to make the Sonata easier to play. Violin Concerto – Ligeti Ligeti was a madman when it came to composing for the violin. A hotchpotch of effects and textures, his concerto for violin and orchestra is packed with harmonics and moments of microtonality. In other words, it’s HARD. 6 Caprices – Sciarrino You’ll have rosin all over your hands after attempting these virtuosic showstoppers for solo violin. Packed with ethereal-sounding harmonics, the Caprices are incredibly ambitious, and require the violinist to play incredibly close to the bridge with their left hand.

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Is a $100 dollar violin good?

You just have to fork over a few hundred dollars more to get it there. Is it worth it? Unless you're doing the work yourself, probably not. You're better off spending a few hundred dollars more and finding an instrument that's of better quality and already setup to a level you are happy with.

violinist.com - V.com weekend vote: Can a $100 violin be a decent instrument?

V.com weekend vote: Can a $100 violin be a decent instrument?

Lately on Violinist.com a spirited debate has developed on a discussion thread called I don't think $100 violins are as terrible as people say.

Is it possible that a $100 is "not terrible"?

I thought it would make for an interesting vote and opportunity to share experiences with cheap violins. While a cheap violin might sort of "work" for a while, it's generally a false economy, as I've illustrated in this article. If you are buying a $100 new violin, you'll probably have to spend $300 fixing it up, and even then it will disappoint in the end due to the poor craftsmanship, materials, etc. etc. But there might be some circumstances under which a $100 violin is not so bad. For example, if an innocent non-musician was selling her grandfather's Stradivari from the attic for $100, not knowing it was actually a real Stradivari. Or, if the violin was being sold for $100 in the year 1840, when $100 was more like $3,500. Or...

You catch my drift. I've structured this vote to allow your creativity, and that's what I expect! Under what circumstances can you imagine a $100 violin being a decent instrument? Or is this just not possible? Or are you okay with a very cheap fiddle?

Also, you are welcome to share your experiences with very cheap violins, whether for yourself, a child, a student or an acquaintance.

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