Christmas is coming soon!
Heya guys!
It's Christmas soon! What do you think are the best gifts for violinists as well as musicians for any occasion? Just interested to see what's out there in the shops... and maybe hint at someone to get me some...:P
One-Sim :)
Replies (50)
My best friend ( professional artist and oboe player)painted for me a picture full of humor: there are two musicians playing together. One of them is a very tall and skinny violinist with huge fingers; second-very short, up to violinist's waist, and fat bass player, who raised his head up to see own fingers which are in 1st position. This picture rests on the baby grand and always protects me against being in a bad mood.
Another present I liked is a tiny gold plated bookmark in a shape of a violin.
That is what I asked for, Kelsey! I have a lot of electronic ones, now I want an old-fashioned one that swings back and forth.
Also, gift certificates for getting CDs are nice.
Mozart chocolates! They're hazelnut/marzipan/chocolate balls, wrapped with an image of Mozart. Common in Europe (especially Austria), but I can get them at the Cost Plus World Market. They come in violin-shaped boxes, too.
Oooh! Those chocolates sound divine! I'm gonna have to get me some of those! =)
In the same vein as what Laurie said, I really like either a gift certificate or pre-paid card for iTunes (I get lost exploring all the music they have -- and each for only 99 cents!)
My Dad got me some of those Mozart chocolates from prague, theyre delicious! And the box is great. MMMmmm
Gift certificates for CDs, yes! New strings, and a Tartini Rosin. :)
I bought Mozart Chocolates in Vienna...I thought they were terrible! blaah.
I like either gift certificates for CDs, like some others said, or CDs themselves- but only if from a musician who knows what the good ones are! Sheet music, or gift certificates for sheet music, is nice too. And metronomes. And mutes and personalized hankies to put on the chin rest when your neck is killing you.
I second the Mozart Chocolates!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are absolutely delicous; my Spanish friend/neighbour of many years just gave them to me as a gift as she is moving back to Spain.
Oddly enough I just happened to be listening to that delicate and scrumdiddilyumptious Mozart Sonata in G as I found this thread.
Rosin, mutes and tuning forks in stockings! And one of my students turned up one Xmas with a mini violin keyring - you drew the dinky bow across the strings and it played a little tune! Trashy but kinda irresistible:)
A Mozart Chocolate's real name is a Mozart Kugel, and they're originally from Salzberg. My brother just brought me back a packet from Vienna, and believe me, they're excellent. Chocolate outer shell, with marzipan in the centre, and some hazelnut stuff as well I think.
Carl.
I could use a new metronome as well. One that actually makes a sound would be especially great and perhaps more useful than my current one.
Greetings,
I have heard an unsubstantiated rumor that the prune factory Mattias seized from my control is planning on producing prunes that will induce metronomic pulses at specific speeds depending on how many you eat.
This could be the wave of the future.
Cheers,
Buri
lol buri
on my wishlist for christmas is:
Scores (Beethoven Symphonies or Haydn String Quartets preferably, but any other works would be appreciated)
Stephane Grapelli DVD (My favourite jazz artist)
CD's of classical works, or vouchers for music stores.
I have asked for the DVD box set of the Bernstein "Young Persons" concerts. They are available at Amazon and from the official Bernstein Website. The biography of J.S. Bach by Christoph Wolff was my best present last year. Ohh...and tickets to concert are always nice. I was treated to a performance of Rigoletto last year.
I saw in the catalogue the other day this tiny violin doorbell which can be placed anywhere in the house and would play a tune when someone would ring the other part of it by the door! And if you used the tiny bow and drew it across a string it would play a tune.
It's so sweet with a chinrest n all... :)
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
An excellent gift for any musician is the book:
Ammer, Christine. The A to Z of Foreign Musical Terms:
From Adagio to Zierlich, a Dictionary for Performers and Students, published E.C. S, Boston, 1989. 4th edition ISBN: 0911318151
Most professional musicians keep this small paperback handy so those unusual terms in music can be translated. It has English translations of 3,000 terms compiled from more than 30,000 scores. Any good dealer in classical music should have it in stock. Price is in the $9.00 range.
Clint
Thomas,
You have good taste.
Carl.
Ben, I WANT Grapelli DVD too!!! Or gift sertificate to where I can get it.
Strings always welcome! I LOVE Mozart chocolates. Got a piano shaped box full after the competition and a violin shaped box full after my recital. They have pistachio, hazelnut and marzipan, some kind of rum flavoring and chocolate on the outside.
Rum? Is that what makes it taste the way it does?
Know what's really cute and pretty for xmas? Instrument ornaments or keychains and other stuff shaped like instruments and other musical stuff. I have ornaments of trumpet, violin, one with 2 little drums, and..well i dont remember what else. lol In juilliard bookstore they sell pencils shaped like clefs and notes and also keychains and other cute stuff. I have a whole collection of that stuff in my room.
Concert tickets - very good
Season Concert Tickets - Even better!
Season Concert Tickets with seat booked next to attractive single and available member of opposite sex who also holds season tickets - Priceless!!
Forget the chocs, thats what I really want for christmas!
