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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ต.ค. 2012
- Other than bluegrass virtuosos like Ricky Skaggs, players of the mandolin don't often get taken very seriously. But a young Israeli musician named Avi Avital is trying to change that. He's not a bluegrass star; instead, his mandolin sings with the sounds of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ernest Bloch and contemporary composers like Avner Dorman.
Avital's recording of a mandolin concerto by Dorman gave the instrument a little boost in 2010, when Avital became the first mandolinist to be nominated for a Grammy in the Best Instrumental Soloist category. The concerto was an Avital commission: The mandolinist feels strongly about challenging today's composers "to consider the mandolin as a virtuoso instrument, and use its great sonorities and the immense palette of colors and expressions it can produce." You can hear a lot of those colorful sonorities in this Tiny Desk performance.
Avital also adheres to the old "necessity is the mother of invention" axiom. Since mandolin compositions aren't thick on the ground, he arranges pieces written for other instruments - especially the violin, as the two instruments share the same tuning - and makes them his own.
Such is the case with Avital's opening piece, "Nigun." Written by Ernest Bloch in 1923 for violin and piano, the music is a deep exploration, the composer says, of the Jewish soul. Avital's arrangement, like the original, pivots between the ecstatic and the introspective, rising in intensity (and pitch) until finally disappearing in a mist of quietly plucked notes.
Avital caps off the performance with "Bucimis," a raucous Bulgarian folk tune in the odd meter of 15/16. "It's almost 4/4, but not quite," he says. "I can play it, but I can't dance it."
How does one become a world-class, award-winning classical mandolinist? Avital says it all started as a kid, as he admired an older neighbor boy who took mandolin lessons. When the neighbor traded up to a newer, better instrument, "somehow his old beginner's mandolin ended up in my hands." Good thing it did.
Set List:
"Nigun" (Ernest Bloch)
"Bucimis" (Traditional Bulgarian Folk Tune)
Credits:
Producer: Tom Huizenga; Editor: Bob Boilen; Videographer: Michael Katzif; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; photo by Michael Katzif/NPR - เพลง
The Mandolin is one of the best instruments ever invented. You can play anything on it. It has no limits. The only limit it has is on the part of the player. If the player likes Classics then it can respond to that according to the talents and hard work of the player. If one plays one's own style it responds with all of its heart. So why is it not more recognized as one of the best instruments in the world? Remember the story about the old violin? An instrument is as bad or as good as the person's ability and talents to play it in my humble opinion. I play the Mandolin and Guitar according to what I was able to teach myself. Here we have a young man who is very talented and realize the beautiful voice of the Mandolin. Thumbs up to this young man for what he is doing for this instrument and those of us who are struggling to bring it forward to the world. Thank you for sharing. Marie
Wonderfully said!
exactly. the genre i play on my mandolin is "music" if i feel and connect to it ...i play it.
Well said ! Regards from Athens !
I prefer the acordeon.
now it´s almost 8 years since this was recorded. I hope he´s still playing so beautifully and yet looking so relaxed.
Yes he does. I met him in Atlanta Symphony orchestra 2 years ago. He is amazing.
I met him a few days ago. He visited my school and played for us!
I love the way he plays this instrument.
This vid is 11 years old .. hope he still playing perfectly 🤍
Wonderful. He was featured today on "Performance Today" glad to see this earlier work.
Beautiful. And especially good being able to watch the right hand techniques which are so so subtle. Thank you.
Simply stunning!
Nice... I had left something else on.... and came back into the room to hear this amazing artist. Great !
That last tune's meter just about made my head explode! :-)
Loved it!
He was awesome in The Road To El Dorado
Not a duel....a duet. These two would be AMAZING together. Hope it happens. :)
how incredibly attractive. well done.
What beautiful and expressive playing!
Love you, Avi.
Always wondered where he got this beautifully looking and sounding mandolin from, now I know.
Avi Avital is such a great musician.
Brilliant!
Wonderful
ESTA MUSICA ME HACE VIVRAR MI ALMA HASTA LA MAS MINIMA FIBRA DE MI ISER COMO SI LA HUBIESE ESCUCHADO DESDE NIÑO .GRACIAS POR PODERLA ESCUCHAR
bravissimo signore
Let's face it the greatest of all instruments is the tambourine. A classic orchestral solo instrument. The range and depth of that instrument is awe inspiring. Especially when in the skilled hands of an English Morris dancer decked in the finest silk ankle ribbons and bells on his shoes.
Amazing
The second part of that was one of the best things I've ever listened to. Wow.
Wonderful playing, very engaging. I love the fact that the tremolo sounds just as good on one string as when playing multiple notes (chord) at the same time. Great dynamics too. I'm wondering what classical technique this would be called?
Mark Freemantle Duo-Style
Avi kind of looks like Jim Croce's sephardic son. I'm totally stunned by his playing.
i want to see him in a mando duel with chris thile
The Django of Mandolin
Jack Valentine Chris Thile is on that level if not better
How are you gonna start your description of Avi Avital with an insult to all mandolin players in the world NPR. Really?
Bryan Eastman yeah Chris Thile's been there 4 times!
Yes! Apologies on the first one, but we sent it back through and reposted!
Wow...
nice
The best israeli mandolina player in history!
One of the best mandolin player
@@sandansaiyan5675 israeli.
tis just!
He's almost doing the brazilian stuff to the classical piece. Lots of energy reminds me a bit of hamilton de Holanda without the facial expressions. To those who relate him to Thile perhaps of the relative age, Chris is more of a swiss knife because of some genre hopping which he enjoys, Avi is a sword or saw that focuses on traditional/classical genre.
Alan KS So true! Hamiltinho!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
do you think most people can see a short and tell you the brand, style or texture?
what kinda shirt is that?
Haha, seriously though. . . this is sexy stuff.
I find this music fascinating but am not sure how to get into it. Does anyone know of any beginner-friendly resources for people looking to play folk and and classical music on mandolin? e.g. fake books, sheet music webpages, etc.
which mic is this in all npr tiny desk concerts?
***** Sennheiser 418s mid/side stereo shotgun mic. They say this mic can be a handful and is pretty much worthless if you don't know how to decode the M/S signal properly. I have never worked with it personally, but it seems to be a great mic.
thank you!
But, to be fair, Thile would win over anyone who's ever played the mandolin! This guy is still pretty damn good.
This guy would be good at playing Asteroids. And also he can play the mandarin.
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HE'S HOT.
but does it djent
Spike Spiegel plays a mean mandolin.
He rocks with a mandolin so if he takes a electric guitar or something he will blow my mind lol, nice play.
nah he's good with the mando
Marry me
Music really isn't about competition. But for what it's worth, Thile would run circles around Mr. Avital.
they'd prob have some collab!
I feel like the mandolin right handed picking technique was stolen by death metal bands.
chris thile would win like a race with a rabbit verses the turtle chris being the rabbit!
those pit stains..
Video lights are hot! So are tiny spaces with lots of people.
Lol why would you become that good on the mandolin
How is tremolo picking a talent all of a sudden?
Such strange technique - I think he might be able to play even better with better technique.