[Assorted]

I came across this performance of a Handel sonata on the viola by Olga Goija, whcih has 90k views and 150 comments. The beauty of her tone notwithstanding, it's quite out of tune. If I were the performer, I would not want to have it posted in public space.

However the comments do not reflect that. I do notice that a good number of the comments are "LOL VIOLA IS BETAR THAN VLN I'M LIKE PRINCIPAL IN MY HIGH SCHOOL ORCH," but I couldn't find any comment that pointed out the regretful out of tune notes. I'm beginning to suspect that it's me and my hearing, as I am also a violist who happens to play without a shoulder rest, resulting in a flatter, more upright posture that brings sound closer to my left ear.

So is it out of tune head-fi'ers? Or do people who comment on youtube not care/point it out? I hope it is, because if not it would mean that my hearing is shot

I'm not criticizing the violist. There happens to be other recordings of her performing high level pieces (Bach Ciaconna fifth lower, Shostakovich, Schnittke) on Youtube, all played in front of large audiences; those pieces are much more technically demanding than the Handel.


ninja edit: After listening to it 10 times, I seemed to have gotten "used" to the sound and hearing less and less of the sharpness in some notes. ::Strangeness::

 

[earthpeople]

I listened through it twice and I didn't really hear anything wrong. But maybe you're the one that's right and my hearing is going bad!

 

[Calexico]

Burn-in... Videos on Youtube sound better after you've listened through them a few times.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Somehow, I am reminded of a musician's joke about tuning a viola.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid+ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listened through it twice and I didn't really hear anything wrong. But maybe you're the one that's right and my hearing is going bad!

Yes many people don't hear it, so it may be a mistake on my part.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif Burn-in... Videos on Youtube sound better after you've listened through them a few times.

Oh yes, BURN IN. After 2 years on Head-fi I still haven't learned. I'm going to download the video and put it on loop for 2 weeks and report my findings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Somehow, I am reminded of a musician's joke about tuning a viola.

I want to insert a Frasier here but I'm too tired.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

I thought it sounded nice but then again I wouldn't notice an out of tune note if it walked over and smacked me in the face.

 

[Bunnyears]

Assorted, you are not tone deaf. The violist does have some intonation problems in this performance. She also is, in proper fashion, using very little vibrato which would have masked a bit of it. By listening to it over and over, you are merely desensitizing your ear to the irregularities of the performance. If you really want to analyze it closely to make sure you (and I ) are not imagining the problems, you will have to find an excellent recording of the same sonata, then use a score to mark off the places you hear a problem, and then compare it to the better recording.

You shouldn't be surprised if most people cannot hear the "off" notes. She's not blatantly off, only by a quarter tone in most places. Most Western ears can't even recognize a quarter tone when they hear it!

 

[panda]

do you mean she's playing in a lower pitch? i hear the offset but maybe it's done on purpose. each performer has their style...

 

[Assorted]

Yes it sounds beautiful. Her technique is absolutely amazing (see Schnittke 2nd mvmt), which I'm guessing is derived from spending years in a conservatory. It's just this particular recording that slightly bothered me.

I'm asking on the forums because I don't want to go to my musical colleagues and go "hay gais, Imma amateur n00b hoo thinks this conservatory level violist is out of tune, amirite?"

 

[csroc]

From listening to it what I'm noticing most is that at times she sounds a touch on the flat side, worse on some notes than others. Anyone agree or am I way off?... it's late, I'm tired and about to go to sleep and regretfully I haven't played music myself in a while and I know I'm not as good at picking tones as I used to be

edit: Regarding your comment panda, maybe she is doing it on purpose. But some of the notes stand out to me and I don't care for them.

 

[Assorted]

Thank you Bunnyears, I'm quite relieved

I do prefer modern performances of Baroque strictly in articulate but majestic modern style (St. Martin-in-Fields, Grumiaux, Richter) as much as I enjoy period equipment in either "orthodox" period (Pinnock, John Eliot Garner) or vibrant period style (Biondi, Manze). Maybe this preference had kept me secluded from other styles regarding that time period. The only "middle ground" interpretation that I can actually enjoy is Kim Kashkashian + Keith Jarret playing the Gamba sonatas on a modern viola.

Quote:

Originally Posted by csroc /img/forum/go_quote.gif From listening to it what I'm noticing most is that at times she sounds a touch on the flat side, worse on some notes than others. Anyone agree or am I way off?... it's late, I'm tired and about to go to sleep and regretfully I haven't played music myself in a while and I know I'm not as good at picking tones as I used to be

4th finger on C-string is commonly flat on the viola, because the finger spacing for the C-string and G-string is more severly different than that of the violin's G-string and D-string. That causes the viola to sound more awkward/sometimes out of tune relative to the violin.

 

[Nocturnal310]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif Burn-in... Videos on Youtube sound better after you've listened through them a few times.

or if u add "&fmt=18" or "&fmt=22" (without quotes) at the end of the video id.

 

[csroc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif 4th finger on C-string is commonly flat on the viola, because the finger spacing for the C-string and G-string is more severly different than that of the violin's G-string and D-string. That causes the viola to sound more awkward/sometimes out of tune relative to the violin.

I did not know that, interesting! Thanks for enlightening me

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you Bunnyears, I'm quite relieved I do prefer modern performances of Baroque strictly in articulate but majestic modern style (St. Martin-in-Fields, Grumiaux, Richter) as much as I enjoy period equipment in either "orthodox" period (Pinnock, John Eliot Garner) or vibrant period style (Biondi, Manze). Maybe this preference had kept me secluded from other styles regarding that time period. The only "middle ground" interpretation that I can actually enjoy is Kim Kashkashian + Keith Jarret playing the Gamba sonatas on a modern viola. 4th finger on C-string is commonly flat on the viola, because the finger spacing for the C-string and G-string is more severly different than that of the violin's G-string and D-string. That causes the viola to sound more awkward/sometimes out of tune relative to the violin.

That must be it because she is really flat in quite a few places. I'm surprised she posted this on Youtube. It's a performance that I would want burned and buried.

Btw, for a terrific recording of the cello suites on modern viola, try Patricia McCarty. This also has the benefit of having been recorded at the music hall of the Troy Savings Bank, an accoustic treasure.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears /img/forum/go_quote.gif Btw, for a terrific recording of the cello suites on modern viola, try Patricia McCarty. This also has the benefit of having been recorded at the music hall of the Troy Savings Bank, an accoustic treasure.

Wow thanks for the suggestion, passing on the info is as good as buying the CD for me. Further digging revealed that she has also done Telemann on her viola.

I'll be looking forward to my mail from ArkivMusic in the next 2 weeks.