funnyope

Mr. Scott, thank you so much for the input! I guess I should just stick to the Mondomusica...

Has anyone here gone to one of those Cremona violin-making competitions? This year it's about a month long. (I am not sure if it is always that long.) Can a professional musician try the instruments and talk to makers? Purchase one? Thank you.

Yes. Very true. Accepting women has changed a lot... But this gets into all kinds of PC issues... But PC or not, truth is truth... Hmm...

I am a bit cautious when it comes to orchestras. There are many factors that we MUST discuss that are rather NOT forum-friendly. But if I may be so bold to offer my two cents on the matter, I think what Carl PERHAPS is getting at is that the sound seems very much 'alive' and 'genuine.' Today's orchestras sound rather... bored? I am sure there are qualified musicians SOMEWHERE in some of the orchestras, but as a whole, they don't sound THIS MUCH (referring to F's Beethoven video) alive and dynamic. I'd be curious to know what y'all think.

Speaking of cabinets, I have been wondering about violin positions in there for a while. Why is that everyone 'hangs' violins by the neck of the scroll? Is there a good reason for it?

Does tone optimization mean the luthier 'fixes' the instrument, thereby enhancing the tone? Or does it mean you play it in and make it sound better?

Excellent points. I am not sure if I will purchase the book at this point, but I tend to think it's a big mistake when people claim that there is some sort of a 'secret' that will work for everybody. Especially for a field such as ours. How often have you seen people saying, 'well, x's bow arm looks wrong, but he plays right' or 'y's left hand looks quite unorthodox, but he still manages', etc? To me, I think that kind of evaluation, while perhaps not off the mark, comes off as a bit impulsive bordering on hasty generalization. Why? Because every BODY is different. Different forearm lengths, arm length, finger length, etc. Of course, when something is awkard, it WILL look and sound, inevitably, awakard. I agree that stretching is actually quite important. We are very much similar to athletes, after all. I have heard somewhere that violinists work as much as, if not more than, basketball players. I am skeptical of this claim, but I'd be curious to find out.

He's just trying to teach the 'student' to bring out Mozartian characteristics in the piece. Pretty solid for a concertmaster, I believe. Though I'd be surprised to find otherwise...

I saw an ad for this book and thought, 'what? what secrets?' Scanning through the Table of Contents, I find myself increasingly skeptical of what he offers. And remembering all the discussions on Mnet, I am wondering if he is really shedding any new light on old stuff. Has anyone read this book? Any thoughts on it? My curiosity is rather piqued.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will have to see if they have a website and what violins they have/take out to play... I wonder how busy the consultants who work there are. I mean, is it often that the instruments in question require much/heavy maintenance?

Excellent suggestions. Thank you very, very much! Yes, Mr. Sora is definitely someone I'd love to meet...

I should have specified that I was asking about Italian towns where there are luthiers. Since I will be traveling to Genoa, it would be nice if I could speak to some people from nearby regions and try their works. I could travel to Cremona as well if it doesn't take more than 1.5 hours. I heard that there is a violin making school in Mirecourt, but that's too far from Genoa as you know.

I've been wondering... Are there any other towns besides Cremona that has many luthiers? Do many Italians/other Europeans go to solely Cremona? I am probably traveling to Genoa some time this year, so I thought I'd ask the question. And how do you folks get around? Thanks in advance.

Kinda reminds me of plumed helmet... Maybe you could find a Grecian helm and attach it at the top? Wear it and shout, 'I'm in Dorian mode! This is Sparta!!!'

I like it very much. It looks very... relaxed and homey. Would love to try it some day.