A new and wide-ranging collection of essays by leading international scholars, exploring the concept and practices of virtuosity in Franz Liszt and his contemporaries.

Just before the most important violin competition of her career, seventeen-year-old prodigy Carmen faces critical decisions about her anti-anxiety drug addiction, her controlling mother, and a potential romance with her most talented rival.

Olympic Gold medalist Peter Vidmar teaches principles embodied by ROV which are simple, yet the underlying messages are profound. When applied together, these principles can help change lives.

Driven by a passion for music, for excellence, and for fame, violin soloists are immersed from early childhood in high-pressure competitions, regular public appearances, and arduous daily practice. An in-depth study of nearly one hundred such children, Producing Excellence illuminates the process these young violinists undergo to become elite international soloists. A musician and a parent of a young violinist, sociologist Izabela Wagner offers an inside look at how her young subjects set out on the long road to becoming a soloist. The remarkable research she conducted—at rehearsals, lessons, and in other educational settings—enabled her to gain deep insight into what distinguishes these talented prodigies and their training. She notes, for instance, the importance of a family culture steeped in the values of the musical world. Indeed, more than half of these students come from a family of professional musicians and were raised in an atmosphere marked by the importance of instrumental practice, the vitality of music as a vocation, and especially the veneration of famous artists. Wagner also highlights the highly structured, rigorous training system of identifying, nurturing, and rewarding talent, even as she underscores the social, economic, and cultural factors that make success in this system possible. Offering an intimate portrait of the students, their parents, and their instructors, Producing Excellence sheds new light on the development of exceptional musical talent, as well as draw much larger conclusions as to “producing prodigy” in other competition-prone areas, such as sports, sciences, the professions, and other arts. Wagner’s insights make this book valuable for academics interested in the study of occupations, and her clear, lively writing is perfect for general readers curious about the ins and outs of training to be a violin soloist.

Introduction. Coloratura and Female Vocality -- The New Franco-Italian School of Singing -- Verdi and the End of Italian Coloratura -- Melismatic Madness and Technology -- Caroline Carvalho and Her World -- Carvalho, Gounod, and the Waltz -- Vestiges of Virtuosity : The French Coloratura Soprano -- Epilogue. Unending Coloratura.

What is virtuosity? Is it an innate gift or can it be taught? How does it manifest in music, dance, or drama, and by what criteria? What does it take to become a virtuoso/a; what are the odds of success? And ultimately, at what price? Examining the concept of virtuosity in multiple perspectives, this book helps to answer those questions and many more. V. A. Howard traces virtuosity from its historical roots to philosophical and psychological learning theory to the rigours of professional training and shows how high level performers are made, marketed, and sold by those who broker talent as a commodity. Critics and theorists will find this book comprehensive and illuminating. And for that vast group of budding aspirants (and their mentors) who desire to «make it», to figure out where they are going, how far and why, the insights contained herein are key to survival. No dance or drama studio, regional theatre, music school, or conservatory can afford to ignore this hard look at the realities of classical performance art and training. For those whose vocation is performance, this is required reading.

Instrumentation: Violin and Piano or CD The third volume moves students toward more advanced playing techniques and literature. This text continues to develop playing skills found in Book 2 and advances the student through more rigorous and lengthy literature. Instrument-specific selections promote performance, reinforcing shifting skills, more advanced bowing techniques, and complex and multiple-meter pieces. The book contains solo literature that: enables the student to use higher positions with suggested fingerings; features accidentals that challenge left-hand intonation; utilizes more complex time signatures, multiple-meters, and challenging rhythmic patterns; and develops the bow stroke to perform more expressive dynamics and musicianship. Digital audio available.