Selecting top quality woods

[David Burgess]

12 minutes ago, VicM said:

I am perfectly capable.     But I think what you wanted to know is if I am wiling.  

Anybody can claim anything. To me, a lot about the veracity of a claim comes down to how "willing" or able one is to back it up.

[VicM]

8 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

There are some really good copyists out there, good enough that performers will use these instruments without any fear of audiences or music critics knowing the difference.

Some years ago a very good soloist, very well known, who played a good Strad had a couple of concerts in a former Soviet Republic and used the copy of his Strad made by an excellent European maker. With one single exception nobody could tell. The exception was a critic who wrote that next time he should bring the good violin.  

[David Burgess]

3 minutes ago, VicM said:

Some years ago a very good soloist, very well known, who played a good Strad had a couple of concerts in a former Soviet Republic and used the copy of his Strad made by an excellent European maker. With one single exception nobody could tell. The exception was a critic who wrote that next time he should bring the good violin.  

Which violin was the soloist really playing, and how do you know? Are you an expert on Stradivari violins who closely examined the violin used?

[VicM]

5 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

Anybody can claim anything. To me, a lot about the veracity of a claim comes down to how "willing" or able one is to back it up.

I appreciate how cleverly you worded your post. I almost do not need to say that a claim can be true even if the claimant is neither able nor willing to "back it up".  The problem we have here is that we do not know what "back it up" means.

[VicM]

Just now, David Burgess said:

Which violin was the soloist really playing, and how do you know? Are you an expert on Stradivari violins who closely examined the violin used?

He played the copy. And it is part of my occupation to know.

[David Burgess]

1 minute ago, VicM said:

He played the copy. And it is part of my occupation to know.

What? More claims, and still no evidence?

[VicM]

2 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

What? More claims, and still no evidence?

yes, can you believe that ?    Do you really think that every time one says something you are entitled to "evidence" ?

However, to be nice : when you next visit the EU I will meet you at the airport, show you the evidence and ( maybe ??) even carry your luggage to the Taxi. I may not make it immediately but I am sure you will not mind waiting........  

[David Burgess]

13 minutes ago, VicM said:

yes, can you believe that ?    Do you really think that every time one says something you are entitled to "evidence" ?

Whether I or anyone else is entitled to evidence will depend on how credible you wish to be.
Should you claim that you have flown to Mars and back in a hot air balloon, I would be among those looking for evidence, and would think no less of myself or anyone else for doing so.

[Victor Roman]

43 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

There are some really good copyists out there, good enough that performers will use these instruments without any fear of audiences or music critics knowing the difference.

Mr Burgess, I can confirm from personal experience. Some years ago I was present when the CM of a TOP  orchestra selected a violin for his own use and it came down between a Strad and a new violin. This was very extensive testing and eventually the Strad won but only by a hairline. To my ear and knowledge was impossible to say which one ( the Strad or the New ) was better. But the final word was the CM...................

It is also common to take a lesser violin when one tours risky places.   Not only former USSR but also Asia here and there.... 

[Marty Kasprzyk]

I was in one of those double blind violin tests where the blindfolded players were behind a screen so the players and listeners didn't know the identities of the violins. After playing one the player said "What recycling bin did they find this in?"  

It was later revealed to be a del Gesu violin which scored poorly by both the players and listeners.

[VicM]

20 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

Whether I or anyone else is entitled to evidence will depend on how credible you wish to be.
Should you claim that you have flown to Mars and back in a hot air balloon, I would be among those looking for evidence, and would think no less of myself or anyone else for doing so.

David, that's not me. I don't demand evidence to whatever people rant on on a public forum. I am not paranoiac. For example   I do not imagine my co-workers break into my locker or cupboards...    When you ask for evidence you automatically imply the other side might be lying. That has a tendency to dampen good relations and mutual respect.

[bardia parmid]

7 minutes ago, VicM said:

دیوید، این من نیستم. من برای هر چیزی که مردم در یک فروم عمومی سر و صدا می کنند، مدرک نمی خواهم. من پارانویا نیستم برای مثال،   تصور نمی‌کنم که همکارانم به کمد یا کمد من نفوذ کنند...    وقتی مدرک می‌خواهید، به‌طور خودکار به این فکر می‌کنید که طرف مقابل ممکن است دروغ بگوید. این تمایل به تضعیف روابط خوب و احترام متقابل دارد.

Vice

I was happy and enjoyed your thoughtful and timely speech.

This shows that you are a thoughtful and wise person.

 

Be happy and healthy

[bardia parmid]

12 minutes ago, VicM said:

دیوید، این من نیستم. من برای هر چیزی که مردم در یک فروم عمومی سر و صدا می کنند، مدرک نمی خواهم. من پارانویا نیستم برای مثال،   تصور نمی‌کنم که همکارانم به کمد یا کمد من نفوذ کنند...    وقتی مدرک می‌خواهید، به‌طور خودکار به این فکر می‌کنید که طرف مقابل ممکن است دروغ بگوید. این تمایل به تضعیف روابط خوب و احترام متقابل دارد.

In my opinion, if someone is really looking for the truth and wants evidence, they can take the trouble to search the internet to find the truth and not constantly seek to argue with others and quickly call anything that contradicts their beliefs nonsense. A wise and intelligent person does not judge quickly and if they do not like something, they do not call it nonsense.

