Scherzo Tarantella (Live & Unedited) -- Ann Fontanella

[JESUS1John]

GREAT STUFF

[vipstyle2010]

Great!! Wieniawski 'd bevery happy ^^

[mrwasbesonders]

I read in an article that Erick Friedman once said that watching Heifetz he concluded to play the violin well was easy and badly was difficult. You might well know if this was a true account. I for one watching you play this piece have concluded after having struggled horribly with this piece that even if he didn't really say that for my own experience it is true! Thanks for sharing another fantastic and inspiring performance.

[Annfontanella]

@mrwasbesonders , thanks very much :). Yes, Mr. Friedman did say that. He often remarked that he even found it frustrating because things that he struggled with, Heifetz appeared to find easy....:)

[cvrlle86]

bravissimo!!!

[DIDICOYFUL]

Tarantella is my favorite pice from the violin. Great vid 

[heifetz87]

Hey Ann have you heard Joshua bells version of the Scherzo Tarantella ?

If so,  what is your opinion on Joshua bell's rendition.

[harino45]

How long after starting violin were you able to play this piece?

[danielgdecastro]

Amazing performance! I love this piece ^^

[stickexjr]

the only video i've seen so far that's actually comparable to the heifetz :D

[Tintafourteen]

This has to be my favourite, pure class.

[Annfontanella]

Thanks so much, tinta! I have to admit that I have a weakness for the Tarentelle, too. It was my favorite video of Heifetz when I was 7 :)....

[ashtimoi]

I love love love this piece!! It has to be my favorite of all time You did really great. :D You're getting up there with Jascha Heiftz!!!

[Annfontanella]

Thanks so much, ashtimoi!! That's a big compliment! I hope I don't disappoint...!

[ashtimoi]

Haha I'm sure you won't :D lol i agree with Grey...haha except for the stalker bit.

[GreyShinobi]

Ann I think youtubers all over the world are in love with you. If you keep it up you might even get a stalker! xD ...besides me... (j/k, lol).

I still listen to this piece like 20 times a day just like I told you I would wayy back when. =)

[Annfontanella]

LOL, Grey! It's good to hear from you!! I'm glad you still like my playing :). How are things going? Are you set for Xmas? :)

[GreyShinobi]

You know... for the first time, I just may be. xD Finally caught a break, and if I play my cards right, this could finally be the jumpstart I've been needing. How have you been? Are you all set?

[Annfontanella]

Xmas was awesome - and so was Chanukah :). My dad is christian, my mom is jewish....which makes me confused! :p....Any New Year's resolutions? :)

[GreyShinobi]

Wow. That's a houseful, lol. "On the 32nd day of Chanumas my true love said to me..." sorry. Don't mean to poke fun. I don't celebrate at all and you got 2, so that's like the other extreme I guess. xD My New Year's resolution is basically to try to actually DO something with my life. Not getting any younger and all. How bout you?

[TheSingingViolinist]

My mom's side is Jewish and Christian/catholic too:D

[pawel66544]

Bravo bravo bravo ;*

[Annfontanella]

Thanks, pawel! :)

[melonwithice]

I'm speechless... I wanna marry you...

[Annfontanella]

Thanks, melon! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

[8RR8R8]

Have you ever thought of playing also viola da gamba :D?

[Annfontanella]

Oh gosh - I had such a hard time just learning violin in the first place! LOL!

[acerb45666555]

excellent!

[Annfontanella]

Thanks, acerb!

[darvasvili]

Bravo Anfontanella.. Very good.

[cpStrakk]

ann ... you are amazing! i play violin but the most complex piace ive played so far is Highland Variations ... so im still practicing ... keep on inspiring ann!

[Annfontanella]

CpStrakk, keep up the awesome work!!! And let me know if I can help you out with anything!

[MegaWeagle]

Your awesome!! Then to scroll down and see how you hop on and talk/help everyone you can just demands respect from anyone and everyone!

Thank you and keep blessing peoples lives :)

[Annfontanella]

Mega, it's all my pleasure! It's very encouraging for me to interact with so many kind and supportive people here!

