August 2009

Vengerov Moves Me To Tears This Time.

August 14, 2009 09:32

This is by far the most moving music video I have ever seen.

Vengerov Plays Bach Chaconne at Auschwitz.

I'm speechless. If I ever had the opportunity to thank Mr. Vengerov for this masterpiece, I certainly would.

Note: Please do NOT make comments about his interpretation, whose you like better, why you don't like Vengerov's version, etc. That is not the point of my post, nor, in and of itself, what moved me to tears. Thanks.

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New Violin (Camille?), New Feet Fix Shoulder Rest, Exciting Day!!!

August 7, 2009 15:39

Bought a new violin today. It's of the Flemish violin school, c. 1880. Traded in Apollo, who, Laurie promises, already has new homes lined up for consideration. It's bitter sweet to let him go. He's a very special instrument, but a bit small and thus both easier and more difficult to play. He has a wonderfully dark, rich, deep sound. Someone had better love him a lot.

My new violin is a girl. I'm considering the name Camille. She's not as deep, but she's sweeter, and she's louder, and MUCH easier to play. We've discovered she likes Obligatos best. =D

I put Kun extra tall feet on my Everest. Wonderful solution!

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The Next Big Adventure (in Violins)

August 4, 2009 18:58

I have a violin out on trial. C. 1880, Flemish, weird label. Gorgeous.

It had Evah Pirazzis on. Needed playing in, desperately. Played it for a few hours, and have been playing around with strings I have around the house: Wondertone Solo, Vision (all sorts), Dominant stark and medium, and Larsen.

Which strings does my probably-soon-to-be new violin like THE MOST?

G: Dominant Stark

D: Dominant Medium (silver)

A: Dominant Medium

E: Gold Label (Have to experiment, but must purchase loop E's for this violin.

My violin, Apollo, has some amazing qualities. However, he's very petite, and it's very difficult to play on him sometimes, especially with the uber narrow neck & nut. He's gorgeous to look at, has the nicest F Holes I've ever seen, and has an awesome carving of a tribal man's face on the back of the scroll. Lately, his projection is lacking, and his powerful G string has seemed to decline having been played in over the last year. We had a sound adjustment today, and that helped quite a bit, but it still wasn't what I remember.

It's sad to move on. I got this violin a year ago and Apollo is such a nice instrument for the price. Apollo was $6,500 and this violin is $12,000. I'll have to trade in a bow with my violin to have any hope of affording this new one. However, the more I play it, the more it shows me what's waiting inside, bursting to come forth and make beautiful music.

We shall see what I think in the next few days, but I think I'm coming closer to perfection, overall. Truly, for the first time, I have a violin good enough to like Dominants! This seems to be a mark of a good violin (all the pros use them? what???) and I'm excited to start the next adventure. What shall I name it? Is it a boy or a girl?

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More entries: July 2009