The gavottes just keep piling up – Wednesday I began working with my third gavotte, and that’s only counting the gavottes in Suzuki Book Three!  There was one in Book One and several more in Book Two.  This new one is by J. Becker, whom Wikipedia reports is Jean Becker, a German violinist living from 1833 – 1884.

Becker was not a major composer, rather he was a prodigious touring concert violinist.  But he wrote short works for violin.  His was a musical family – his two sons also ended up musicians.  I’d say there’s a decent chance that if Suzuki hadn’t included the Gavotte in his repertoire Becker might have faded into obscurity entirely.  He was well-enough known in his day – Dvorak dedicated a work to him.

Wikipedia also reports he spent most of his professional career in Florence, and that he played a Stradivarius.

You can always find Suzuki recitals of these pieces, but I’ve never posted one before.  Here’s a group of kids I know nothing about except they seem American due to the flag in the background:

Thanks for reading.

Ryan