In this House Music Series video, violinist Katie Hyun plays the striking Presto from J.S. Bach’s B Minor Partita for solo violin. She plays both modern violin and period instruments, but here, she performs on a baroque violin whose tone is much darker and richer than today’s violins, illuminating the lush harmonies of Bach’s music.
Hyun has worked with Metropolis Ensemble for many years, and came to this recording project during the summer. She chose to perform this movement of Bach because it was a touchstone for her while learning to play the baroque violin, which has a tuning that’s lower in pitch, a wider fingerboard, and uses gut strings, whose tension differs from modern steel strings and require a different bowing style to be played to their fullest extent. This piece, whose fast runs and ever-evolving harmonic structure requires agility and rigorous commitment, was the perfect place to begin the journey of learning how to play a baroque violin. Here, her performance is zealous and playful, highlighting each of its fast-paced melodies with expert flair. -- Vanessa Ague
Episode: 69Date: December 1, 2020Artist: Katie HyunInstrumentation: Baroque ViolinWork: "Presto from B Minor Partita"Composer: J.S. BachMore from House Music