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Musical performance is physical in many respects. The advantaged stringed instrumentalist will be stronger, less prone to stress injury – and have good posture.
Anyone who thinks there is no physical exercise involved in playing a stringed musical instrument has never played a stringed musical instrument. Any professional or amateur who play ...
Musical performance is physical in many respects. The advantaged stringed instrumentalist will be stronger, less prone to stress injury – and have ...
The fiddlers of Chagall’s childhood made a life-long impression on him. As do his music-inspired paintings today in prestigious galleries across the globe.
A recurring motif of the art of Marc Chagall (1887-1985) was stringed instruments, usually violins. Why was this?
Various art historians give us some clues. One is that the fiddlers he ...
The fiddlers of Chagall’s childhood made a life-long impression on him. As do his music-inspired paintings today in prestigious galleries across the ...
Personal history and personal politics are interwoven into the automaker’s love of violins and “fiddle” music. The highly valued instruments he acquired a century ago live on.
Henry Ford is best remembered as the inventor of automobile mass-production (and mass production in general), taking a then-exotic invention and turning it into an ...
Personal history and personal politics are interwoven into the automaker’s love of violins and “fiddle” music. The highly valued instruments he ...
While America cannot claim ownership of the common fiddle, the music it delivers evolved here and is embraced by a national audience – far beyond its regional Appalachian origins.
There’s an old fiddle joke, which we assume is told by American fiddle fans and players, that goes like this: What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle? ...
While America cannot claim ownership of the common fiddle, the music it delivers evolved here and is embraced by a national audience – far beyond its ...
Even 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, “Those who can’t, teach,” has never been true. Without teachers, civilized societies would have nothing. Teaching itself requires intense rigor and an ...
Even 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 ...
The father and both sons achieved enviable heights of success as violinists – despite the elder Harold Dicterow’s initial misgivings about the financial instability of musical careers.
The liner notes to Madonna’s 1992 Erotica album contain a name that might surprise classical music fans. It’s Glenn Dicterow, who is better known as the one-time ...
The father and both sons achieved enviable heights of success as violinists – despite the elder Harold Dicterow’s initial misgivings about the ...
What happened to one Stradivarius violin after it left his shop in 1720? Hollywood created a possible history – one that might have an element of truth.
Art imitates life, they say. And there is no better example of that than the narrative of “The Red Violin,” an award-winning 1998 film. Written by Don McKellar (who also plays a role in the ...
What happened to one Stradivarius violin after it left his shop in 1720? Hollywood created a possible history – one that might have an element of ...
The human instinct to produce pleasing sounds is unlimited. This is evident in the string, wind, and percussion instruments found in museums around the world.
It’s possible to travel the world and, in almost every capital and many secondary cities, particularly at great universities with music schools, you will find a museum dedicated to musical ...
The human instinct to produce pleasing sounds is unlimited. This is evident in the string, wind, and percussion instruments found in museums around ...
As the first chair of one of the world’s 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 “number one,” the best of the violinists. They are the ones who tune the orchestra before the concert ...
As the first chair of one of the world’s great orchestras, the LA Phil concertmasters often extend their credits by working on great cinematic ...
Is it wrong to be really good at copying great things? Yes, if those things are presented as originals. But the Vollers made convincing violin replicas that have value today.
Forgeries of fine art and fine stringed instruments go far back in history, including when the Romans copied statues seen in Greece. But it’s not always been regarded as ...
Is it wrong to be really good at copying great things? Yes, if those things are presented as originals. But the Vollers made convincing violin ...
Misidentified 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 ...
Misidentified for decades, the instrument of the famous 20th century cellist is still in the ownership of his widow. Tax policy is why it was ...
Musical genius often accompanies big personalities. That includes Paganini, the violinist-composer who possessed great violins that were lost to a big bet.
It would be wrong to diminish the influential career of one of history’s greatest violinists and composers, NiccolòPaganini (1782-1840). His name is familiar to anyone who listens to classical ...
Musical genius often accompanies big personalities. That includes Paganini, the violinist-composer who possessed great violins that were lost to a ...
For 200 years, fine violins, violas, and cellos were tuned only with a twist of the pegs. But new kinds of strings, as well as fine tuning additions, have made for sweeter music.
