Job interviews

Job interviews can be tricky to negotiate, especially if the interviewer is devious. Let me offer this simple and unsolicited advice. There are three things an employer must know about you - maybe four - if they want to attain a comfort level commensurate to the job you want. ONE: are you smart? TWO: are you motivated? THREE: can you work well with others?

The first is essential because you might be very willing to work hard but if you can't learn what they have to teach you, and can't contribute new things to the enterprise, then you might as well go home. The second? Well, you might be a genius but if you are not driven to accomplish, then you too, will be sent home. Thirdly, you might be smart and motivated but maybe you have a problem working with others courteously, collegially, and cooperatively. Go home. Perhaps the fourth thing is honesty. Many employers nowadays pull credit reports on prospective employees to see if there is a financial problem somewhere - it's an indicator of sorts. If you know that to be the case, cleaning your credit profile should be a priority.

Knowing this, how do you make a good impression? Be composed (relax), exhibit as much confidence as you can (without appearing cocky), and be as convincing as possible - speak with conviction (sincerely). Make believe you're talking to someone who already knows everything about you - do not put up a front. Visit websites that list the most common interview questions and learn the answers that apply in your case. I hope I haven't left anything out. Best wishes.

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin, as far as I know, is not a violinist. It doesn't matter. She is a perfect example of the magic of coincidence - the chance encounter of two or more events, seemingly beyond your control. I say seemingly because one can never be absolutely certain - beyond a reasonable doubt - that invisible agents do not have some say as to what actually meets at a particular point and what doesn't. Many people believe in guardian angels - I know I do. In any case, Governor Palin was in the right place at the right time. With only minimal experience in government, she now occupies an extremely important place at the highest level of politics - raised up from almost nowhere. Thanks to that, she might one day be President of the U.S. Imagine how Hillary must feel.

Playboy Covers

Linda Brava is a Scandinavian violinist, but you have probably never heard of her. Her name is actually Linda Lampenius. She has a page on MySpace. The unusual thing about Ms Brava is that she has appeared on the cover of Playboy - probably the only classical violinist to ever do so. She began her violin studies at the age of five in Helsinki, Finland. As a teenager and into her early twenties, she was a member and concertmaster of several different orchestras, including the National Opera Orchestra. Then, she moved on to become an actress and a model, including gigs in Baywatch and a stint as model for Bjorn Borg fashions. In April of 1998, she was on the cover of Playboy magazine. She also served on the City of Helsinki's City Council and later was appointed Tourism Ambassador from Finland, in Sweden. In addition, as if that weren't enough, she has her own brand of Finnish Cider!!! (Jennifer Lopez comes to mind). She continues to play, of course, and she plays beautifully. Listen for yourself.

Teresa Milanollo

Teresa Milanollo was an Italian violinist of the nineteenth century, born August 28, in 1827. She studied with French violinist DeBeriot, concertized for a while, but gave up her career upon marrying French General Theodore Parmentier in 1857. She would be almost completely unknown today if it were not for the fact that a famous Stradivari violin bears her name - the Milanollo Strad made in 1728, now being played by Corey Cerovsek. This violin was at one time played by Nicolo Paganini; however, Teresa Milanollo inherited it from Domenico Dragonetti. Some people are just lucky that way.

Allegra Q.

Allegra Q. is one of the El Paso Symphony’s most versatile violinists. In addition to playing violin, she also plays viola in the orchestra (though not at the same time) and is ready to switch on a moment’s notice. She prefers first to second violin because it’s more challenging. She gets to play second violin in the UACJ Symphony and that’s more than enough. She is one of the brave musicians who ventures to Juarez about once a month to play concerts there, in order to enrich the cultural life of that city. That, believe me, takes the nerves of a bullfighter. Her violin studies commenced with her mom and dad (both of them viola players!!!) at age one and by the time she was eight, she had appeared as guest soloist with the Las Cruces Symphony. This season, she will make her debut with the El Paso Opera, though not as a singer (or dancer). Yes, she could sing professionally if she wanted – take my word – but her gig with the Opera Company is with the Orchestra (and with its magnificent and distinguished conductor, Raymond Harvey). That will mark one more rung up the musical ranks for her. Allegra already plays in the Las Cruces Symphony's first violin section so that makes her one of the busiest fiddlers in town. She is a sophomore in college, so maybe by the time she’s a senior, she might be concertmaster? Who really knows? Her favorite classical violinist? Joshua Bell. Her big secret??? She knows every song on iTunes and she can dance better than Britney Spears. Her idol??? She isn’t telling.

