solo string writing question

[MichelRE]

from this notation, is it "obvious" that the initial notes on the beats (where there are two stems) are not double-stopped unison?

It looks funny if I cut out the first note on the lower string and replace it with a rest.

quite honestly, if people have difficulty understanding the intent here, I'll simply rewrite it so that the lower string notes start on the 2nd half of the beat instead, as a 16th triplet.

I had one violinist insist it was unplayable as written.
yet another violinist said "oh it's quite easy, here's the fingering" (which I included in the part.)

I trust the 2nd violinist a bit more, as she is a professional, of a considerably higher calibre than the first, who is really not more than a very proficient amateur.

If worse came to worst, i COULD also eliminate the voice 2 note, leave the beam and stem, and simply shorten that stem away from the actual played voice 1 note.

[David Ward]

It will be interesting to see what the violinists say, but it looks clear to me.

[MichelRE]

Okay, here's the alternate version, where I've modified the rhythm, and inserted rests.

I probably don't have to specify the strings being played, but didn't want to take a chance. the exact same pattern repeats a bit further on the 1st and 2nd strings, and I felt it more important to include the string numbers there.

(P.S. I think the version with the triplets actually allows for a more "appassionato" feel to the passage than the straight 16ths.)

[OCTO]

Okay, here's the alternate version, where I've modified the rhythm, and inserted rests.

I probably don't have to specify the strings being played, but didn't want to take a chance. the exact same pattern repeats a bit further on the 1st and 2nd strings, and I felt it more important to include the string numbers there.

(P.S. I think the version with the triplets actually allows for a more "appassionato" feel to the passage than the straight 16ths.)

This one is good and easy.  Please, please, remove the string numbering and fingering, it does nothing and creates a "notational dust".

[John Ruggero]

The double stemming in the first version might be more a piano notation than a violin one, and rests might be more appropriate to avoid potential confusion. At least, I didn't see this kind of notation in a bit of standard solo violin music I looked over. Then the string numbers would be unnecessary.

The second version avoids this problem and I doubt if the fingering and string numbers are necessary here either, since the way it must be played is clear even to me, a non-violinist.

[John Ruggero]

Our posts crossed, OCTO. I am glad I wasn't way off.

[MichelRE]

This one is good and easy.  Please, please, remove the string numbering and fingering, it does nothing and creates a "notational dust".

oooo, ok.
will do.
I much prefer having a nice clear uncluttered score anyway.

ok, here is the full passage, on D and G strings, then later on E and A strings.

[OCTO]

This one is good and easy.  Please, please, remove the string numbering and fingering, it does nothing and creates a "notational dust".

oooo, ok.
will do.
I much prefer having a nice clear uncluttered score anyway.

ok, here is the full passage, on D and G strings, then later on E and A strings.

Everything is perfectly playable and enjoyable to perform!

[MichelRE]

thank-you Octo!

I know my violin concerto is no Brahms or Dvorak, it's far from being a virtuoso showcase for the instrument.
My goal was to write a FUN concerto, just brilliant and showy enough to amuse and keep an audience's attention.
So harmonically, there's nothing horribly modern about it, though it has lots of polyharmony, some quartal harmony, and a few rather crunchy chords here and there.

I need to get the score cleaned up as much as possible, and have a few violinists look over the solo part to make sure there are no awkwardly uncomfortable or clumsily impossible passages. I'm pretty sure there aren't (I've been checking on my viola fingering patterns and whatnot, but I'm a bare beginner on the instrument, so not always the best judge.)

I'd like to get the score into the Canadian Music Centre before next year. I have 3 string orchestra pieces, a viola concerto, and two sonatas (one for violin, one for viola) that also need to be deposited at the CMC.
I'd REALLY like to move on to another instrumental group. I'm long overdue for some woodwind music, or a piano sonata.

At this point, I'm writing for myself. Basically just making myself happy. I can't seem to get any musicians interested in looking at my music anymore. I had a few great years, with an orchestra basically playing almost everything I wrote as it came out, and commissioning most of those works (including a concerto grosso for string quartet and string orchestra, which I need to also give a thorough reworking to.)