Violin harmonics are, by definition, a violin technique in which you play overtones. You do that by softly touching the violin string with a finger on your left hand while drawing a normal bow stroke with your right hand.
Thank you Violinspiration.com for the above definition of a technique that has always fascinated me. Composers often write music that incorporate harmonics, but one that stands out for me is Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov (1888). A solo violin plays a very long, sustained harmonic "E" as the final movement concludes. I can't think of any other piece of music that does it to this extent:
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There is a new coffee shop here in town. The owners refurbished a century old brick building and created a modern space with some nice artwork and a cool "hipster" vibe. I ordered a small, black coffee and the total came to $3.81. Add in a tip and it was a $5.00 cup of coffee. No froth, cream, cinnamon, hazelnut, whip etc....just coffee. It was good...but not $5.00 good. I went home and brewed my own at a fraction of the price. Just seems crazy to me.
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I have no shame admitting that I like "schmaltz"....musical schmaltz. While my dad was hardcore classical, my mom and grandmother also liked showtunes and popular music. My grandmother in particular enjoyed artists like Percy Faith, Mantovani, Lawrence Welk, and Liberace. These and other similar artists used lush production and orchestration in a very romantic and soft way. This style went on to become known as "elevator music" as it had no real substance....just fluff. But as a kid, I would play these records when I visited my grandparents and I was hooked by them....what I heard was beautiful to my ear. Call me crazy I suppose. I stumbled on an album by Henry Mancini this week that has a great example of this lush sound. Take a listen:
