Scottish Fantasy

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

My orchestra is performing the Scottish Fantasy by Bruch this week. I have played this piece several times over the last 3 decades, with different soloists. I have noticed that the tempo keeps getting faster every time it comes back on the program. This is not my imagination. I always pencil in the metronome marking, with the violinist’s name on it, for future reference. For example, the Finale movement used to be 96-100 to the quarter note, and this week, we are starting at 112 and speeding up from there. When it gets this fast, it becomes necessary to throw some ballast overboard. Just curious…how fast are you all playing this piece nowadays? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to find out in advance what tempi to prepare for? (This is me venting.)

[Sylvia]

I haven’t played that one, but Capriccio Espanol seems to be a competition …let’s see how fast we can play it…all over youtube. I’m sure the composer did not mean for those lovely melodies to be blurs. Last time I played it, I had to gliss the little figures in the last section just to get them in.

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