Читать книгу Principles of Orchestration, with Musical Examples Drawn from His Own Works - Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolay - Страница 16

Although capable of every degree of power from ff to pp, pizzicato playing has but small range of expression, and is used chiefly as a colour effect. On open strings it is resonant and heavy, on stopped strings shorter and duller; in the high positions it is rather dry and hard.

Table D on page 31 indicates the range in which pizzicato may be used on each stringed instrument.

In the orchestra, pizzicato comes into operation in two distinct ways: a) on single notes, b) on double notes and chords. The fingers of the right hand playing pizz. are far less agile than the bow; pizz. passages therefore can never be performed as quickly as those played arco. Moreover, the speed of pizzicato playing depends upon the thickness of the strings; on the double basses, for instance, it must always be much slower than on the violins.

In pizzicato chords it is better to avoid open strings, which produce a more brilliant tone than of covered strings. Chords of four notes allow of greater freedom and vigour of attack, as there is no danger of accidentally touching a wrong note. Natural harmonics played pizz. create a charming effect; the tone is weak however, and they are chiefly successful on the violoncello.