Perlman's position on the chinrest

Edited: September 7, 2023, 2:10 PM · I have no idea - but - you mighty see if it correlates well enough with the year 1986, when he acquired the Soil Stradivarius. It was around that time that I and 2 of my adult students gathered at the home of one of them who had a new B&W speaker system and a new recording of Perlman comparing his "new" Soil Strad and his "old" Sauret, Guarneri del Gesu. Definite difference could be heard!

From my own experience, I have found that physical changes in my body have led to changes in how I hold my instrument and - even changers in my shoulder rest (and whether I even use one) and even in my chinrest. I am 11 years older than Perlman, who was born in 1945.

September 7, 2023, 10:52 PM · Could have something to do with the emergence of his enormous jowls.

September 8, 2023, 8:29 PM · I strongly suggest you not follow what Perlman does. Like other great artists, they arrived at their mastery of the violin through formal education and self experimentation. What works for them may not necessarily work for you. What I can say is that not playing with a shoulder rest, like Perlman does, offers greater flexibility in how the violin is held, reducing tension and providing more options for comfort.

September 9, 2023, 11:24 AM · One question that springs to mind is: If you had no need to look at the violin from day one, how would you hold it? Maybe a blind player could help there but most likely they would have started under instruction.

Edited: September 12, 2023, 3:32 AM · I hadn't noticed Perlman's, but Menuhin's was a joy to observe (chin and jowl to right of tailpiece, jawbone on chinrest). Yep, Perlman has graduated to that.
https://www.primoartists.com/itzhak-perlman