This week, we’re taking a look at something that some of you have played, that some of you are currently playing, and that some of you will have the opportunity to play at some point in your learning – the Bach A minor Violin Concerto.  All three movements of this concerto can be found in Suzuki Violin Book 7.

The more one gets to know Bach, the more appreciates what a genius he was.  And in this concerto one finds true mastery not only of the craft of musical composition but of the understanding of the violin as a unique instrument.  Bach was so incredibly skilled at using the nuances of a stringed instrument – string crossings, bow changes, finger patterns, etc. – to his advantage throughout his composing.

The result is a piece that is simultaneously well-suited to the violin and challenging to the violinist.  Students generally find this work to be challenging both in its scope and in its technical difficulty, but they also find it particularly satisfying as it is increasingly learned and mastered.

Here is the impeccable Julia Fischer giving her rendition of this time-honored piece.