[diodepack]

backdrop to countless hours of studying. thank you.

[Annfontanella]

Happy midterming, diodepack! :)

[LeRameauDeSalzbourg]

I confess...in this time, I prefered to look playing violin rather than listening the melody itself.

Since I watched the playing of the left-hand, now I can see the meaning of the legend...the fingers tune the strings, they were just like "tarantula"!

I looked as if the violin was larger than real. And I don't know why, but I looked the violin was ordering you to serve this music. Sorry my peculiar impression, but I surely felt this rendition had included incredible feeling even mysterious...

[Annfontanella]

Rameau, it's true there are big stretches in this one and I suppose that it means your fingers CAN start looking like tarantulas, LOL. My fingers are a little skinny, too, so it also creates the illusion you mentioned of the violin seeming too big...BTW, I've played this piece since I was 7, so possibly since I have gotten to know it so well, it's just one of those things that becomes a part of you :)....!

[mjcusmthw]

Wow. I notice you do not perform with the music in front of you. Are you blessed with an incredible memory as well?

[proggoth]

Most if not all performing artists have their repertoire memorized. That is not to suggest that she doesn't possess an incredible memory. She very well may.

[Annfontanella]

Mj, proggoth is correct that they usually music must be memorized for concerts...My memory - I don't really have much basis for comparison, but I can memorize 2 pages of music in about half an hour (I just play it over and over, LOL)...

[TheSingingViolinist]

Ann! You are scaryO_O!!!!! I love this piece and someday I hope to play it:D You vibrato is beautiful, btw:D

[Annfontanella]

It's a fun piece....! What are you working on right now? :)

[TheSingingViolinist]

Csardas. I don't know what I'll work on next, La Folia by Corelli I think:D and some Bach

[Annfontanella]

Very dark music!!!! :) :) You need some cheery stuff! How 'bout Mozart 5? He's always happy :)....

[TheSingingViolinist]

Not today:'( My aunt just passed away yesterday...

[VanessaMaeFan18]

ann, my name is bruce george, and im like a fan of yours now!! your virtoursoity and pure talent is just amazing!!!! i love your yankee doodle varations. i listend to it like 4x and was blown away!! you are great!!!!!!

[Annfontanella]

Thank you, Bruce! Yankee Doodle is quite a fun piece to run over! It sounds a lot harder than it is, though, to be honest! :)

[dwayne9876]

amazing! Im a fan for life!

[Mlcox7]

fantastic job. i absolutley love this piece. very well played!

[Annfontanella]

Thanks, MIcox! I love this piece, too! I first saw it on the old Heifetz video and was immediately insane about it :)....

[VanessaMaeFan18]

omgg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!! this is amazing!!! you are the female heifetz seriously!!! YOUR TCHAIK. VLN CONERTO IN D WAS FLAWLESS!!!!! I WAS LIKE WHOOOOOOOOOOAA!!!! you are a violin beast!! =) so awesome! are you going to play any paganini anytime soon?

[Annfontanella]

The 24th caprice is in the works, Vanessa! :)

[Mlcox7]

I know exactly which Heifetz video you're talking about... I think ive seen it a grand total of 47 times ;P

[Annfontanella]

I grew up on it! :)

[PhoenixSymphony1331]

i still cant get enough of hearing you play!!

your so talented and beautiful in every way!

[Orchadorkcello]

Learning this on cello. I love this piece but even playing it slow is so difficult!

[cchamp27]

Absolutely fantastic. But at the section from 0:24-0:31 and sections like it, it gets repetitive and rhythmically stale - this is a joke AND a dance, there has to be more ebb and flow, and here the piano stops. We get so caught up in reading the notes and following what's written so religiously to obey the composer's will that we forget Western music is the only music in the history of the world that requires notation to be performed. Music, like nature, demands variation and unpredictability

[iluminada333]

Yeah, like Mozart and Beethoven :D

[bleuviolon]

Hi, I'm just going to say, you're amazing (:

Thank you for the friend invitation, it made me feel happy on a bad day.

