University of Leeds

CHASE

CHASE

Manuscript Annotations

Page No. Note
1

The instruction Sp[itze] and the reverse bowing indicates that Singer envisaged this passage with a martelé style bowing at the point. (Joachim and Moser acknowledged the possibility of this passage being played either martelé or spiccato (Violinschule iii, 12). Singer's indication 'Mitte' on the next stave is evidently intended to prevent the player getting too far down the bow and thus being unable to continue the martelé in the following passage.

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2

The fingering here and in the next bar provides an unusual example of three position changes in unbroken succession, with the obvious implications of portamento, however discrete and varied. This pattern is repeated on the following stave. It is possible to see this as linked with the instruction 'molto espressivo' at the beginning of the passage.

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2

Sliding by semitones, if done rapidly, can sound 'clean', Singer evidently wishes to make clear that a portamento should be audible here.

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2

Since some degree of portamento would be normal here, Singer clearly wants to indicate an expressive slide.

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4

A slow shift of the 2nd finger, with portamento effect, is indicated by the slanting line.

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5

The two chords could perfectly easily be executed cleanly without a position change.

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5

The use of the harmonic here is also found in Ferdinand David's and Carl Halir's editions. Others avoid it by various means.

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5

These fingerings, like so many others in the edition, are designed for portamento effects.

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6

This indication suggests that Singer expected the whole of this section to be played in the lower half of the bow with an off-string stroke.

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6

In contrast with the first section, this is to be played at the point.

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6

Singer's frequent use of this instruction acknowledges the prevailing 19th-century view that some players, even very good ones, were unable to execute the slurred staccato (near the point of the bow) effectively.

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