Trott, Josephine
Description
New Edition 2022
The American composer, violinist and pedagogue Josephine Augusta Trott (1874-1950) has left a legacy of books and methods for teachi
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ng the violin. The earliest of these publications dates from 1908, when she would have been 34 years old, it is Studies in Shifting, by "J. Trott", and was published by Chicago publisher: Clayton F. Summy Co. In the preface to these studies Trott says that "Several of these ideas have been suggestions of noted European teachers and have proven to be of great practical value in developing finger strength and accuracy of intonation". The material follows the line seen later in the Yost and Dounis exercises, with multiple combinations of fingerings and positions, this clearly indicates that Josephine was an early forerunner in theorizing these types of repetitive exercises for position changes that are indispensable to the technical development of the violinist. Her next publication is a book written with Ruth Ewing entitled The Book of the Beastie. Beginning in 1912, the book is a collection of stories, poems and photographs intended to educate children and adolescents in the humane treatment of animals. Then in 1917 Melodious Foundation Studies and 28 Melodious Studies in the First Position were published by Schirmer Publishers. The word "melodious" may have been used by Trott to point out the difference between repetition-based technical studies similar to scales. The book of basic etudes is more of a beginner's method, with some duets towards the end. The 28 melodious etudes are all in duet format.
Trott lived in Denver during the 1920s, where he maintained a studio on Humboldt Street. During this time, Trott helped establish the Civic Symphony (now the Denver Symphony) in 1922, and it was three years later that he composed the magnum opus Melodious Double Stops which is divided into two books, in this version book 1 which explores various technical possibilities in first position for precise interval tuning along with different bow articulations, simultaneity in volume of sound in the execution of double stops and when it comes to the left hand these studies are written in an intuitive way that avoids lifting the fingers when it is not necessary, and thus, maintaining the preparation of the fingers on the string. Still widely used today as an option for the study of double stops in various music conservatories worldwide, our edition is based on the first edition printed in 1925 New York: G. Schirmer. Plate 1594. We have added on the text suggestions possible solutions in grey colour by the editor, we have optimized the distribution of measures in some cases to give more comfort in reading, Roisber Narvaez Verlag always in search of veracity and fastidious criticism, offers a new modern edition for amateurs and students who seek the path of improvement in the interpretation of the violin.
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