John
Hehe that's a good one...And, of course, Mozart chocolates in your coat pocket to secretly share at intermission with this attractive concertgoer...
For my school friends, I was thinking of giving either a ticket to a concert I'm soloing on in Feb, or a small package of chocolates, depending on whether they're in my orchestra or not.
apart from a new instrument...
a new instrument case? An Accord Soloist 1000 or one of those Bam Hightech things will do. E-mail me for my address...
A sad story about Mozart chocolates.
A friend of mine bought me some from Vienna. I had a three year old beginner student coming in for a first lesson. I thought if I quickly finished the chocolates, I could give him the box so he could practice holding the cardboard violin (Suzuki method). I downed the last four chocolates in 10 minutes. Two minutes later, in walks the student and his parent for the first lesson. I proudly presented the box to the three year old and the parent is absolutely thrilled at the cardboard box - asking where I got it and such. Meanwhile, the three year old opens the box, discovers that there is nothing inside, and then starts crying "No caaaaaannnnnnnnndddyy no caaannnnnnnndddyy"
I felt bad, but geez, kids know too much sometimes.
Eggnog.
Chocolade means too much hyper and calories. What about just rum?
Thanks Carl,
I just hope I get the DVD's. Have you read the Christoph Wolff book?
Hmm I really want some of those chocs again....I dont think theyre available in ye olde Englande though.... Dang
What, no Mozarts in England? Aw!
Thomas,
It's on my shelf, and I will get round to reading it when I've finished the hundred or so other books I'm in the middle of...
Carl.
Make a violin out of Christmas tree wood and leave the pines in the wood.
Well, for presents for a violinist... I tend to do more shopping this time of year for myself so that my parents don't have to. I got some Warchal Karneol strings, a copy of Leopold Mozart's treatise on violin playing, and a copy of Strings Backstage's "Violin Virtuosos". There's a possibility that my parents might get me a new case, but who knows? For my teacher I'm going to get a set of Warchal Ametysts to try...and an English-Hungarian dictionary.
I want a bow rehair for christmas :-)
How about a massage session? :)
Greetings,
but then you need a `get out` Claus,
Cheers,
buri
cash.
Ok, that sounds good as Vieuxtemps 5 appears to have knackered my tendons. GODDAMIT
The chocolates sound good! So does cash! :) But if you want a violin related gift to send someone take a look at these graphics:
http://www.cafepress.com/folkfiddle It's just fun stuff that I've put together (should have been practicing! :) but I had to do the "Violin.. Fiddle... difference is ATTITUDE" one for several friends.. and just kept going.
Chocolates still sound good though! :)
Katie
does anyone know where i can find these chocolates? they sound realllly good... lol
I can get them at Cost Plus World Market.
Or check out this:
http://www.gdh-trading.com/acatalog/Reber_Chocolate_Selection.html
You can also google "Mozart kugel," which is what I did, but the above is the first site I found that has somewhat reasonable prices, considering they're imported from Europe.
After listening to some of the pieces, I've decided to try my hand at "movie music." I'm planning to buy The Red Violin Caprices and Three Pieces from Schindler's List. But I was curious to know if anyone knew which caprices are in the Corigliano (titles from the soundtrack would be helpful).
Hi, All Violinists. If you are looking for last minute violinist or cellist gifts, you might try my storefront at
www.cafepress.com/arcomusic
for some really fun things. Shipping quick is still an option as of 12/16/04. Thanks!
A post-Xmas note: I got a box of Virtuoso Chocolates. There are two kinds: espresso chocolates and cafe latte chocolates. Each piece of chocolate is shaped like a violin, complete with fingerboard, strings, bridge, tailpiece, and f-holes. They are so-o-o-o-o good! I also got a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble, and everyone knows how good that is. I gave a good gift to one of my students: a bright red, canvas tote bag, with *zippered top,* emblazoned with some bright yellow music notes, and personalized with the recipient's name, also in bright yellow. Now he has no excuse for forgetting to bring some or all of his sheet music to his lesson.
I hope everyone had a good Xmas, and I wish you all the best in 2005.
Isn't that funny how far we will go to try to motivate that one student? I got all my students chocolates, except one. I have practically stood on my head to motivate her that if she could just get interested in things she would play great and her life would be so much better. So I got her a copy of the "Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. I went on and on about how much I loved it as a kid and she opened it and read the first line: "There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself-not just sometimes, but always..."
and she grinned. (Sigh!) :0)
Lisa
Good for you, Lisa! That was a very, very thoughtful gift... and who knows... it may have made QUITE a difference to that student! (Of course... I have to admit that I'm a former school library media teacher. :)
Katie.... who has retired to just "fiddling around." :) Hey... maybe your student would be motivated to work on technique through fiddle tunes!?! You never know what will do it! :)
I got a great stocking-filler, completely by accident: a mini egg timer my mum got in a Christmas cracker and couldn't find a use for. It's perfect for teaching in school - 'Okay kids, you have three minutes to get sponges on violins and rosin on bows!'
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December 4, 2004 at 11:47 PM · ...I could use a new metronome.....