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Dorothy Barth, Solo Violin What's in My Gig Library? My favorite and most frequently used
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I often get emails from violinists who wish to create or expand their sheet music libraries for wedding or special events performances. This inspired me to create a page listing some of my favorite anthologies. Where possible, I've added product links to Sheet Music Plus, a convenient source for the selections described. This page lists some collections with shorter pieces that are beautiful for weddings (other than the specific wedding anthologies listed on the Solo Violin Main Page and Solo Violin Repertory Page.) My library is large; some of my collection dates back a while and is now out of print. However, most of the music mentioned below is available. I will try to add to this list as time allows (omitting all those violin concertos I studied during my life....). What about music with piano accompaniment? I simply omit it for solo violin weddings. While it may not be exactly what the composer intended, this is true for most music played at weddings. The solo violinist has the delicious challenge of having to rely on the melodic allure and expressive power of the violin to communicate the musical message.
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Standard violin repertory makes wonderful prelude music! |
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| I have an anthology similar to this ("Music for a Million Series" Standard Violin Pieces) that's been in my library since I was about 12 years old! The anthology to the right has most of the same standard violin repertory but has a larger selection. I often play these melodic pieces for wedding preludes without the piano accompaniment. I plan to add this collection to my library and do a piece by piece comparison with my old anthology. |
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Bach 6 Suites per Violino
Solo. My teacher introduced me some years ago to the Bach unaccompanied cello suites transcribed for violin and published by Ricordi. Because these suites have fewer double stops than the unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas, they are easier to perform on violin. And since this glorious music was meant to be performed unaccompanied, it is wonderful and appropriate to include some of it as prelude music at solo weddings. I particularly like to play the Preludio from the Second Suite as well as the lively Bourrées from the Third Suite. |
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| The Fritz Kreisler Collection. I had never studied Kreisler until several years ago when I returned to violin lessons as an adult. I loved studying this anthology! My teacher lined up ten of the compositions in order of difficulty, and I studied eight of them, enjoying them so much that I adopted several for use at weddings. I sometimes play Schön Rosmarin at receptions and the Sicilienne (but not the Rigaudon!) and the Adantino at ceremony preludes. |
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Solos for the Violin Player
Selected and Edited by Josef Gingold. Another quality anthology of 15
violin classics, Baroque through Romantic, also recommended to me by my
teacher. I used the selections by Grieg (Album Leaf and Waltz from Lyric
Pieces) at a Norwegian wedding several years ago. Includes piano
accompaniment.
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| Salon Violin Gems by Paul Alvarez & Dr. Norma Auchter. I like this well edited anthology of 25 Baroque, Classic, and Romantic pieces. It is published by Mel Bay. Often within these classic anthologies there is overlap with other books, but Salon Violin Gems also has some unique pieces that I use a lot. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a link to Sheet Music Plus at this time but believe the book is still available in stores. | |||||||||||||
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Below are some collections of lighter music which I use for receptions. |
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Gypsy Violin by Mary Ann
Harbar. I love this book of gypsy music published by Mel Bay! It includes
helpful information on how to approach the gypsy style of playing, including a
reference key and glossary. A number of the selections are duos and great fun
to play. Some of the solos are challenging but worth the effort. Several years
ago a groom was selecting his wedding music and has some quite specific
demands. I was glad to agree to play some Bach, but when he mentioned Sarasate,
and in particular, Zigeunerweisen, I became a little worried. This
gypsy violin book saved the day. Page 64 contains the memorable interlude
theme from Zigeunerweisen, and the groom was pleased!
I also have Mary Ann Harbar's Cabaret Violin Treasures but was unable to find a link to it on Sheet Music Plus. A number of her violin duo collections are, however, available. I especially like Fiddling Around the World and the Eastern European Music for Violin Duet.
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| More gypsy music! The Gipsy Violin Album of World-Famous Gipsy Romances. Published by Bosworth. 17 classic gypsy pieces with piano accompaniment. |
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100 Solos Violin. This
newer collection of 100 solos freely mixes classical themes, popular music,
and musical theater selections. The pieces are easy to play, and this is a convenient
collection to take along on gigs. It is helpful to practice reading up an
octave to add variety to the simpler pieces.
I also use several volumes of the Musician's Gig Library by Warner Brothers for popular light and nostalgic music at receptions. Unfortunately, this collection no longer seems to be in print. Had I known it would no longer be available, I would have purchased all their volumes. |
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| 50 Years of Movie Music (Violin). I play some of the 50 selections from this anthology at receptions, gravitating toward the more romantic songs such as I Will Wait for You from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. |
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| The Phantom of the Opera. Most everyone loves the romantic ballads of Andrew Lloyd Webber, so I keep this collection close by. It's usually The Music of the Night or All I Ask of You that is requested, but I also like to play Angel of Music, Prima Donna, Think of Me, and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. |
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| Songs of the 40's (Violin) from the Decade Series (Hal Leonard). I couldn't find a violin link to this on Sheet Music Plus, but I enjoy this collection, and it is available in stores. I also have Songs from the 60's, but as far as 20th century decades go, the 40's tunes are more violinistic than those of later decades. | |||||||||||||
| Speaking of the 60's, both these Beatles collections are in my library, both by Hal Leonard. The red volume contains 60 songs, and he purple volume contains 89 songs. I acquired the purple volume after a reception in which a guest requested Something, and it was unfortunately absent from the red volume. Soon afterwards, I discovered it in the purple volume, and this is how my sheet music library expands.... |
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| Mel Bay's Jazz Violin Solos by Usher Abell. Eleven terrific jazz solos, all of them hits, all of them fun to play. I've used this book for a long time, so long, in fact, that the cover has changed. Includes piano accompaniment. A great bargain in my opinion. |
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| Blues Fiddling Classics by Craig Duncan, also a Mel Bay publication and also a lot of fun to play. It contains 25 blues songs that present the melody with words followed by the interesting violin solos. I don't play blues at weddings but have been known to slip in The House of the Rising Sun at receptions to wake up the guests. I must have had this one a while too, because the cover changed again. |
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| Mel Bay's Complete Irish Fiddle Player by Peter Cooper. My bookcase contains lots of Irish collections, but I recommend this one for starters because it contains not only wonderful tunes of different types (as well as interesting photos) but most importantly, it clearly explains Irish fiddle ornamentation. |
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| Forget Me Not. A Collection of 50 Memorable Traditional Irish Tunes compiled, arranged and recorded in ornamented and unornamented versions by Séamus Connolly and Laurel Martin (originally for fiddle students at Boston College). The juxtaposition of the ornamented and unornamented version for each piece is an interesting and painless way for the fiddler to become familiar with Irish ornaments. |
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Here is but one of the many
fiddle collections by Edward Huws Jones. I own practically all of them.
Notice that each book can be purchased in two ways as shown here with The
Celtic Fiddler. The basic violin edition (that is the green cover here)
contains the solo part and an easy violin accompaniment. The more
comprehensive complete edition includes piano accompaniment and a more
difficult double-stopped violin accompaniment. The collections can thus be
played in many different ways but are fine for solo playing as well.
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Fabulous source book for the Celtic fiddler |
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| First published in 1903, O'Neill's Music of Ireland is a treasury of Irish music. With 1850 tunes, its pages are densely populated, but what a fabulous source book, offering opportunity for endless discovery! |
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| Key words: What's in My Gig Library? Dorothy Barth Favorite Violin Collections for solo violin weddings and special events, violin wedding music, violin reception music |