On the most elementary level, even the beginner violinist understands that the vibration creating the sound of a stringed instrument is wholly dependent on the tautness ...
For 200 years, fine violins, violas, and cellos were tuned only with a twist of the pegs. But new kinds of strings, as well as fine tuning additions, ...
Most violins made by the master luthier of Cremona are named for their former players and owners. But this mint condition violin is named for anticipation.
Of the 650 remaining Stradivarius instruments in existence – fine violins, of course, but also fine violas, cellos, guitars, and harps – only one remains in close condition to how it left the ...
Most violins made by the master luthier of Cremona are named for their former players and owners. But this mint condition violin is named for ...
Neither a player nor maker of violins, he might be responsible for more fine fine stringed instruments from the master luthiers still in existence today.
Across the arc of violin making, selling, and collecting, it’s important to understand it all started as a story of European culture, economics, prestige, and financial gain, broadened more ...
Neither a player nor maker of violins, he might be responsible for more fine fine stringed instruments from the master luthiers still in existence ...
The 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 (“Cubism,” primarily), his various periods (Blue, Rose, Analytic Cubism, Synthetic Cubism), and the fact he frequently incorporated ...
The crossover between visual and performing arts is not uncommon. But in his championing of Cubism, Picasso found his inspiration to paint in ...
While 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 “Hopf.” An authentic Hopf, perhaps dating ...
While early members of this dynasty created violins that have endured for hundreds of years, later industrious Hopfs also were successful at mass ...
The Austrian-born violinist had many stringed instruments over his long career. And he had fine taste in violins – commensurate with his playing.
The career of violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), while brilliant, is fairly consistent with other European virtuosos of the late 19th and 20th centuries. He was discovered to be talented ...
The Austrian-born violinist had many stringed instruments over his long career. And he had fine taste in violins – commensurate with his playing.
...
They look like violins, but appearances can be deceiving. The addition of sympathetic strings gives this Scandinavian favorite a haunting, polyphonic sound.
Every region on earth has its indigenous musical tradition and Norway is no exception. It is the country most associated with the Hardanger fiddle, used for centuries in folk music, some ...
They look like violins, but appearances can be deceiving. The addition of sympathetic strings gives this Scandinavian favorite a haunting, polyphonic ...
Almost everything was sold via the Sears “Wish Books” of the 20th century. Worth noting is inexpensive instruments that have long been available – 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 – ...
Almost everything was sold via the Sears “Wish Books” of the 20th century. Worth noting is inexpensive instruments that have long been available – ...
Every fine violin from the Italian luthiers has a story. But in the case of those played by Itzhak Perlman, the life stories of these instruments are bigger.
It’s an understatement to say that Itzhak Perlman has a storied career. And it’s erroneous to say that in the past tense – the 76-year-old virtuoso has a full tour schedule for 2022. He ...
Every fine violin from the Italian luthiers has a story. But in the case of those played by Itzhak Perlman, the life stories of these instruments are ...
As 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 ...
As the orchestra concertmaster is always a violinist, it seems natural that great conductors are often great violinists. Here we list some of the ...
Among 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 – with nearly the energy of ...
Among the greatest of 20th century virtuosos, Stern left behind great violins and bows. His estate may have bungled it a bit, but the instruments ...
Some 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 ...
Some of the finest violins, cellos, basses and other stringed instruments are now 100s of years old and of great value. Knowing their history ...
About 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, it’s 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 ...
About 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 ...
Over 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 ...
Over 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. ...
More than the guitar strings can make us rock. Violinists including John Creach, Richard Sanders, Robby Steinhardt, and David Lindley showed us how.
As every new genre of music builds on what came before it, it’s always interesting to see how certain instruments are employed in completely different ways. The incorporation of classical musical ...
While considered subservient to the violin, the bow rose to much greater importance in the confluence of Tourte, skilled violinists, and the French Revolution.
Frenchman Francois Tourte is widely credited with inventing the modern violin bow, in almost universal use today by violinists of all levels of ability. But given he worked about 200 years ...
While considered subservient to the violin, the bow rose to much greater importance in the confluence of Tourte, skilled violinists, and the French ...
The 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 ...
The violins of Cremona and Venice might have the most storied histories, but the Neopolitan Gagliano family instruments have stood the test of time ...
A 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 – from furniture size radios in the 1930s to hand-held transistor radios in the 1960s, and “car phones” as big as tissue boxes to slim smartphones of today – has a ...
A scaled down version of the violin, the pochette was devised for traveling and impromptu performances. And, it helped Scots become Englishmen.
The ...
Here’s to thinking outside of the (string peg) box. But from a 21st century perspective, covering the aluminum with faux wood was a poor aesthetic choice.
Perhaps one of the more curious aspects of musical expression is the unfettered creativity of instrument makers. It began with plucking strings stretched across the hard shell of gourds that, ...
Here’s to thinking outside of the (string peg) box. But from a 21st century perspective, covering the aluminum with faux wood was a poor aesthetic ...
The parts of the cello start at the floor. But the endpin wasn’t 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 parts of the cello start at the floor. But the endpin wasn’t always part of the instrument, and the physicality of that changed music itself.
...
Relegated 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 ...
Relegated to the alto voice in most compositions, the viola has risen to greater prominence thanks to William Primrose and those who aspire to his ...
While the Museum of Füssen commemorates its luthier-populated past, much of the violinmaking influence of this Bavarian town ultimately went elsewhere.
It’s 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 ...
While the Museum of Füssen commemorates its luthier-populated past, much of the violinmaking influence of this Bavarian town ultimately went ...
While scribbling difficult formulas about E=mc2 on a chalkboard, it may have been Mozart’s Violin Sonata in C that coursed through his considerable brain.
We may have Mozart to thank for E=mc2.
The most famous scientific equation in the world, given us by none other than Albert Einstein, is a product of the man’s genius. As a theoretical ...
While scribbling difficult formulas about E=mc2 on a chalkboard, it may have been Mozart’s Violin Sonata in C that coursed through his considerable ...
New York’s 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. “Perhaps it’s a ...
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has several Strads that are played occasionally. But should rare instruments be mostly seen and rarely heard?
...
Rare 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 – think art, antiques, Stradivarius violins – there is a mix of beauty and threat that is ever present.
Fine art galleries have their works under 24/7 ...
Rare stringed instruments have a chain of custody known as provenance. Without clear and legal ownership, the instrument is more a liability than ...
To 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 ...
To understand stringed instruments of the European Middle Ages, it helps to understand medieval music itself.
The Medieval Era, roughly 500 CE to ...
Musical 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, it’s no wonder there was an explosion of new stringed ...
Musical eras and the instruments that created them are on an historical, evolving continuum. But each era, the Renaissance period included, has its ...
Catherin de’ 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 ...
Catherin de’ Medici brought a love of dance from Italy to the French court. In so doing, she drove the enduring standardization of violins, violas, ...
The Ukranian-American virtuoso played four priceless instruments in his career. But one Strad was his favorite, and he renamed it for his wife.
The virtuoso violinist Nathan Mironovich Milstein (1903-1992) had a remarkable career by many indicators – his training, his colleagues, his interpretations of works from the Romantic period, and his own ...
The Ukranian-American virtuoso played four priceless instruments in his career. But one Strad was his favorite, and he renamed it for his wife.
The ...
Stradivari 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 de’ Medici (1519-1589), the Italian noblewoman, queen consort ...
Stradivari is known for the greatest violins, but the likely inventor of the modern violin was Andreas Amati. French royalty deserves some credit as ...
Austria’s 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 ...
Austria’s von Trapps might have a movie made about them, but the musical contributions of the Klotz luthiers are celebrated with a statue and a ...
All aspects of orchestral music making – performers, conductors, composers, and instrument makers – have resisted women’s 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 ...
All aspects of orchestral music making – performers, conductors, composers, and instrument makers – have resisted women’s involvement. Until the 20 ...
Patronage 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 – whose behaviors excluded him from support from the Church – found his support in a certain Baron ...
The 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 – in Western music, the violin family (violin, cello, viola, bass, and the viola da gamba) – it helps to understand what is ...
The smaller of the two parts of stringed instruments, the bow, is remarkably complex and made of several parts, historically derived directly from ...
The violin Joshua Bell can’t 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, “All passes, art alone endures.” Technically, it was “enduring” ...
