The Philosophy of Otakar Ševčík's Violin Treatise:
A Method, Methodology, Scientific Method
Abstract
The aim of the thesis is to explore and elucidate the philosophy of Ševčík's violin treatise. This thesis introduces all twenty-six books of his studies, some of which are unpublished and hitherto largely unknown to the violin pedagogical world. This is followed by a thorough analysis of Ševčík's technical and musical approaches. Such an analysis is not only a first attempt made in history of the violin to explain the treatise's innate educational character, but also a proof of the effectiveness of the studies as a reliable "tool" for teaching as well as learning the violin. I propose as the chief aim of the thesis that Ševčík's treatise embodies characteristics of a method, a methodology, and a scientific method. To demonstrate the first point, a report containing critical analyses of some of the most seminal pre-Ševčík violin literature, the journey through Ševčík's life and a complete exhibition of the treatise's content set the scene for a detailed discussion. For the second point, a unique and detailed analysis of his first books written for the "Elementary Class", Opp. 6, 2 and 3, is achieved to reveal the hidden educational character, while to test its validity as a scientific method, I devised a practical case study using a questionnaire and an experiment in an actual teaching and learning environment with students. The terminologies "method", "methodology" and "scientific method" are in turn defined both objectively and as applied to violin playing. I argue that it is only by examining Ševčík's approaches from both the holistic and detailed viewpoints that the educational, technical and musical facts embedded within his treatise could be brought to light.
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