https://www.friendbookmark.com/authors/1701/lastringplayer Most recent BlogU posts submitted by lastringplayer https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/42200/german-violinmaking-the-hopf-familyWhile early members of this dynasty created violins that have endured for hundreds of years, later industrious Hopfs also were successful at mass production.If you peruse fine violin shops and auction sites online, a violin maker name you could well run into (depending on your price range preferences) is âHopf.â An authentic Hopf, perhaps dating back to the early 18th century, should b... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/39217/violinists-turned-conductorsAs the orchestra concertmaster is always a violinist, it seems natural that great conductors are often great violinists. Here we list some of the most notable.When a feature writer for Great British Life magazine interviewed Sir Neville Marriner, the English violinist who founded and conducted the orchestra at the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, in 2008, he asked the aging virtuoso wh... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/38401/reasons-not-to-leave-your-fine-stringed-instrument-in-a-carAbout a third of violin players acknowledge leaving their instrument vulnerable to theft, a large portion of them in cars. Which is a very, very bad idea.In most major cities in the developed world, itâs a pretty common truism that leaving something on a car seat is an invitation to thieves. Something so worthless as an empty paper bag might be tempting enough for a smash-and-grab, just ... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/37678/delay-gingold-amp-galamian-three-legendary-violin-teachersEven Itzahk Perlman had a teacher, without whom he would not be the performer he is today. It takes sacrifice to leave the stage and cultivate those who will one day take it themselves.The saying, âThose who canât, teach,â has never been true. Without teachers, civilized societies would have nothing. Teaching itself requires intense rigor and an ability to master the pedagogy of lead... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/37677/due-diligence-and-purchasing-a-fine-stringed-instrumentThe provenance of a great violin, viola or cello plays heavily into its value. But how that is proven is difficult â and no job for an amateur.The challenges and sometimes great triumphs of tracking the provenance and value of art and antiques has been the subject of extensive media coverage and even movies. The 2015 biographical drama, âWoman in Gold,â tracks the story of an elderly... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/36693/provenance-and-a-fine-instrumentrsquos-valueSome of the finest violins, cellos, basses and other stringed instruments are now 100s of years old and of great value. Knowing their history matters.There are several factors that determine the value of a violin, and for that matter, all stringed instruments. The maker is of course a large part of that, as that tells contemporary musicians and dealers much about the craftsmanship and, as ... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/34505/a-history-of-violins-in-rock-amp-rollMore than the guitar strings can make us rock. Violinists including John Creach, Richard Sanders, Rostrongstrongy Steinhardt, and David Lindley showed us how.As every new genre of music stronguilds on what came strongefore it, itÃââs always interesting to see how certain instruments are employed in completely different ways. The incorporation of classical musical instruments in rock &... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/34278/the-violins-of-isaac-sternAmong the greatest of 20th century virtuosos, Stern left behind great violins and bows. His estate may have bungled it a bit, but the instruments endure.Just two years after his death, the auctioning of the fine violins, bows, and memorabilia from the estate of Isaac Stern (1920-2001) set the violin universe on fire Ãââ with nearly the energy of TchiakovskyÃââs Finale: Allegro vi... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/34247/sears-roebuck-and-the-violinAlmost everything was sold via the Sears ÃâÅWish BooksÃ❠of the 20th century. Worth noting is inexpensive instruments that have long been available Ãââ and valued.Fundamentally, shopping online via Amazon in the 2020s is an awful lot like shopping by way of the Sears catalog in the early 1900s. The consumer then and now looked for what they wanted Ãââ or browsed for thin... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/32537/the-beginnings-of-the-cello-endpinThe parts of the cello start at the floor. But the endpin wasnÃâât always part of the instrument, and the physicality of that changed music itself.Aspects of the cello that most matter when considering cello accessories and parts: The scroll, pegs, pegbox, neck, fingerboard, strings, upper bout, bridge, F-holes, C-bout, fine tuners, tailpiece (aka the tailgut), and lower bout. Right?D... