Editor's Note (excerpts)
The inspiration for this translation came from the earliest years of my training. My two major teachers during these young years—Josef Gingold and Ivan Galamian—both had connections with Lucien Capet in Paris in the 1920’s. His influence on both men stayed with them for their entire careers and in turn influenced generations of violinists (as well as string players in general) for the remainder of the century.
As a young student, I was fascinated by the stories that were related to me by my main teacher, Josef Gingold, about an evening in the late 1920’s he spent attending a concert of the Capet Quartet—an evening that changed his life.
Gingold introduced me to Capet’s book, La technique supérieure de l’archet. Gingold bemoaned the fate of this volume, which had never been translated into English.
Through the ensuing years, I have heard rumors of a translation here or there made for a teacher’s private use. Finally, the copyright of the original volume has run out, and now Gingold’s wish has come true. Before his death, Gingold wrote a foreword for this translation, relating his feelings and thoughts on hearing this great artist play. I hope this publication will help teachers and performers throughout the English-speaking world by opening up new worlds of control and artistry in all of our bow arms.
Stephen B. Shipps
Professor of Violin
University of Michigan
Meadowmount School of Music
Margaret Schmidt
Translator
Margaret Schmidt
is Assistant Professor of Music Education-Strings in the Herberger
College School of Music at Arizona State University. She is director
of the ASU String Project, which enrolls over 100 fifth-and
sixth-grade children each semester, and provides supervised teaching
opportunities for ASU music education majors.Prior to her appointment at ASU, Dr. Schmidt was Associate Professor of Music Education and Chairperson of the Music Department at St. Cloud State University, and principal second violinist of the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra. At SCSU, she founded and directed Spiritoso, a regional youth orchestra for students in grades 6-8, assisted by university string education majors. Dr. Schmidt taught elementary and junior high strings for 14 years in the school systems of Austin, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Naperville, Illinois. She has earned degrees from the University of Michigan, SUNY-StonyBrook, and Lawrence University.