Musicians must control many things to perform a composition. They must play the correct notes, in tune, at the correct time, at the correct length, and with appropriate loudness or softness (dynamic).   On a violin, each musical passage requires continuous control over both hands. With the left hand, which holds the violin, all but the lowest notes can be played on more than one string, or with different fingers. Some notes can be played as harmonics or overtones on the string.   The violinist controls whether left hand shifts up…

Contractual “Truncation” or Shortening of Statutes of Limitations  Classical music compositions are frequently based upon small musical ideas called motifs. After introducing a motif, the composer will repeat it with change, keeping the motif sufficiently recognizable to create continuity within the composition. Composers use a variety of techniques to change motifs. A motif may become more complex, through adding notes (called elaboration). Or the composer may streamline it through omitting notes while maintaining its essence (simplification). The motif may be transposed into a different key or start on a different note in the…

In an orchestra, not every violinist plays the same music. There are first violin and second violin parts. Although these are labeled “first” and “second,” in a professional orchestra, every violinist performs at a high level. Neither the first nor second violin section is “better” than the other. Rather, the two violin parts traditionally have different functions. The first violin part focuses on the melody and plays more on the upper registers (tonal range) of…

Fritz Kreisler was one of the most famous violinists of the early 20th century. Besides studying violin, Kreisler studied with composer Anton Bruckner at the Vienna Conservatory and with composers Jules Massenet and Leo Delibes in Paris. Kreisler was a prolific composer. Although he is best known for his volumes of violin pieces, he arranged dozens of compositions for violin and piano and wrote cadenzas (virtuosic solo music played in the middle of a…

In 2018, Elizabeth Rowe, principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), filed a lawsuit against the orchestra under Massachusetts’ equal pay law. Although Rowe was the only principal flutist, she claimed the BSO violated the equal pay law by paying John Ferrillo, the principal oboist, about $70,000 more per year than she received.   The BSO case was later settled. But it raises interesting questions about the gender wage gap in orchestras. Although principal players can make significantly more money than section members, only 21% of the slots go to women.   Is a Flutist Worth More than…

After months of labor negotiations, in May 2019 the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) cancelled its 2019 summer season, resulting in a lockout for the musicians. And on July 16, 2019, the National Philharmonic announced it will close due to budgetary concerns.  Earlier in 2019, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra resolved the longest musician strike in its 128-year history, which kept concerts silent in the Windy City for seven weeks. In 2016, both the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Orchestras went on strike. In 2012, Minneapolis Orchestra musicians were locked…

College Street Music Hall in New Haven, Connecticut is one of many historic movie theaters which have been preserved. Many have been given new lives as live music performance venues. With more than a century of use as a performance venue, the location first was home to the Rialto movie theater. When the Rialto burned down, the Robert Sherman Theatre was built on the location in 1926. After a period of inactivity, the theatre reopened…