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/32536/the-primrose-international-viola-competitionRelegated to the alto voice in most compositions, the viola has risen to greater prominence thanks to William Primrose and those who aspire to his virtuosity.Pity the viola? Not quite a violin, not quite a cello, and a far cry from the double bass. With its lower and deeper sound vis a vis the violin it has largely played the alto voice in most compositions. Audiences rarely attended conce... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/29512/the-interesting-history-of-the-pochetteA scaled down version of the violin, the pochette was devised for traveling and impromptu performances. And, it helped Scots become Englishmen.The innovation of making things smaller Ãââ from furniture size radios in the 1930s to hand-held transistor radios in the 1960s, and ÃâÅcar phonesÃ❠as big as tissue boxes to slim smartphones of today Ãââ has a musical precedent. ... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/29477/the-gagliano-family-of-violinmakersThe violins of Cremona and Venice might have the most storied histories, but the Neopolitan Gagliano family instruments have stood the test of time as well.In 20th century America, the music most popular among immigrants from Italy, and Naples in particular, is lively and very often full of comedy. That includes the Sceneggiata, a stage musical form akin to soap operas performed by Neapoli... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/28304/the-fuumlssen-school-of-violin-makingWhile the Museum of FÃÂssen commemorates its luthier-populated past, much of the violinmaking influence of this Bavarian town ultimately went elsewhere.ItÃââs curious to know what led to the development of great instrument making in Europe hundreds of years ago. Certainly, an appreciation for music is at the center of all the centers of violin-making craft. But in the case of FÃÂs... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/28290/the-stradivarius-instruments-of-the-met-museumNew YorkÃââs Metropolitan Museum of Art has several Strads that are played occasionally. But should rare instruments be mostly seen and rarely heard?The stringed instruments made by the famed Cremonese luthier, Antonio Stradivari, have household name recognition, beyond the sphere of classical music fans and musicians. ÃâÅPerhaps itÃââs a Stradivarius?,Ã❠is the question... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/27223/italian-violinmaking-the-amati-familyStradivari is known for the greatest violins, but the likely inventor of the modern violin was Andreas Amati. French royalty deserves some credit as well.The story of the Amati family of violin makers is closely intertwined with another, historically prominent clan: that of Catherine deÃââ Medici (1519-1589), the Italian noblewoman, queen consort of France, and mother of the French ki... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/27167/andrea-amati-and-the-king-charles-ix-instrument-collectionCatherin deÃââ Medici brought a love of dance from Italy to the French court. In so doing, she drove the enduring standardization of violins, violas, and cellos.Hard as it may be to imagine, it was a practice in the 18th and 19th centuries to reduce the size of bass violins (bassos) to what we now know the cello to be. This was even done with one of the 38 instruments made by early lu... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/25114/why-you-canrsquot-easily-sell-a-stolen-stradivarius-instrumentRare stringed instruments have a chain of custody known as provenance. Without clear and legal ownership, the instrument is more a liability than asset.In the world of very valuable things Ãââ think art, antiques, Stradivarius violins Ãââ there is a mix of beauty and threat that is ever present.Fine art galleries have their works under 24/7 security. Antiques are heavily insured and protected, particularly if they have a connection to historical events. And when a virtuoso musician travels with a fine stringed instrument, it never gets checked with luggage: a violin might fit in overhead luggage, but when YoYo Ma flies with his cello (the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius), it goes strictly first class with its own seat and boarding pass.Still, there are thefts of fine stringed instruments. And the irony is that the things of highest value Ãââ which of course include any violin, cello, viola, guitar, harp, mandolin or bow made by Antonio Stradivari Ãââ are of least value to thief. Why? There is far too much scrutiny of those instruments and their provenance. And, a thief of something such as a Strad is almost by definition unsophisticated and very bad at the crime business.There are thefts of fine Italian violins, violas and cellos that seem to occur out of a love of the instrument and the music it can produce. But more often the thief is looking for a big payoff, or simply doesnÃâât realize the expensive looking instrument he just stole is as priceless as it is.A recent example is the theft in a parking lot outside Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeÃââs Schwan Concert Hall near Milwaukee in 2014. The Lipinski Strad was on loan to