GeorgeH

Proof?

Not necessarily. Unless it was a violin with a good certificate, I can’t see how it is worth $15-18k. It is pretty clearly a composite violin that is in mediocre condition. I was asking about LOB because Brescian models tend to be big - over 360mm. Furthermore violins with double purfling tend to be significantly discounted against “normal” violins. Just compare Vuillaume Maggini model prices with Vuillaume Strad and GDG model prices. As one dealer told me, “Classical players tend to be conservative and don’t buy them. Fiddle players tend to like them, but don’t generally buy expensive violins.” So this violin price has 3 strikes against its price: a composite violin, double purfling, and mediocre condition. If it is oversized, then that is a 4th big strike. If the OP loves the violin, then I’d suggest that he work on negotiating a much lower price.

What is the LOB?

Yeah, sure, if people happen to enjoy a concert because they are uneducated cretins then that is their fault. Far better it would be if they were a proper audience who were musically educated to the point that they can't enjoy anything. And you might become a bit more educated about Heifetz's career. It was never "destroyed." Heifetz stopped public performing in 1974 at age 73 after shoulder surgery on his right arm. He never had problems selling tickets to his concerts. He retired when he could physically no longer perform to his standards.

Although always nice to see instrument photographs here, I would not recommend that the OP post theirs as informed or uninformed criticism in a public forum could erroneously impact a future sale.

What was the bidding like for it? Was their much interest and did it sell for a price that you'd expect for an authentic Bernardel? The number of bidders and final price can offer a clue as to whether other auction buyers thought it was authentic. The wisdom of crowds...

What was this? https://t2-auctions.com/auctions/lot/?csid=2200453120&cpid=4233953280&filter_key=

It looks to me like the nickel-mounted frog and button don't belong to the stick.

"Professional Standard" and "Professional Technique" are both subjective and different measures depending on the circumstances. That is what I was getting at. A performance can be a fabulously entertaining even if the performers do not have "Professional Technique" or play to somebody's ideal of "Professional Standard." And I think the author's headline speaks to the general public as well as professional musicians. And thanks @crazy jane! I agree with Herrick. As it is said, "The quest for perfection leads to procrastination which leads to paralysis." And "Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes progress."

Seems to me that there will likely be a market for counterfeit pre-CITES dated sales receipts for wood stocks that currently lack them.

Nope.

Still being debated. From yesterday's press release: "The Committee I reviewed ten proposals to amend the Appendices for plants, with ongoing debate on Brazil wood. Proposals concerning guggul, red doussié, African padauk, and Parlatore’s podocarp were rejected after voting. The adoption of Appendix I listing of the endemic and iconic Chilean palm was agreed by consensus. The Appendix II listings for two ponytail palms and four aloe species were also adopted. An amended annotation proposed for American ginseng was rejected." Full press release here: https://cites.org/eng/news/pr/halfway-through-20th-world-wildlife-conference-cites-cop20-2025

An osmium decorated bridge should be someone's entry in the International Violin Bridge Competition next year.

I am privileged to hear some of the best young classical string players in the world each summer at the Perlman Music Program (PMP). Most of these young people perform extremely difficult repertoire with phenomenal dexterity and skill. A few can even convey the deep emotional meaning in their pieces with a maturity that seems decades beyond their age. That ability is rare, and it goes far beyond playing the notes on a fine instrument with superb technique and tone. Like modern Olympic athletes, the physical abilities and training for top musicians have advanced dramatically over the past century. If live musical performances could be scored the way Olympic performances are, I’m convinced we’d be seeing “record-breaking” achievements. Today’s musicians are trained to deliver near-perfect performances; so if scores existed, the margins separating the very best would be fractions of a point. And yet, while these young musicians excel at playing the music composed by others, most of them are frightened and intimidated when asked to improvise. Each summer, PMP brings in a quartet coach to teach newer works that include improvisational sections, and many players are openly nervous about it. But by the performance time, most of them manage to create their improvised parts beautifully and they’re proud of having stepped into unfamiliar territory. Returning to the article, John Coltrane was known for his high-intensity music he described as “the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being.” I think this is what Patti Smith was getting at. One cannot improvise freely without first overcoming the fear of making mistakes. As Jonathan Biss said the fear of making mistakes leads to paralysis. I don’t believe that “technical mastery” is a prerequisite for communicating the essence of a piece of music. Across many genres, there are musicians who lack total technical command of their instrument but can fully communicate the emotional essence of a piece. And, conversely, there are players with dazzling technical mastery who don't manage to connect the audience with the emotional core of the music they are performing.