Franz wohlfahrt composer biography for children

October 7, 2011 at 7:17 PM

Ah, the violin etudes of Franz Wohlfahrt. The English-speaking pre-adolescent dreads having to say the man's name too loudly -- but often shows surprising devotion in learning his studies.

Teachers have turned to these etudes for more than 100 years, and it's been nearly that long since anyone took a look at the editions we use -- mine, for example, was last edited in 1905.

Enter Rachel Barton Pine, who professed her love of etudes earlier this fall in an article she wrote for The Strad magazine.

Rachel is in the process of re-editing and recording the Wohlfahrt etudes, and her first book and DVD on the subject, published by Carl Fischer, is due for release later this fall. (Editor's note: the link for the book and DVD, now available, is here: Wohlfahrt Foundation Studies for the Violin)

I spoke with her last month, after the summer release of her album of Spanish and Latin American mus