Advice column

I am an experimenter - I should have been a researcher. I am about to conduct an experiment on this blog, such as it is. Effective immediately, I will be posting unsolicited advice on various topics - too numerous to mention - from anaconcada death grip avoidance to zebra stripe interpretation. I will try to avoid relationship advice - that's way too touchy a subject - now and then, if I can't help myself, it will be here too. I am the writer after all - and, best of all, it will be free. Very soon also, I will start posting profiles of various orchestra members. That will be interesting. They say that truth is stranger than fiction. So, how do you keep an anaconda from strangling you to death? If you can't totally stay away from the rain forest, keep a lighter in your pocket at all times. Light a fire under the snake's belly as soon as you notice it wrapping itself around you, being careful not to catch your own garment on fire. That's my best guess.

Democratic Convention

Well, the convention is in full swing - I'm sure you're keeping up with it. All the speeches sound like they were made in heaven. I played for a fancy dinner of a group of lawyers one time - a string quartet it was. Everyone looked great in their suits and power ties and lavish dresses. The speeches came before we played so we heard them all. We didn't mind, we were getting paid by the hour. All the things said sounded so high minded and idealistic I was mesmerized. Then I remembered they were just words. The distance between words and deeds is great - very great. I wonder if politicians believe anything they say - maybe they just like the limelight. Who really knows?

Nun Beauty Pageant

Nun Beauty Pageant? No, please. There are things that are appropriate and things that are not, and this is one of them - even in this day and age - please. What was the priest thinking? Does anybody else know about this? Who would vote? Would money be made? Is this for charity? Certainly the majority will not like this. It is unbecoming. It is shocking. It is unthinkable. What next? Calendars?

Walter Trampler

It seems odd that in the space of just three days, I would be writing about another violist. The other day it was William Primrose - now, it's Walter Trampler. Not that I resent them in any way, though it's annoyingly coincidental - I suppose there's nothing anyone can do about the proximity of viola players' birthdays. Maestro Trampler was born in Germany on this day in 1915. He became famous for playing the viola as well as the viola d' amore. I think a viola d'amore is simply a regular viola that sounds sweet, but I'm not at all sure of that. Who really knows? Trampler studied violin with his father (what else is new?), a violinist. I don't know when he switched to the viola, but he did, early in his career. He first played - for a time - with the Strub String Quartet - a very obscure ensemble, as far as I know - but ended up as Principal violist of the Berlin Radio Orchestra. He came to the U.S. in 1939, concertizing extensively and teaching at major music schools, including Juilliard. He was also one of the founding members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Many musicians still speak well of him.

Stainer

I had a very pleasant experience with Maricela this afternoon. (pause).... I emailed her a short message saying that I had a violin for sale - a Jacob Stainer. It's not original, of course. I simply asked her if she might know someone who might be looking for an inexpensive (not to say cheap) violin. She immediately forwarded my inquiry to her email contact list - about three hundred people!!!!! She also suggested I post it here, though this is not Ebay. There you have the whole story. Is she nice or what?

Expecting

I posted a blog here about the best mariachi band in the world and nobody disagreed with it. That tells me that everyone (my eight readers anyway) thinks that Mariachi Vargas is the best in the world. End of discussion. Just don't come back later and say you didn't know. That's what usually happens. I'm expecting it.

Olympics

I cannot make the Timid Reporter famous all by myself. A little help from my eight readers would be appreciated. If enough people start reading his interviews, he might be able to afford an agent. I certainly hope so. It is feasible, especially now that the Olympics are over. Please.