The violin Joshua Bell can’t 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 ...
There is more time to learn things in the pandemic. So this age of at-home learning is perfect for taking up or refreshing musical skills on an instrument.
When the coronavirus shut down much of the world in mid-March 2020, in-person music instruction failed to meet the criteria for “essential work.” But musical instructors and institutions ...
There is more time to learn things in the pandemic. So this age of at-home learning is perfect for taking up or refreshing musical skills on an ...
Great violins last hundreds of years, so perhaps a ten-year wait for wood to age isn’t so bad for violinmakers. But scientists hope to speed things up.
The nature of violinmaking is that the mastery thereof is part science, part art – and lots of patience. Just looking at one aspect of the process, determining if the raw wood has sufficiently ...
Great violins last hundreds of years, so perhaps a ten-year wait for wood to age isn’t so bad for violinmakers. But scientists hope to speed things ...
Photo courtesy of Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows
Neither a musician nor a maker of musical instruments, this deeply shy writer traversed America to meet luthiers face-to-face and describe their work.
It was published more than 30 years ago, and all copies sit within a fine Moroccan goatskin cover. It’s available through the standard (today) ...
Photo courtesy of Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows
Neither a musician nor a maker of musical instruments, this deeply shy writer traversed ...
The “Swedish fiddle” is not purely a product of this Scandinavian country. But its biggest fans are probably in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo and Uppsala.
To understand the history of the Nyckelharpa – referred to in some circles as the Swedish fiddle – actually requires digging into the history of all stringed instruments.
The Nyckelharpa has ...
The “Swedish fiddle” is not purely a product of this Scandinavian country. But its biggest fans are probably in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo and ...
Whether for the violin, cello, viola or string bass, knowing proper string maintenance can reduce the chances of a mid-performance break.
Few violinists consider their music to be a contact sport. Sure, there are competitions when the side eye from one player to the next might involve some mental darts and ocular daggers. But there is a ...
Whether for the violin, cello, viola or string bass, knowing proper string maintenance can reduce the chances of a mid-performance break.
Few ...
Among the finest violinists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Sarasate had two Stradivariuses with which to create great music. Both live on – differently.
Among the hundreds of surviving fine Italian violins crafted by renowned violin maker Antonio Stradivari, two were once in the hands of 19th century virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate. One, the ...
Among the finest violinists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Sarasate had two Stradivariuses with which to create great music. Both live on – ...
While appearing to be less complex than the violin itself, the bow and its evolution since the 17thcentury illustrate how “the stick” had distinct advantages.
Violins and bows of the Baroque period (early 1600s to the mid 1700s) were physically different from their “modern” counterparts that are largely the standard of today. But when one ...
While appearing to be less complex than the violin itself, the bow and its evolution since the 17thcentury illustrate how “the stick” had distinct ...
The interplay of historical events and inventive instrument making – violins providing the best example – led the transition from one period to the next.
The Baroque Period, roughly the 17thand first half of the 18thcenturies, was not just about music but also of the visual arts, fashion and architecture. In each of those a bold and elaborate ...
The interplay of historical events and inventive instrument making – violins providing the best example – led the transition from one period to the ...
A simple piece of maple wood might look less important than the showier body, strings, scroll or bow of a violin. But the bridge is critical to the sound.
Among the many parts of stringed instruments – violins, cellos, violas, basses – the bridge might appear to be just a simple wedge positioned there to elevate the strings. It is, after all, ...
A simple piece of maple wood might look less important than the showier body, strings, scroll or bow of a violin. But the bridge is critical to the ...
Despite the difficulty thieves might find reselling famous works of the master luthier, history shows that Stradivariuses hold enduring attraction to thieves.
The story of the stolen Stradivarius violin that is probably most familiar to Americans is that of the Totenberg-Ames Stradivari (circa 1734). This is because the first part of that name, ...
Despite the difficulty thieves might find reselling famous works of the master luthier, history shows that Stradivariuses hold enduring attraction to ...
Both rosin and music produced by strings go back thousands of years. When the two came together is uncertain, but it’s easy to understand why.
It’s somewhat challenging to identify when rosin met its first bow to produce music on a stringed instrument. A Google search fails to yield definitive information on where and when that would have ...
