There’s an old brainteaser about a frog stuck at the bottom of a well. The well is thirty feet deep, but the poor frog can only jump five feet high. There’s good news: he sticks to the wall at the end of his jump. But there’s bad news too: he can only muster the energy […]
What does Zigeunerweisen sound like with no E string?
Step back with me to August of 2004. It was summertime in Chicago, I had just started dating Akiko, and I was about to fly across the world for my first ever international competition. Things were good. Here’s 2004 Nathan looking ahead to that summer’s doings: Before a competition or audition, it’s not a bad idea to schedule […]
Which violin concerto has the toughest opening?
Editor’s note: The original version of this post was missing several concertos, each of which was pointed out by my faithful readers. I have now added the most requested, including one that was frequently touted as “the hardest ever”! Just know that I read all of your comments, so I hope that this expanded version […]