Viola Jokes

William Primrose was a truly outstanding viola player of the twentieth Century. (That is not an oxymoron, no matter what anybody says). He was born on this day in 1903. His first lessons were with his father. He later studied violin with Eugene Ysaye, who, it is said, encouraged him to give up the violin in favor of the viola. Nobody knows why and I haven't done enough research to find out. There is never a good enough reason to leave the violin for the viola but there you have it. Anyway, "what's done cannot be undone." He played in the London String Quartet until 1935. In 1937, he joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra but left after he heard that Toscanini would be quitting the conductor's post in 1941. He was the first violist to record Harold In Italy, Berlioz's famous viola concerto (or tone poem or fantasie or whatever it is). That was in 1946. This is the same piece Paganini refused to play because it was not dazzling enough, though that is just a rumor. Who really knows? Primrose also premiered Bartok's Viola Concerto (1949). He was so technically brilliant that he could play Paganini's violin caprices on the viola - no small accomplishment. He played an Amati viola now owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra's principal violist, Roberto Diaz. Later in his life, he was a distinguished teacher and wrote several method books. My violin teacher had a copy of one of them titled Technique is Memory. As far as I know - and I really don't know all that much - he is the only violist in history to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Carolina Herrera New York

Here's a short list of people who either live, lived, or have close relatives in El Paso. Are you ready? F. Murray Abraham, Ana Alicia, Julie Andrews, Rich Beem, Tony Bennett, Vicki Carr, Sam Donaldson, Albert B. Fall, Greg Foster, Bobby Fuller, Pat Garrett, Eddie Guerrero, Jack Handey, John Wesley Hardin, Don Haskins, Carolina Herrera, John Houser, Victoriano Huerta, Tom Lea, Benjamin Loeb, Lisa Loeb, Ron Lucas, Don Maynard, Cormac McCarthy, Sandra Day O'Connor, George S. Patton, John Pershing, Mike Price, Debbie Reynolds, Nolan Richardson, Gene Roddenberry, Omar Rodriguez, Pepe Romero, Irene Ryan, Willie Shoemaker, Urbici Soler, Nikki Sixx, Lee Trevino, and Pancho Villa. It's not much, but it's all I've got. The list would be ten times as long if the local population would just call in to let me know that they have a famous relative in Chicago or Atlanta or London or Moscow or wherever. Take my word for it.

Timid Reporter

The Timid Reporter wants his interviews to be read but I can't be his agent for free so he needs your help. Please. He might stop annoying me if you will just help him out with a little publicity. I would appreciate it.

Film Music

Well, we played our film music concert at the Plaza Theatre last night and it was a resounding success. The public simply adored our guest conductor, John Scott. His resume is very impressive - he has worked with some of the great luminaries in the music business, especially as regards recording and film scoring.
My reward came simply in seeing that he enjoyed such a sweet and great moment of triumph at his age - he is 78. That, to me, was what made the experience memorable. During the ovation, he stepped off the podium and went around heartily congratulating the various sections of the orchestra with firm handshakes - he seemed to especially like the way the brass and woodwinds performed. He also took the opportunity to kiss Ida, Lora, Liz, Cristina, Anita, and Leslie - all of the girls closest to the podium.

