Galamian Ivan - Principles of violin playing & teaching

PRINCIPLES OF VIOLIN PLAYING & TEACHING

IVAN GALAMIAN

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY

SALLY THOMAS

IVAN GALAMIAN: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH BY

STEPHANIE CHASE

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.

MINEOLA, NEW YORK

Copyright

Introduction to the Dover Edition 2013 by Sally Thomas
Ivan Galamian: A Biographical Sketch 2013 by Stephanie Chase
All rights reserved.

Bibliographical Note

This Dover edition, first published in 2013, is an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in 1962. Sally Thomas has prepared a new Introduction, and Stephanie Chase has prepared a new Biographical Sketch specially for this Dover edition.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Galamian, Ivan.

Principles of violin playing and teaching / Ivan Galamian; with a new introduction by Sally Thomas; Ivan Galamian: A Biographical Sketch by Stephanie Chase

pages cm.

This Dover edition, first published in 2013, is an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in 1962. Sally Thomas has prepared a new Introduction, and Stephanie Chase has prepared a new Biographical Sketch specially for this Dover edition.

eISBN-13: 978-0-486-32064-9

1. ViolinInstruction and study. I. Thomas, Sally (Violinist) II. Title.

MT260.G34 2013
787.2.193dc23

2012039239

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
49864601
www.doverpublications.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
TO THE DOVER EDITION

As a cocky, nave young student from North Dakota I arrived at The Meadowmount School in 1949 after an exhausting and intimidating train ride with several seasoned Galamian students from New York. What was to eventually become a thirty-two year friendship with Ivan Galamian nearly ended in failure. Waiting outside Mr. Gs studio listening to concertos I had only dreamed of playing amplified my nervousness and stiffness. Mr. Galamians penetrating, even invasive gaze didnt help. My first lessons were dismal. However, unknown to me Mr. G was quietly observing me running and playing with his two beautiful boxer dogs. Recognizing the freedom in my play with Mishka and Beebe eventually allowed him to tap into a facility in my playing that had not been realized. My behavior in the lessons gradually changed from timid and passive to energetic and inspired. Mr. Galamian seemed to be able to answer the question many pedagogues ask themselves: What inspires a student to perform better than their observable capabilities ?

During Ivan Galamians lifetime, it was often stated he could teach a chair to play the violin. What was remarkable about Galamians teaching was the number of students that transcended their original promise. Under Galamians guidance, a students potential appeared limitless. His students won most of the major international competitions of the time and became soloists with orchestras, concertmasters, chamber musicians and successful teachers. He taught young prodigies as well as performing artists. During lessons, the intensity of his focus was legendary, and at times he would communicate every nuance of emotion with his eyes without interrupting the flow of the lesson. Mr. Galaminans teaching schedule was typically nine-hours a day, six days a week, but his mental energy was unflagging. He had an ordered, analytical mind with a deep understanding of physics, anatomy and psychology. Even though he was teaching many of the great violinists of the late twentieth century, technical and artistic detail received the same level of attention regardless of the advancement of the student.

He was devoted to teaching and understood the importance of nurturing and mentoring future teachers. Those of us fortunate enough to be chosen to become his assistants were exposed to the underlying principles of his teaching. Teaching students to teach themselves and to listen objectively were emphasized. He had exacting technical standards and an uncompromising insistence on individual artistic expression. His sensitivity to the physical and emotional individuality of students, his intuition and understanding of motivation, and his formidable knowledge of repertoire and technique allowed Galamians students to move in a seamless continuum from foundational technical studies emphasizing interdependence of technique, through artistry at the highest level. He had little regard for pedantic teachers who inflexibly followed a prescribed path, assigning the same studies and repertoire for each student. He was not rigid regarding individual interpretation but always insisted on excellence and beauty in the playing.

Outside of lessons, he was warm and compassionate with a great sense of humor. At Meadowmount, the summer music school he established in 1944, he loved to play chess, bridge and ping-pong, often eating with students in the cafeteria and sharing jokes. Of course, we didnt realize how much he was observing us, searching for the keys to unlock our individual potential.

Because his approach to teaching was individualized for each student, Galamian was initially reluctant about trying to convey his ideas in print. He was eventually convinced the book would be a valuable resource for future violinists and teachers and a reference for specific violin techniques. The book details the physical motions of left and right hand techniques with frequent reminders that all actions are interdependent. The chapter dealing with bow technique is masterful and important because of the wide prevalence of violinists playing with the Galamian bow hold. Other notable passages deal with the idea of correlation between mind and muscles, timing, intonation, and fingerings. Every musician engages in the lifelong pursuit of effective practicing, and there are many perceptive and practical suggestions found in the On Practicing chapter. Training our critical ear and mental awareness was part of the Galamian magic. I am particularly fond of the chapter A Few Words For The Teacher because its obvious that Galamians heart and soul were wholly dedicated to teaching.

Ivan Galamians influence on violin technique and performance practice continues undiminished. Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching and the numerous editions of his violin works are invaluable contributions to the study of the instrument and a testament to Galamians lifelong enthusiasm for the art of teaching. Galamian instructed two generations of violinists but the legacy and inspiration of this work will extend far beyond our time.

SALLY THOMAS
2012

IVAN GALAMIAN:
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Ivan Alexander Galamian, the author of Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching, was one of the most highly regarded violin teachers of the mid- to late-twentieth century, whose former students include many of the major figures of that era in solo performance, chamber music, teaching, and orchestra playing. Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Kyung-Wha Chung, James Buswell, Paul Zukovsky, Miriam Fried, Charles Treger, David Nadien, Michael Rabin, Sally Thomas, Jaime Laredo, Erick Friedman, Glenn Dicterow, Arnold Steinhardt, Fredell Lack, Elizabeth Green, Charles Avsharian, Dorothy Delay, Jan Sloman, Berl Senofsky, Sylvia Rosenberg, Kurt Sassmannshaus, and David Cerone are but a few of the violinists who achieved professional prominence followingand sometimes duringtheir studies with him.