You know in Sherlock Holmes where occasionally Jeremy Brett would be playing some edgy violin music? Who are the best composers for this sortof stuff? Andy C? Statto? Ursus? Fitter Happier?

I've got plenty of King Of The Slums already, thanks.

Go straight to Eugène Ysaÿe's violin sonatas. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200.

Examples below, played by Maxim Vengerov who has recorded four of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v2jUf_csZE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA9sBQ_0Jo

And here's a snatch of an excellent recording by Thomas Zehetmair that I myself have, and he recorded all six:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3vdeooU3pE

If you want way-beyond-the-edgy, try Salvatore Sciarrino.

You could do a lot worse than the new Minotaur Shock album, actually (although that's more a case of edgy cello music, with electronic basslines).

QUOTE:
Who are the best composers for this sortof stuff? Andy C? Statto? Ursus? Fitter Happier?

Didn't realise we had so many violinists on OTF.

A bit post-Holmes, but I reckon this Bartok sonata has a lot of the qualities of quiet distubed stream-of consciousness introspection that you're looking for.

Ysaye is a good call up there.

Do you like Berg, Tubby?

I find there's a lot of edgy violin playing in folk music. I suspect this is something that Andy C also knows a lot more about than me.

It's difficult to imagine the great detective scraping his Strad for some lumpy Fenland step-dance tune from the repertoire of Eely Went, but there are certainly plenty of places you can go to hear music with a bit of otherness, mystery and bite. The spectral ringing strings of the Norwegian Hardingfele, for example - here is a fantastic fifty-year-old archive clip of an old traditional player.

The rest of Scandinavia comes up with music that fits the remit, too - this is a traditional polska (not a polka, mark you) that sounds all wrought and irregular despite being dance music. (The effect is heightened when, as is common, there's a second fiddle playing a second line.) See also Finland and Denmark.

And this short snatch of a bourrée gives you a flavour of what French traditional fiddling can sound like.

Thanks for all this. Next step is to see if they have them at Barbican Library.

Thanks again.

QUOTE:

Didn't realise we had so many violinists on OTF.

I do actually play violin in a couple of The Exploits of Elaine tracks. Well, when I say play I mean I loop drones on one track and use the body as a percussion instrument on another.

Anyway, the following are all edgy in very different ways...

Pendercki's Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima is fucking horrible. Full strings, not just violins. His violin concerto is stunning too. Cale and Terry Riley's stuff from the Theater of Eternal Music is awesome, although it's viola. Jean Luc-Ponty's violin lead fusion is pretty hot sometimes.

Martin Carthy is probably my favourite violinist (or fiddler). Great English folk fiddler (check out Fairport Convention's Liege and Lief) but with a good understanding of more experimental techniques (check out Martin Carthy and Swarbrick's Reynardine).

Fatter, I think you're getting Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick confused there. Swarbrick's the fiddler, Carthy plays guitar.

I think Jon Boden (of Spiers and Boden and Bellowhead) is a great folk fiddler.

Right, first up will be Ysaye. The library has the following: http://onlinecatalogue.cityoflondon.gov.uk/TalisPrism/doSearch.do;jsessionid=B5693A9A0D4617181E74991D2A7718E6.worker1

What do you reckon, Statto?

I can't see the exact same results as you, there, TI, but from doing a quick "Ysaye" search myself I would plump for the Zehetmair recording which seems to be listed as:


Sonates pour violon solo

Ysaÿe, Eugène, 1858-1931 Other titles by Author(s)
compact disc

Publication Date: 2004

Control Number: R4726872

It won awards, you know. And I love it.

Got that from the library just now. They had two different people playing the same things and I luckily remembered which one you recommended.

Lyra, I also got some Alban Berg.

Looking fwd to this stuff.

QUOTE:
Fatter, I think you're getting Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick confused there. Swarbrick's the fiddler, Carthy plays guitar.

Indeed, I knew that. A damn fine guitarist too.

Silly me.