Ivry Gitlis

Ivry Gitlis was born on this day in 1922, in Haifa, Palestine (now Israel), to Russian parents. I must confess that until recently, I had never heard of this phenomenal artist. His playing style – so expressive, charming at times, fierce at others, always vigorous, often freewheeling - is of another, more individual, generation, a generation not embarrassed by conscious displays of high-tension emotion – the epitome of singing with the violin. There is an astonishing recording of the Tchaikovsky Vals Sentimentale by Gitlis which, in my estimation, will never be equaled. Simply stated, nobody plays like that anymore. His stupendous technical prowess aside, with Ivry Gitlis, there is no doubt about the utmost dedication, conviction, and wisdom of the man behind the playing. As has been said before, the violin doesn’t play itself.
He first received a violin at the age of five and gave his first concert at age ten. When violinist Bronislav Huberman heard him play, he advised him to study at the Conservatoire de Paris, where, at age thirteen, he won a first prize. After graduation, he studied with Carl Flesch, Georges Enesco and Jacques Thibaud, among others – almost the same teachers under whom Henryk Szeryng had studied a few years before him. In 1939, just before the war, he went to England, where he joined the war effort as a regular worker and as an artist. After the war, he made his European debut at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 1951, he made his debut in Paris – which was later to become his main residence - and has since gone on to give concerts all over the world. Ivry Gitlis is considered one of the most gifted musicians of his generation, and many of his recordings are considered classics.
As one would expect, Gitlis has performed with the most prestigious orchestras in the world, as well as the most famous conductors. Being a supporter of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he played at the Oslo gala commemorating the first anniversary of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Accords. In 1990, Gitlis was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and, as a consequence, has graciously performed at numerous UNESCO fundraising galas for educational and cultural projects.
In addition to being a violin virtuoso, Ivry Gitlis writes and composes and is the author of the autobiographical L’âme et la Corde, published in 1981 to critical acclaim. His very first recording, Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto, "Le Concerto à La mémoire d'un ange" (Concerto to the Memory of an Angel), won the Grand Prix du Disque (Grand Recording Prize) in France. In 1968 he participated in John Lennon's Dirty Mac project on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus program (on a track called "Whole Lotta Yoko"). In 1971, Bruno Maderna wrote "Piece for Ivry" for him, and in 1972, he premiered "Mikka" by Xenakis. Subsequent recordings, many of which until their recent re-releases had become sought-after collectors’ items, have included the concertos of Paganini, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, Bruch, Sibelius, Wieniawski and the Bartok Concerto and Solo Sonata for which he received the Best Record of the Year award from the New York Herald Tribune. Although less widely known as a chamber player, Ivry Gitlis has made music with a wide range of artists, including Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, William Primrose, Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Stephen Isserlis, Gary Hoffman, Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich, with whom he recorded the Franck and Debussy Violin Sonatas.
Gitlis is also a well-known and respected teacher, giving master classes all over Europe and beyond, regularly spending summers at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and in France, where he has created many classical music festivals. His return to the London stage in 1996 after a long absence marked the 50th anniversary of his Wigmore Hall debut and was a very memorable experience - critics and audience agreed on the immense impact of his unique personality and extraordinary interpretations. A frequent contributor to films as a composer as well as an actor, he has worked with the likes of Truffaut and Schlondorff. In 2001 he was one of the featured commentators (along with Itzhak Perlman and Hilary Hahn) in Bruno Monsaingeon’s film, “The Art of the Violin”. Tony Palmer’s 2004 documentary film on Ivry Gitlis was premiered at the Prague Spring Music Festival where it was praised by the Oscar-winning director Andrea Anderman as "the best artist's profile I have ever seen". Most recently, at the Louvre Museum in Paris, he was honored (in 2004) as part of the Festival devoted to great violinists of the 20th century. Based in Paris since the end of the sixties, Ivry Gitlis – at age 86 - still performs throughout the world. Many of his performances can now be seen or heard on the YouTube website. Needless to say, I consider Ivry Gitlis the greatest living violinist - the depth of his expressive powers can hardly be exaggerated. He plays the "Swan Song" Stradivarius of 1737 (the year of Stradivari’s death).

Lili Boulanger

Lili Boulanger was a French composer, younger sister of the better-known Nadia. She was born on this day in 1893 but only lived to age 24. Who knows what she might have accomplished had she lived to a ripe old age? She is still remembered, though nobody plays her music anymore. There isn't that much.

Greenery

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it, does it still make a sound? If someone paints a picture and nobody sees it, does the canvas go blank? If I write a blog and nobody reads it, does it still exist? I don't think it matters one bit. These are just dumb questions to pass the time. I don't know who painted this one but the circles are there, whether you can see them or not.