I'm just a 15 year old kid who is a mediocre violinist to say the most and with little exposure to the details of violin technique, but I love hearing someone with such an evident passion for music play. You're really spectacular.

By the way, you, your dress, and violin are all gorgeous.

[Annfontanella]

I'm sorry to hear about the bad day, but am very glad I could do something to make you feel a little more chipper :). If you ever need help with anything musical, let me know...! I am more than happy to put in my two cents worth....:)

[AlexanderWung]

Where did you perform this?

[Annfontanella]

Alexander, I played this at the Academy of Music in Lancaster, PA. I have perfect pitch, as do my older and younger sisters, too! I think it runs in the family :-D. As for Wienawski, I don't really know. My guess is not. His music requires (in my opinion) even more skill in the right hand than left. Generally, the trickiest stuff for the left hand would be LH pizz or dbl harmonics;these aren't terribly dominant in his music - though he regularly requires tremendous things from the right hand! :)

[AlexanderWung]

Do you have Perfect Pitch? Because I think that most great virtusos have it.

[AlexanderWung]

Was Wienawski a lefty?

[calloffthedogs]

Ann - you are SENSATIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Breathtaking technique and what a marvelous vibrato !!- much like Heifetz/Kogan. Your bow grip also recalls that of Heifetz! Keep it up!!

[Annfontanella]

I remember Mr. Friedman discussed my hold and said it was common in children who played instruments which were too big for them. True in my case, and I believe he also mentioned that Heifetz, at age 3 (and not a big man), played a quarter size..! :)

[mcgaffinca]

you are now one of my favorite players!!! I was mesmerized!! I always wanted to play this piece but after hearing it played with such perfection i don't know if I can anymore!

[Annfontanella]

You are too sweet - Play it!!!! It's a lot of fun!! What are you currently working on?? :)

[mcgaffinca]

Oh If I could play it, I would be! I am currently working on Sarasate's Habanera and Vitali's Chaconne in G minor. But I do a lot of other things and there is just not enough time in the day to dedicate myself getting that good. And I just watched your yankee doodle video!!!! WOW!! I want to play that one too!!!

[Annfontanella]

Awesome!! I LOVE the Habenera! The last page is insane! Do you play instruments beside the violin?

[mcgaffinca]

Yeah. I am a guitar player. I would consider that my main instrument now but I cant get a music Ed degree with guitar, so I use violin. And about the Habanera, Its honestly not the last page giving me trouble. Its the rest of it! I'm assuming you have played it before. Is there a recording of you playing it somewhere?

[Annfontanella]

I've played it, but haven't recorded it yet...If there are specific passages you're having a rough time with, let me know which - I might be able to help out - suggest fingerings, etc....:)

[mcgaffinca]

Thanks a bunch! That would be fantastic!! I'm touring this summer so I wont have much time to work on it but as soon as school starts I'l be back at it. p.s. have you heard of the group Barrage?!!! you should totally join that group!!!

[Annfontanella]

Yes, I believe I've heard of it....they do classical mixed in, I think?? One of my students went to one of their concerts once, and I remember she something to that effect (though I could be mixed up!! :))...And by all means - when you get to it, just let me know and I'll be more than happy to give you a hand, if I can! :)

[mcgaffinca]

Thanks very much. That would be helpful I'm sure. And I'm sure you are ridiculously busy so only when you ever have time. And yeah, Barrage does a little of everything. They are fantastic!!! And If you ever go on tour in the midwest, I would love to see you play someday.

[pianok12]

simply amazing =)

[iluminada333]

You are so A-mazing! :)

[omg55912]

lol oi! I had not rated this a 5 yet! so i did before posting my comment and it deleted it! lol Anyways... lol! I really want to start this piece! I think my teacher would be like AHHHHH! she's more of a fiddler>.> I think she once held the title of Minnesota state fiddler! or something. WIth a lot of deliberate practice & hard work would it be possible to learn this from like August to December? Your intonation is amazing and all the technical nuances are stunning! hehe

[Annfontanella]

That's a funny youtube bug!!! :-D I don't see why you couldn't learn it in that time frame. What is current level? What pieces do you play now??