Both rosin and music produced by strings go back thousands of years. When the two came together is uncertain, but it’s easy to understand why.
It’s ...
His hands may have created the most beautiful music of the 20th century. But in an instant, Heifetz risked it all to save a timeless, priceless violin.
Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987), considered by many to be the greatest violinist of all time, was recognized for his virtuosity in the concert halls as much as virtue in some of the most important ...
His hands may have created the most beautiful music of the 20th century. But in an instant, Heifetz risked it all to save a timeless, priceless ...
The search for identity and value in fine stringed and other instruments is its own treasure hunt. Several factors matter – including how it sounds.
“Antiques Roadshow” is one of the most-watched programs on the PBS television network, seen by up to 8 million viewers per week. But while appraisers on the show provide their services for free – ...
Rare musical instruments as investments are attractive because a growing wealth market appreciates the finite supply of fine violins and other instruments.
Whether in a strong economy where market-traded securities are performing well, or in economic downturns when such securities aren’t, a perennial topic among the investor class is the wisdom ...
Rare musical instruments as investments are attractive because a growing wealth market appreciates the finite supply of fine violins and other ...
The traditions that gave us the best violins ever made continue in this northern Italian city. This heritage is even recognized by UNESCO.
It might be hard to understand the shared characteristic between traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona, Italy and the following: polyphonic singing (Georgia), yoga (India), the hopping procession of ...
The traditions that gave us the best violins ever made continue in this northern Italian city. This heritage is even recognized by UNESCO.
It might ...
The prodigy Menuhin had a taste for the best violins in the world, and his virtuosity made him deserving thereof. For all he was given he also gave in kind.
What is the connection between virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) and Fallout video games, devised in the early 2000s? The former is among the foremost violinists of the 20th ...
The prodigy Menuhin had a taste for the best violins in the world, and his virtuosity made him deserving thereof. For all he was given he also gave ...
The thick neck of this obscure stringed instrument speaks to the double duty it and its players serve to produce its rich tonality. Barytons are quite rare.
The baryton, a member of the viol family, is a rare but still-played instrument in the 21stcentury. Aficionados of the music of Joseph Haydn understand its beauty and place, particularly ...
The thick neck of this obscure stringed instrument speaks to the double duty it and its players serve to produce its rich tonality. Barytons are ...
Venice stood apart from the other Italian city-states, a blend of culture and art from a bigger world beyond southern Europe. Violins from there reflect this.
When music lovers describe the violinmaking school of Venice, they’re not referring to an educational system per sé, with buildings and faculty and matriculated students and an alumni ...
Venice stood apart from the other Italian city-states, a blend of culture and art from a bigger world beyond southern Europe. Violins from there ...
Instruments like violins and cellos produce harmonic tone vibrations, involuntarily or by intent, from strings other than the string being played.
Students of stringed instruments who also have an affinity for physics are likely delighted with the subject of harmonics. They not only understand how vibrations are at the core of producing sounds, ...
Instruments like violins and cellos produce harmonic tone vibrations, involuntarily or by intent, from strings other than the string being played.
...
Politics of the Renaissance era ordered northern Italian cities in violinmaking. But bubonic plague hit Brescia a little harder as most of its luthiers perished.
The distance between Brescia and Cremona, Italy, two bastions of fine stringed instrument making in the 16thcentury forward, is only 29 miles (46 kilometers). But relative to the world ...
Politics of the Renaissance era ordered northern Italian cities in violinmaking. But bubonic plague hit Brescia a little harder as most of its ...
The bridge in all stringed instruments is a simple, unheralded part that transfers vibrations from the strings to the instrument body. It’s all physics!
There’s an argument in education theory circles that the 21stcentury emphasis on STEM – preparing students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math – leaves out something ...
The bridge in all stringed instruments is a simple, unheralded part that transfers vibrations from the strings to the instrument body. It’s all ...
The option to rent an instrument makes sense in a variety of circumstances. Understanding the variables should help players decide what’s right for them.
Note: The following article explains how violin rentals “generally” work throughout the industry. The information does not necessarily apply to Benning Violins’ own instrumental rental program ...
The option to rent an instrument makes sense in a variety of circumstances. Understanding the variables should help players decide what’s right for ...
