August 29, 2022 “I shall seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me” Who said it, Beethoven or Darth Vader? It's Monday, so let's get to it.
THE BIG IDEA Five Violins With a Story To TellHistorically, the violin has emerged as an instrument with a legendary mystique. There are supernatural stories about ghostly violins and deals made with Beelzebub to play like a virtuoso. But, when it comes to the violin, there’s no need to add the otherworldly dimension to the mix. From the storied ateliers of Antonio Stradivarius and others in the 18th century, venerable violins have endured wars, revolutions, and much more to continue to bring joy to audiences to the present day. Here are five violins who’ve seen their share of ups and downs over the centuries. The Red ViolinThe Red Violin, an instrument whose story is fictionalized in the movie of the same name, is also known as the 1720 Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius. It was crafted by Antonio in Italy in 1720, and its colour, a burgundy red, is simply due to the varnish Stradivarius used on it. From that point, nothing is known about its history for about two centuries. It turns up mysteriously in Germany in a photograph dated 1928, where it is in the possession of Lilli von Mendelssohn, the great-granddaughter of the composer Felix Mendelssohn. It was later sold in 1945 to an American business tycoon, and was put up for sale at an auction in 1990. There, it was purchased for violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn, who has been playing violin since age 3, by her grandfather when she turned 16 for $1.7 million. Pitcairn is one of the soloists who performed in the movie's soundtrack. The Titanic ViolinWhen the RMS Titanic sank into the North Atlantic during its maiden voyage in April 1912, it created a legend as the tragedy unfolded. Part of that legend is that the band played on to keep people’s spirits up as the giant liner sank after its collision with an iceberg, and according to many accounts, that’s true. Maria Robinson gave the instrument to her fiancé Wallace Hartley as an engagement present, and there’s an inscription on the tailpiece that reads, “For Wallace, on the occasion of our engagement, from Maria”. The instrument was constructed in 1910 in Germany. Hartley was a musician who had played around the city of Leeds, which is likely where he met Maria. He had previously worked as a musician on the RMS Mauretania. He became the bandleader on the Titanic and was set to return to get married in June. Hartley’s was one of only three of the musician’s bodies that were recovered. The violin was discovered in a satchel marked with his initials and returned to Maria. When she died, her sister gave the violin to the Salvation Army, where it was passed on to a violin teacher. After another owner or two, it was rediscovered in an attic in the UK. Today, the violin is on display at the Titanic Museum in Tennessee. The Lipinski StradivariusThe Lipinski Stradivarius was crafted by the master builder in 1715 during his so-called golden period. Its first owner was virtuoso Giuseppe Tartini, who is said to have written his "Devil's Trill" sonata for it. The violin was next owned by Karol Lipinski, who played it during a successful career from 1818 until 1861. From that point, it disappeared from record for about a century until it was sold to Richard Anschuetz, a pianist who bought it as a gift for his wife, Evi Liivak. The two performed together extensively, with Evi at the Strad, until the late 1980s. After disappearing from view until 2008, the violin was loaned to Frank Almond, concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, by an anonymous donor. After a concert in Wisconsin in 2014, Almond was attacked in the parking lot by an armed robber who had clearly studied his movements and routine for some time. Police found the case several hours later, and a $100,000 reward was offered for information. Within a week, three people are arrested in Milwaukee. The violin was recovered a few days later, and returned to Almond’s care. 1734 Hercules StradivariusAntonio Stradivarius crafted the Hercules violin in 1734 in Cremona. Its first recorded owner is listed as Josef Séméladis, and then it later passed through a series of collectors until 1895, when it found its way to virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe. Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, (born 1858) also owned a Guarneri. He’d often leave the Stradivarius in its case while he played the Guarneri on stage. It was stolen from the green room at the Imperial Theatre in St Petersburg in 1908 during a performance. Mysteriously, it turned up in Paris years later in 1925. It was bought for Alsatian violinist (and later conductor) Carl Münch, who was then concertmaster at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, by his wife. Polish violinist Henryk Szeryng borrowed the Hercules from Münch, and later bought it in 1962 for $40,000. In 1972, he donated it to the City of Jerusalem. It is now played by the concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. 