[omg55912]

my big piece is the Carmen by sarasate, but pieces that aren't as much of a challenge (kind of! lol) are Sarasate's Malageuna, Meditation from Thais by Massanet, Rondo by Mozart the Kreisler arrangement! Restarted taking lessons at start of spring semester! From 11th grade and senior year I did Zigeunerweisen by sarasate and Scene de ballet by De Beriot but I was nieve and not very critical of my playing(technique) so i did relatively poor performances :( lol

[omg55912]

:P im not sure if it was a terrible idea to stop taking lessons and just really go after music! sure would've helped to know who Leopold Auer was and to have read his book then though ! lol I was at a music camp and there was a guy that played zigeunerweisen, i was so inspired/motivated to attempt to play it-- thats why i think i was nieve haha! Maybe I'm being nieve againlol-- you are very very very very extraordinary!!!! By any chance do you play piano too or any other instruments?

[Annfontanella]

Yeah, based on the other pieces you're doing, I don't think you'll have any problem with Scherzo Tarentelle!!! :) I do play piano and viola, also - and actually teach viola a little, too, LOL....!

[DNAPROTEINN]

Amazing. Truly amazing. Reminds me Igor Oistrach

[eddie81588]

I really really like your playing. Where do you go to school?

[Annfontanella]

I go to the University of Pennsylvania, but I got most of my musical training with Erick Friedman, at Yale School of Music :)...

[kathleenkarcher]

Beautiful. A true virtuoso.

[Annfontanella]

Thank you, Kathleen. I am so glad you liked my playing!

[Galadrain]

.....wow.

[serafinichess]

Whatever oldjarhead is smoking, I want some...This girl is an absolutely breath-taking virtuoso -- Paganini risen from the grave

No 2nd violin section in the world is worthy of carrying her violin.

[Annfontanella]

Thank you very much, Serafinichness :). I am honored that you enjoyed my performance....:)

[DNAPROTEINN]

True Virtuoso

[M3phistoph3lis]

beautifully executed! amazing!

as far as i know that's a quite hard piece :)

congratulations!

[zachdellinger]

I'm a fan!

[Annfontanella]

Thank you :)!

[gblpst81]

You are a lovely and extremely talented woman. Will you marry me? : ) But in all seriousness, you are an inspiration to me. I strive to achieve even a hint of your virtuosity on my instrument. You and Leila Josefowicz are the most attractive type of woman. You're both stunningly beautiful and can play pieces on violin that can bring a tear to my eye. Best of luck in everything you do and I hope to continue to see your performances, hopefully live someday.

[Annfontanella]

Thank you :). I am very happy you liked my performance...:)

[slimbullet96]

you're robotic, in a good way :)

[Annfontanella]

Thanks very much! :)

[Natalijaa18]

This is my favourite piece...i like ur interpretation...:D

bravo!

[Annfontanella]

The motions on this video are very, very fast.... faster than youtube's framerate so it seems jumpy. Heifetz did his video version of Scherzo Tarantelle in slow motion.

[sisaja]

more than great :D

I like this song!

And you play it, amazing!

[Paypurrboy11]

Holy Sh** U Just Gave Me The Chills!!!!! This is Unbelievably an Amazing Performance!!!!! Totally a Favorite [8?D The Way u Slide is like Silk... and your Precise Speed...Gets me High!!!!! #1Girl

[livedintheage]

Ann, you are amazing. I met Heifetz several times, and attended his concerts. You are the closest to this great artist that I have heard. Bravo!!

[Annfontanella]

Thank you so very much for the kind words. I have often wished I could have met him. I know from my teacher that he was a very dignified gentleman, as well as a great violinist.

[danielwowman]

great its to good played

[ascheepe]

thanks for these videos, they're great!

[Annfontanella]

I'm glad you're enjoying!

[Annfontanella]

This is a re-post of an earlier video. This version is in HD and has better quality sound. Enjoy!

[ritaviolin]

Ann, no words... just BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!