The versatility of bows on strings is evident in how musicians over the past century have found ways to swing an instrument that can do bebop as well as Bach.
To understand the history of violins in jazz music, one should understand the history of jazz itself. Violins aren’t typically the first jazz instrument that comes to mind – saxophones, ...
The versatility of bows on strings is evident in how musicians over the past century have found ways to swing an instrument that can do bebop as well ...
As only humans can craft fine stringed instruments – violins, cellos, violas, basses – some are better than others. Luthier competitions show us who.
While violin performance competitions are well known to students and fans of fine stringed instruments (the cello, bass, and viola also have their competitions), a somewhat more obscure contest type ...
As only humans can craft fine stringed instruments – violins, cellos, violas, basses – some are better than others. Luthier competitions show us who. ...
The special resonance of this early music instrument – which has its modern-day fans – is due to sympathetic strings that provide a distinct undertone.
“There is something about the emphasis of the very low, and the very high register of the viola d’amore, that for me is quite profoundly moving.”
So wrote a champion of the somewhat obscure ...
The special resonance of this early music instrument – which has its modern-day fans – is due to sympathetic strings that provide a distinct ...
The differences between fine stringed instruments and an assembly line made violin (or cello or viola) are significant. Craftsmanship matters in the end.
In the simplest of terms, there are two kinds of violins in the world. One is made – painstakingly – by a professional luthier (violin maker), and the other is factory made. ...
The differences between fine stringed instruments and an assembly line made violin (or cello or viola) are significant. Craftsmanship ...
Violins, cellos, violas, basses and bows are sold at auction all the time. It works for buyers and sellers, but it’s possible to get it wrong.
Buy a fine violin, cello, viola or bass at auction? It may not be for the faint hearted, but auction sales of fine stringed instruments offer certain advantages.
One is that it is possible to purchase an ...
Violins, cellos, violas, basses and bows are sold at auction all the time. It works for buyers and sellers, but it’s possible to get it wrong.
Buy a ...
Between your instrument strings and the bow hair is something vital, the rosin. Too much or too little, applied the wrong way, can impair your playing.
The beginner violinist may think a small disk of coniferous tree sap, rosin, plays a minor or even unnecessary role in the creation of music. Au contraire! The right rosin, applied with ...
Between your instrument strings and the bow hair is something vital, the rosin. Too much or too little, applied the wrong way, can impair your ...
Bringing music to Los Angeles’ most disenfranchised people isn’t just a do-good project. It’s about summoning the best in all of us, the core of our beings.
What does it mean that accomplished musicians perform for and even work with the most disenfranchised parts of society in Los Angeles? What do the musicians, music directors and educators ...
Bringing music to Los Angeles’ most disenfranchised people isn’t just a do-good project. It’s about summoning the best in all of us, the core of our ...
Now the most highly valued violin on the planet, the iconic instrument was refurbished almost 40 years ago in Carl Becker and Son’s simple Chicago studio.
Today, a non-descript condominium building stands at 1416 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago. This is in the re-gentrified Lakeview neighborhood of the city’s North Side, an area that not long ago ...
Now the most highly valued violin on the planet, the iconic instrument was refurbished almost 40 years ago in Carl Becker and Son’s simple Chicago ...
Minor maintenance of violins, violas and cellos can and should be done by the player. Know what you’re doing – including when to call a professional.
All stringed instruments – violins, cellos and violas – are in certain respects alive. The strings, the various components (neck, pegbox, pegs, strings, bow and bow strings, the body and finish, ...
Minor maintenance of violins, violas and cellos can and should be done by the player. Know what you’re doing – including when to call a professional. ...
The “planetary geared” peg makes tuning easier on violins, violas, and cellos. There are several additional reasons to favor them.
Geared pegs are a newer innovation when it comes to useful – some may say ingenious – stringed instrument accessories. Widely available both online as well as at the local violin shop, these pegs boil down larger ...
The “planetary geared” peg makes tuning easier on violins, violas, and cellos. There are several additional reasons to favor them.
Geared pegs are a ...
Fine instruments are beautiful works of craftsmanship, and very vulnerable to come what may. Being careful means obtaining an insurance policy.
