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Showing results for tags 'fractional'.
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Did any of the 16th, 17th, 18th, or even 19th century master luthiers make fractionals that would today be considered masterpieces ~ just smaller? I've not seen references to named famous instruments played by children, like the ex-Young Midori or the ex-Young Sarah Chang or the ex-Young Yo-Yo Ma. Did they simply have to wrestle with full-sized instruments when performing with major orchestras? Thanks.
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Hi all, again. I am still trying to gauge the viability of an idea I have for a nonprofit organization in my community, and it still kinda depends on you lovely Maestronetters whether anything can get started within the year. I have located supportive faculty at the University of Kansas, veteran Suzuki teachers, a vast array of enthusiastic strings pedagogy majors who are willing to be very underpaid, children in need of private music lessons, interested grant making foundations, a large space and several small rooms that can be used for free any time, a luthier (obviously), contacts from similar organizations, and so forth. That's all pretty good, I think. While I have no idea how to apply for nonprofit status (I hear from an attorney friend that it takes many more hours than it used to), I would still like to get started. All that is missing is instruments. Tiny instruments to not-so-big instruments. Cellos, violas, and violins. Anything you might otherwise retire from your rental fleet. Anything that might be in a basement space never set up and gathering dust. That sort of thing! If I had nonprofit status for such a project, I could seek funding for new instruments, I realize, but again, that is really hard, there's no board yet for example, and also... I know that some of you throw away good fractional instruments from time to time. Also, still looking for advice and experiences with similar organizations and startups. I know there is such a huge variety of experience and expertise here, and I'm hoping to hear a few stories and experiences. Thanks.
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Anybody know about fractional violins -- when were they introduced, who first made them, what years they started to be readily available. Are there any antique examples? I thought I heard somewhere that, possibly in Bach's time, children did not start playing the violin until at least 10 years old because smaller child-sized violins were not popular, or that they weren't usually made. Can anyone clear this up for me? 1. Mozart played on a fractional @ age 5? 2. Suzuki was the one who made fractional instruments popular because of his method starting off with very young players. Plus his father owned a violin making factory which is where a lot of the first fractional instruments came from. 3. Contemporary players and teachers reporting playing on 1/2-size instruments made c. 1700-1880. 4. Stefan Milenkovich played on a fractional Stradivari in front of Bush in 1987? 5. From the National Music History Museum: fractionals existed, but only as specialty commissions, usually by royalty. See graphic. 6. Sarah Chang had a 1700s 1/4 size as a kid. 7. Vivaldi taught younger girls at the orphanage, so there must have been smaller instruments (?). [ http://www.users.cloud9.net/~recross/why-not/Vivaldi.html ]