[bardia parmid]

14 minutes ago, VicM said:

دیوید، این من نیستم. من برای هر چیزی که مردم در یک فروم عمومی سر و صدا می کنند، مدرک نمی خواهم. من پارانویا نیستم برای مثال،   تصور نمی‌کنم که همکارانم به کمد یا کمد من نفوذ کنند...    وقتی مدرک می‌خواهید، به‌طور خودکار به این فکر می‌کنید که طرف مقابل ممکن است دروغ بگوید. این تمایل به تضعیف روابط خوب و احترام متقابل دارد.

It seems that Mr. David is looking for an argument and enjoys arguing, not the truth.

[Victor Roman]

8 minutes ago, Marty Kasprzyk said:

I was in one of those double blind violin tests where the blindfolded players were behind a screen so the players and listeners didn't know the identities of the violins. After playing one the player said "What recycling bin did they find this in?"  

It was later revealed to be a del Gesu violin which scored poorly by both the players and listeners.

I remember clearly FIVE occasions similar to what you describe. Of course, I can not vouch if the violins were genuine Strad / Guarnerius but at least three of those were abysmal, the other two were plain insufficient. Incomprehensible to me why the soloists felt the need to put up with such... difficulties. I will not name names but people do not realize that some VERY famous soloists have no "power" and it is a nightmare for the orchestra to accompany them. I have some unfortunate experience of that. On the recordings they sound fine. Live, they sound like a starving cat. Like Pavarotti used to say "Good memory and good marketing makes great musician"

[VicM]

10 minutes ago, Alireza kazemi said:

Vice

I was happy and enjoyed your thoughtful and timely speech.

This shows that you are a thoughtful and wise person.

 

Be happy and healthy

Thank you - I appreciate your kind words and wish you the same !!! 

By the way, my name is Victor Mashek. 

[VicM]

7 minutes ago, Alireza kazemi said:

It seems that Mr. David is looking for an argument and enjoys arguing, not the truth.

You already read the entire Maestronet ?     

Please, don't hold it against him. "Mr. David" is really not a bad guy. He likes to push the envelope sometimes, just to see if it works.   He IS a TOP violin maker, however.

[VicM]

Here is a violin by "Mr. Burgess"  :

 

 

[bardia parmid]

48 minutes ago, VicM said:

شما قبلاً کل Maestronet را خوانده اید؟     

لطفا، آن را علیه او نگه ندارید. «آقای دیوید» واقعا آدم بدی نیست. او دوست دارد گاهی اوقات پاکت را فشار دهد تا ببیند آیا کار می کند یا خیر.   با این حال، او یک ساز برتر ویولن است.

I never commented on his character. It was the first time he attributed the word "nonsense" to my quote.

[bardia parmid]

41 minutes ago, VicM said:

این هم یک ویولن از "آقای برگس"  :

 

 

Someone may be a talented musician or violin maker, but does she have the right to describe other people's writings as nonsense ???

[Don Noon]

Here is a violin by me.  It was once preferred over a Strad, mostly on the basis of power for a live concert.

There are good Strads and bad Strads, good and bad moderns, and everything inbetween.  So comparisons can likewise come out all kinds of ways if you have some Strad or other and some Guarneri or other and moderns that may have been filtered some way or other.  But the old vs. new debate is really old by now.

 

[David Burgess]

1 hour ago, Alireza kazemi said:

I never commented on his character. It was the first time he attributed the word "nonsense" to my quote.

 

1 hour ago, Alireza kazemi said:

Someone may be a talented musician or violin maker, but does she have the right to describe other people's writings as nonsense ???

Hello, maybe you're getting a bit confused? Davide and David are not the same person. If your translator application is unable to make a distinction between the two, perhaps you'll still be able to notice that the avatars are quite different?
I  don't think that I (David) have used the word "nonsense".  However, I don't disagree with Davide's application of the word.

[David Burgess]

1 hour ago, VicM said:

Here is a violin by "Mr. Burgess"  :

 

 

The woman in the video was a student at the University of Michigan when the video was made. The violin is owned by the Virtu Foundation, which lent it to her. I have no idea where the violin is now, or who is playing it now.

[Randall The Restorer]

3 hours ago, VicM said:

   When you ask for evidence you automatically imply the other side might be lying.

No, it does not imply anything.  
You have chosen to make an illogical inference in regards to reasonable doubt and healthy skepticism.

That sort of thinking is the basis of gossip and slander. It leads to broken marriages, despotism, and wars.

These people asking for evidence have made a reasonable request in order to separate gossip and rumour and exaggerations from empirical fact. They may actually believe you BUT want to avoid looking foolish by possibly quoting misinformation.

A friendly reminder: Humans do NOT always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 
 
David Burgess, Jacob Saunders, and others on this forum sometimes-even often- use harsh or sarcastic tones BUT the actual content of their violin-related statements is usually reasonable and based on fact or experience.

Respectfully yours,

Randy O’Malley

[Victor Roman]

14 hours ago, David Burgess said:

The woman in the video was a student at the University of Michigan when the video was made. The violin is owned by the Virtu Foundation, which lent it to her. I have no idea where the violin is now, or who is playing it now.

Excellent violin, Mr. Burgess. Congratulations !