Sevcik, Otakar - Analytical Studies & Exercises for Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 19 - for Violin and Piano - edited by Stephen Shipps - Lauren Keiser

In 1881, Otakar Sevcik, the 29 year old newly appointed professor of the Kiev Conservatory, forever changed the way violin technique would be studied with the publication of his Op. 1, Violin Left-Hand Technique. Instead of long-winded, meandering studies, Sevcik developed a more concise method that deconstructed technical difficulties in the shortest possible time with the least expenditure of energy, assuring rapid progress and technical proficiency. These initial work established Sevick as one of the foremost pedagogues of his time.Nearly fifty years after the appearance of his Op. 1, Sevick's pioneering spirit took him in the new direction of writing repertoire-specific exercises. His method of teaching included the writing of short exercises called "purpose exercises" that addressed a focus on one issue at a time. Gradually, the student would put the puzzle pieces together and be able to successfully perform a difficult work in its entirety.Each edition includes a solo violin part, a piano accompaniment and the Analytical Studies written for the particular piece. In the Analytical Studies, each measure is addressed separately, and Sevcik goes to extreme measures to separate the different left and right hand difficulties suggesting a solution for each possible problem. Although Sevick only completed a handful of repertory-specific works, his method of preparation can be used for any piece.These Analytical Studies and Exercises have been out of print for over seventy-five years. This new printing of these repertoire-specific Sevcik exercises is now available for an entirely new generation of violinists. Accompanying each volume is a modern edition of each selected work by our editors, Endre Granat and Stephan Shipps.