There are horror stories about fine stringed instruments getting damaged. You’ve heard them. Despite meticulous care and love a musician puts into his or her instrument, it can be destroyed in ...
Fine instruments are beautiful works of craftsmanship, and very vulnerable to come what may. Being careful means obtaining an insurance policy.
...
While not intrinsically great instruments, Jewish-owned violins, cellos and violas that somehow survived the concentration camps live on in concert.
Among the many perverse facts of the Holocaust is there were camp orchestras. Talented instrumentalists from the Jewish and “Gypsy” (Roma) communities involuntarily held by the murderous regime were ...
Violinists are split on if the shoulder rest helps or hurts their play. Medical professionals recommend it for people with sore necks and shoulders.
The sound a violinist produces, as well as the mastery he or she has with the technical aspects of the score, is considered the goal and achievement of the musician. But if the player develops ...
The physics of music matters, particularly when a cello, bass or violin produces an unintended sound. Understand how it works to fix it.
There are many reasons why education policy experts encourage adding an A, for arts, to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), giving us STEAM. The general theory is that the engineer with a ...
The physics of music matters, particularly when a cello, bass or violin produces an unintended sound. Understand how it works to fix it.
There are ...
Math is intrinsic to music. But what’s truly fascinating is how the designs of fine violins, flowers and huge galaxies connect to Fibonacci’s Golden Ratio.
The Fibonacci Series might sound like a spy thriller, but it’s perhaps more exciting because it draws a direct, mathematical connection between the human perception of beauty and nature ...
Math is intrinsic to music. But what’s truly fascinating is how the designs of fine violins, flowers and huge galaxies connect to Fibonacci’s Golden ...
The legendary violinmaker didn’t limit his enterprise, producing many other types of stringed instruments. A few survive, are playable, and are highly valued.
In 2018, violin maker Gregg Alf curated a remarkable collection of fine stringed instruments by the iconic Antonio Stradivari. The event, the Tokyo Stradivarius Festival 2018, included ...
The legendary violinmaker didn’t limit his enterprise, producing many other types of stringed instruments. A few survive, are playable, and are ...
Synthetic bow hair is unthinkable to most violin players and makers. But given the delicacy of natural horsehair, the synthetic option has some appeal.
Players of fine cellos, violas and violins typically perform on fine cello, viola and violin bows. At some point in rehairing these bows, the question may arise: Should one go natural or ...
Synthetic bow hair is unthinkable to most violin players and makers. But given the delicacy of natural horsehair, the synthetic option has some ...
Violins and other instruments are like children, needing protection from unkind elements. Extreme temperatures and humidity pose the biggest threats.
For every thing there is a season. Fine violins can perform in all four seasons (as Vivaldi well understood), as do cellos, violas, and string bass. The only thing to remember is that ...
Violins and other instruments are like children, needing protection from unkind elements. Extreme temperatures and humidity pose the biggest threats. ...
It starts with mature, old growth trees and then requires a long time of natural drying. With stringed instruments such as violins, age is an advantage.
Much is made of the fine violins made long ago. The names Stradivarius, Guarneri, and Amati immediately come to mind. The ages of those 16th, 17thand 18thcentury violins (and violas and ...
It starts with mature, old growth trees and then requires a long time of natural drying. With stringed instruments such as violins, age is an ...
An especially knowledgeable violinmaker can identify the origin of a violin. This goes beyond an appraisal – a certificate of authenticity applies to insuring a fine instrument.
The enduringly popular Public Broadcast System program, “Antiques Roadshow,” has multiple episodes in its archives where a violin is appraised at large sums, as much as ...
An especially knowledgeable violinmaker can identify the origin of a violin. This goes beyond an appraisal – a certificate of authenticity applies to ...
There are several items the stringed instrument musician should acquire early in his or her training. It enables better play from the start.
The violin is perhaps among the most beautiful of musical instruments in both sound and appearance. A mere picture of violinist playing – or even just the instrument itself – conjures lovely images in the ...
There are several items the stringed instrument musician should acquire early in his or her training. It enables better play from the start.
The ...
The electric guitar didn’t kill the acoustic ones, and neither have electric violins diminished acoustic violins. They broaden artistic range.