1713 Gibson ex-Huberman StradivariusCrafted in 1713, its first recorded owner was Hippolyte C. Silvestre — a fellow instrument maker, in the 19th century. A series of collectors subsequently owned it until Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman acquired it in 1911. The instrument was stolen not once but twice from Huberman. First, it vanished from his hotel room in Vienna in 1919 and anonymously returned a few days later. In 1936, it went missing a second time from his dressing room while he was performing on another violin. This second time, it was lost for nearly 50 years. On his deathbed, a musician named Julian Altman confessed to buying the stolen violin for a mere $100. His widow turned it in to Lloyd's auction house, where she collected a $263,000 finder's fee. It was sold to English violinist Norbert Brainin. Today, it’s used by US violinist Joshua Bell, who first saw it on a chance visit to a violin store just before a performance. A cool $3.5 million later, and the instrument was in his hands. “It usually takes at least a month to get used to a violin. But I was so enamoured I just said, ‘I’m playing it tonight!’” he said in a 2018 interview. “And I’ve had it ever since.” CHART OF THE WEEK In the world of rich orchestras, Boston is king. The orchestra’s endowment fund added a staggering $21.3M to its coffers between 2019 and 2020. The big three
Most surprisingYou would have thought for glitz and glamour in the SoCal sunshine, La Phil would land in the top three. But according to the data, San Francisco’s smaller-town feel with big-name sights makes them the wealthier orchestra. How did they get so rich?...Endowments. These funds are used to subsidize operations and provide long-term stability. The trick has served the oldest orchestras well. Not only do they allow orchestras to generate extra income in good times, but they also offer leverage to help protect them in bad times. THE LATEST To The Moon: Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Yo-Yo Ma to play at historic space launch. Sing for your supper: Vienna Opera says uncle To Anna Netrebko COVID: Beethoven gets dumped Festival after concerns about masks Research: A new study shows classical music calms dogs more than audiobooks CLASSICAL WAVES Sebastian Lang-Lessing conducts the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (MOSAS) at First Baptist Church. Musicians Refuse To Let Their Orchestra DieWhile some might call this an orchestra born of spite, it is really about classical musicians fighting to keep their orchestra alive. It all started after a long labour dispute between musicians and the leadership of the now-defunct San Antonio Symphony. The two sides disagreed on crucial issues, ultimately leading to the board deciding to shut down the orchestra in June 2022. Refusing to give up, the musicians set out on their own to create a new orchestra. The San Antonio Philharmonic will make its professional debut on September 16, 2022, with Ken-David Masur conducting works by Prokofiev, Ravel, Brahms, and Wickman. The inaugural season includes 13 concerts featuring guest artists such as Jon Kimura Parker, William Wolfram and Vanessa Becerra. What they’re saying“When the San Antonio Symphony management ceased operations in June 2022, the musicians – some of whom won their seats in the 1970s and ‘80s — were determined to preserve world-class music in San Antonio” “We all have a historical chance to reinvent what an orchestra can be in the twenty-first century with the founding of the San Antonio Philharmonic. one that embodies the spirit of the moment. All are welcome to participate and experience the pride.” Why this mattersThe San Antonio Symphony has a long history that can be traced back to 1887 when a young German immigrant Carl Beck created a new series of four concerts by a 49-piece orchestra. The orchestra had a few false starts until Max Reiter, a German-Italian conductor became its first Music Director in 1939. The orchestra quickly grew to 75 professional musicians backed by a $100K budget, the only one in Texas. All went well until 2017, when the orchestra was turned over to Symphonic Music for San Antonio, a small non-profit organization. Unfortunately, the not-for-profit pulled out of a deal at the last minute, causing the orchestra to shut down temporarily. After reopening, the orchestra was hit by a devastating global pandemic and subsequent labour dispute. On June 16, 2022, the board of the San Antonio Symphony voted unanimously to initiate Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings to effect the dissolution of the orchestra. New beginningsWhile shutting down a historic orchestra is never good news, creating a new orchestra could offer San Antonio the fresh start it needs. ACCOLADES A star for Luciano PavarottiFifteen years after his death, Luciano Pavarotti received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week. Sitting next to stars commemorating Sydney Poitier, Stan Lee, Ennio Morricone and Lina Wertmuller, the unveiling of the tenor’s star marked the 25th anniversary of Pavarotti’s death. The king of high C’sThe ceremony saw the famed tenor’s widow and grandchildren in attendance. Other prominent figures included tenor Saimir Pirgu and the City of Los Angeles and Councilmember Joe Buscaino. Pavarotti's long-time friend James Conlon, musical director of the Opera di Los Angeles, was also present. The ceremony was followed by “Luciano Pavarotti, the Star”, a series of events organized in the Californian metropolis. In light of this star for the majestic Pavaratti…
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