the concertmaster, who was attacked with a stun gun following a performance. The Milwaukee police chief, fortunately, was an avid concertgoer and understood the value of the instrument. It was recovered ten days later, and the suspects were arrested, charged, and convicted. They had no apparent plans for how to resell it, and one of the criminals had a prior rap sheet that included an unsuccessful fine art theft.Another case illustrating a different kind of Strad theft was the 1734 Ames Totenberg Stradivari. It went missing from Roman TotenbergÃââs office as he greeted well-wishers after a concert at the Longy School of Music (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in 1980. It surfaced 35 years later in the belongings of the suspected thief, a violinist who had a mediocre career before dying at middle age.One still-missing stolen Strad is the Davidoff, Morini 1727 that was taken in 1995 from the apartment of its owner, 91-year-old Erica Morini, as she was dying in a hospital. It has never (yet) resurfaced and is today on the FBIÃââs top Ten Art Crimes list of unsolved art thefts.Many other Stradivarius thefts were solved eventually, with the perpetrators unable to gain financially. But several remain missing. They include the 1709 Mendelssohn (stolen in Berlin in the Nazi era in 1939), the 1709 King Maximilian (stolen in 1999 in Mexico City), and the 1714 Le Marien (taken from a consignment sale shop in 2002 in New York City). These and at least six more remain missing Ãââ and yet there are no known successful sales of any of them, likely because a buyer would be implicated in the crime if they were aware of the true provenance and value of the instrument. https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/24982/stringed-instruments-of-the-renaissanceMusical eras and the instruments that created them are on an historical, evolving continuum. But each era, the Renaissance period included, has its own instruments.The Renaissance was a period so associated with the new, the creative, the break from the status quo, particularly in the arts, itÃââs no wonder there was an explosion of new stringed instruments used in the creation of mus... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/23980/the-violins-of-ruggiero-ricciOver a long career that left a legacy of recordings and accomplished students, Ricci always had an eye (and ear) for fine violins, both old and new.When virtuoso violinist Ruggiero Ricci died in 2012 (b 1918), the obituaries tracked his storied career. From his status as a child prodigy (two of his five siblings also achieved professional status as stringed instrument players), through a p... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/23971/pablo-casals-and-his-goffriller-celloMisidentified for decades, the instrument of the famous 20th century cellist is still in the ownership of his widow. Tax policy is why it was misidentified.A rose by any other name is still a rose.The same could be said of the 1733 Goffriller cello. The prized instrument of legendary cellist Pablo Casals, it was hiding in plain sight, believed to be an instrument from the violin shop of vi... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/23932/pablo-picasso-and-the-violinThe crossover between visual and performing arts is not uncommon. But in his championing of Cubism, Picasso found his inspiration to paint in violins.Art historians know all about Picasso. They understand his oeuvre (ÃâÅCubism,Ã❠primarily), his various periods (Blue, Rose, Analytic Cubism, Synthetic Cubism), and the fact he frequently incorporated violins and guitars into several... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/23230/three-female-bowmakers-break-through-the-pernambuco-ceilingAll aspects of orchestral music making Ãââ performers, conductors, composers, and instrument makers Ãââ have resisted womenÃââs involvement. Until the 20th century.The place of women in music and instrument-making history follows a familiar path. The fairer sex has always been there, playing instruments, singing in the higher octaves that few men can achieve, composing, and ... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/23135/need-a-strad-borrow-one-herePatronage of artists has always been essential. But different ways that high priced instruments find young prodigies ensure those strings get bowed.The arts, music in particular, have always survived due to generosity of the wealthy. Mozart Ãââ whose behaviors excluded him from support from the Church Ãââ found his support in a certain Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who also funded... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/21511/german-violinmaking-the-klotz-familyAustriaÃââs von Trapps might have a movie made about them, but the musical contributions of the Klotz luthiers are celebrated with a statue and a school.The Catholic Church, as well as with many other Christian denominations, has a, shall we say, evolving history with the use of instrumental support of liturgical music. The chants and polyphonic a capella style are considered the orig... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/21480/albert-einstein-and-the-violinWhile scribbling difficult formulas about E=mc2on a chalkboard, it may have been MozartÃââs Violin Sonata in C that coursedthrough his considerable brain.<o:p></o:p>We may have Mozart to thank for E=mc2.The most famous scientific equation in theworld, given us by none other than Albert Einstein, is a product of the manÃââsgenius. As a theoretical physicist, his theory of relativity is one of manycontributions he made to the development of quantum mechanics. He was educatedat the Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, Switzerland and later received aPhD from the University of Zurich. Einstein taught at many European andAmerican universities, and was a resident scholar at the Institute for AdvancedStudy in Princeton, New Jersey. But there is strong evidence, as well asdirect quotes from Professor Einstein himself, that suggest his love of musicmay have played a key role in his cognitive development and in his workthroughout his life. EinsteinÃââs mother, Pauline Koch, was herselfa pianist of some accomplishment. She introduced young Albert at age 6 to theviolin. He didnÃâât take to it at first, but at the age of 13 he becameacquainted with MozartÃââs violin sonatas. He more or less self-taught andachieved accolades from those who heard him. There is some debate on howaccomplished he may have been Ãââ photographs of him playing with hisbeloved chamber ensembles show poor form, such as failing to bow the instrumentperpendicular to the strings. But it was a lifelong passion. He carried aviolin with him wherever he traveled and he enjoyed performing for friends andfamily until late in life. In recent decades the role of music incognitive development has been well established. Studies indicate that thestudy of music, and playing an instrument in particular, helps with languageprocessing, memory retention, math, social skills development, academicsuccess, and long-term success in life.A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience (ÃâÅLongitudinal Analysis of Music Educationon Executive Functions in Primary School Children,Ã❠Jaschke, Honing, Scherder,2018) found ÃâÅstructured music lessons significantly enhance childrenÃââscognitive abilities Ãââ including language based reasoning, short-term memory,planning, and inhibition Ãââ leading to improved academic performance.ÃâReportedly, the great physicist said, ÃâÅlifewithout playing music is inconceivable for me. I live my daydreams in music. Isee my life in terms of music. I get most joy in life out of music.ÃâEinstein owned several fine violins. In 2018, one sold at auction for $516,500, an amount far beyondits intrinsic valuation (Einstein memorabilia is a highly valued and finitecategory for collectors). Originally a gift to Einstein from Oscar Steger, a violin maker who was a member of theHarrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist gave theinstrument to a Princeton University janitor, Sylas Hibbs, whose son Lawrencewas studying the violin. Perhaps musical training also engendersgenerosity and empathy. But does it take a genius to figure that out? https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/20008/the-concertmasters-of-the-los-angeles-philharmonic-orchestraAs the first chair of one of the worldÃââs great orchestras, the LA Phil concertmasters often extend their credits by working on great cinematic scores.The casual fan of orchestral music knows the first-chair violinist, the concertmaster, is the ÃâÅnumber one,Ã❠the best of the violinists. They are the ones who tune the orchestra before the concert begins, shakes the hand of ... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/19979/types-of-medieval-stringed-instrumentsTo understand stringed instruments of the European Middle Ages, it helps to understand medieval music itself.The Medieval Era, roughly 500 CE to 1400 CE, was the time when the Church of Rome was the dominant ruling body and religion. Musically, the Catholic churches engaged people in the great cathedrals and humbler provincial churches with sacred music that was at times drawn from secular... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/18900/material-for-modern-stringed-instrument-bowsThe smaller of the two parts of stringed instruments, the bow, is remarkably complex and made of several parts, historically derived directly from nature.To understand the parts of the bow used in stringed instruments Ãââ in Western music, the violin family (violin, cello, viola, bass, and the viola da gamba) Ãââ it helps to understand what is provided by nature. The bows both an... https://www.friendbookmark.com/blogpost/18899/the-history-of-the-gibson-ldquoex-hubermanrdquo-stradivarius-violinThe violin Joshua Bell canÃâât let out of his sight has twice, and for many years, been in the hands of thieves. Yet it helped save the lives of 1,000 people.The French poet, dramatist, novelist, writer, journalist, and critic Theophile Gautier is credited for birthing the phrase, ÃâÅAll passes, art alone endures.Ã❠Technically, it was ÃâÅenduringÃ❠within a longer p...