Is it somehow unwholesome for the serious violinist with a firm grounding in classical music to toy with the idea of electric violins? Or for that matter, can players of cellos, violas, and the ...
The electric guitar didn’t kill the acoustic ones, and neither have electric violins diminished acoustic violins. They broaden artistic range.
Is it ...
Atmospheric water – humidity – changes the size and weight of wood in violins, cellos and other stringed instruments. But it can be managed.
Perhaps Vivaldi understood both the beauties and curses of nature. Arguably the composer’s most popular composition, “The Four Seasons” (Le Quattro Stagioni), celebrates the changes from spring through ...
Atmospheric water – humidity – changes the size and weight of wood in violins, cellos and other stringed instruments. But it can be managed.
Perhaps ...
Music study can lead to a rewarding career. But simply learning how to play a violin (or tuba or oboe) can positively affect development in many ways.
We go to a concert hall and see virtuoso musicians performing some of the most adored musical compositions on some of the finest violins and cellos and pianos ever made. ...
Music study can lead to a rewarding career. But simply learning how to play a violin (or tuba or oboe) can positively affect development in many ...
The A note changed over the centuries due to concert hall architecture, instrument innovations, and the globalization of Western music.
Violin strings are typically tuned by setting the A string to 440 Hz. It’s a scientific metric applied to a tool of art, which in itself might seem odd. But just like pointillism was an optical tool used by ...
The A note changed over the centuries due to concert hall architecture, instrument innovations, and the globalization of Western music.
Violin ...
It takes several kinds of woods to make fine stringed musical instruments. But the back of the violin, made with maple, has much to do with sound resonance.
Students of the violin and Violin Articles >>
It takes several kinds of woods to make fine stringed musical instruments. But the back of the violin, made with maple, has much to do with sound ...
Spruce is a vital raw component of violins. A product of nature, there is great variability that skilled violinmakers understand how to control.
There are countless variables that affect the quality of music created by a skilled violinist and his or her violin. It is the talent, skill, and artistry of the violinist that seems most important. But ...
Spruce is a vital raw component of violins. A product of nature, there is great variability that skilled violinmakers understand how to control.
...
Ole Kanestrom
A tiny fishing village on Washington’s Puget Sound is the place where fine stringed instruments and instrumentalists find their essential bow.
Violins, violas and cellos mostly get all the attention. They’re the principle instruments in the orchestra; they are played by the most recognized of string musicians (rare exception: Yo-Yo ...
Ole Kanestrom
A tiny fishing village on Washington’s Puget Sound is the place where fine stringed instruments and instrumentalists find their ...
Photo courtesy of Niam Chauhan
They don’t make the music but ensure the instrument gets to its audiences. This London violinmaker created some of the most beautiful cases ever made.
When is a package or container almost as valued as its contents? One imagines the Fabergé eggs as an incomparable embodiment and celebration of the exterior. On a ...
Photo courtesy of Niam Chauhan
They don’t make the music but ensure the instrument gets to its audiences. This London violinmaker created some of ...
Very few fine stringed instrument shops master so much of what musicians need to produce fine music – and what collectors need to establish value.
Some people know W.E. Hill & Sons for their fine violin bows. Others for the cellos and violins the firm made during the late 19th and most of the 20th century. Auctioneers tout the firm for its ...
Very few fine stringed instrument shops master so much of what musicians need to produce fine music – and what collectors need to establish value.
...
The 17th and 18th centuries produced the Stradivariuses. But the 20th and 21st centuries had the Chicago violinmaker Carl Fredrick Becker.
Chicago’s Fine Arts Building, a gem of the Windy City just steps from Symphony Center and the home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is home to Carl Becker & Son. The firm now employs ...
The 17th and 18th centuries produced the Stradivariuses. But the 20th and 21st centuries had the Chicago violinmaker Carl ...
HOURS
Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday and Monday: Closed
MEMBERSHIPS
- International Society of Violin and Bow Makers
- American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers
- Deutscher Geigenbauer Verband
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CONTACT US
Thank you for your interest in Benning Violins. If you have a question or concern, we would love to hear from you. Please visit our shop or contact us using any of the methods below.
11340 Ventura Blvd.,
Studio City, CA 91604
1-818-762-1374
1-818-762-7126