Andrew Wyeth is not dead

Another adulterated painting. Owning Christina. The colors are nice. This one was done a long time ago. The question of whether it is fair and legitimate to work on top of someone else's work comes up, naturally. Picasso said good artists copy and great artists steal. I think he was joking. I'm sure he was.

Van Gogh is dead

This is an experiment of sorts. Someone fooled around with one of Van Gogh's paintings - Starry Night. Most people have seen this piece in books, at art shops, and at hobby stores. I have no clue where the original is hanging. Amsterdam? Who knows? I didn't bother with researching it. The question is: can just anybody turn another painter's art into another piece of art? Is it still viable? Who knows? I knew a conductor who used to change a few notes on Beethoven's symphony scores because he thought it made the work sound better. His explanation? "He won't mind, he's dead."

Gene Roddenberry

Gene Roddenberry was born on this day in 1921. I was doing research on something else when I found this tidbit of information. He was born in El Paso but his family only lived here a couple of years after he was born. He was the creator of Star Trek in the mid sixties and was involved in almost all of the Star Trek movies that came much later. Gene started out as a writer but held different jobs (including one as a policeman in the LAPD) while he waited for his writing career to give him enough money to eat. He was also an airline pilot. Many people have said he was difficult to work with. I never knew him personally. That's not him on the left - that's my grandpa. He was born in the eighteen hundreds.

Tree Rings

Dendrochronology is the method of scientific dating based on the analysis of tree-ring growth patterns. It uses tree rings dated to their exact year of formation for comparison studies which yield results allowing only a very narrow margin of error. The technique was developed during the first half of the 20th century by Andrew Douglass, the founder of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona. The technique of dendrochronology can date the tree rings in many types of wood to the exact calendar year each ring was formed. It is the method by which more than one expert has estimated the age of the tree from which the Messiah Stradivarius was made.

Ridiculous

There is a website which lists a lot of violinists - a lot. I won't give you the name because I do not want them to get any more publicity - not from me. They list the violinists according to several categories - Baroque era, Classical era, 19th Century, post 19th Century, etc. Under post 19th Century, they have other subcategories - "great artists" and "other notable violinists." Under the "great artists" heading they list about five or six which I would never call great artists. Under "other notables" they list at least two which belong in the "great artists" ranks - Ivry Gitlis and Leila Josefowicz. Who put this list together anyway? Ivry Gitlis is the greatest among the great and Josefowicz is not far behind. That site is ridiculous. I might file a complaint with the FCC!!!

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Otto Harbach just might be related to J.S. Bach, but who really knows? Harbach was a songwriter born on this day in 1873. Think of that - 1873. Nobody would know him today if it hadn't been for "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," the song he wrote with Jerome Kern in 1933 - he was the lyricist. The song sounds like a thoroughly modern song, though it is not. It was first used in 1933 and went to the top of the charts in 1934. It was first used in a movie featuring Fred Astaire in 1935. It has also been recorded numerous times by a very wide variety of artists, including Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, and Jerry Garcia, who used it on a video in 1992. As recently as 2007, the title was used in the pilot episode for the hit drama Mad Men, a production of the American Movie Classics cable network. Who would have thought that a guy born in 1873 would write a popular song still being used in the 21st Century? That's why they're called classics. I hope his heirs are still getting royalties.

Nude

Nude portraits are not too much in style among painters and audiences nowadays. It may be due to the rather commonplace skimpyness of modern fashion - who knows? You can even catch nude photos of the French first lady on the net. That's how commonplace it is. Be that as it may, the painting on the left does not show a nude violinist. Her clothing is below the picture line. Take my word for that.

Anton Kersjes

Anton Kersjes was a Dutch violinist-conductor who died in 2004 and was not well-known in this country due to a dearth of recordings. It's entirely possible he recorded only four or five times during his professional career, although he conducted hundreds of live concerts. He was born August 17, 1923 and established his reputation as a conductor of the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra - not to be confused with the Royal Concertgebouw. The Amsterdam Phil started its life in 1953 as the Kunstmaand Orchestra and adopted its name (Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra) in 1969. It then became - after a merger with two other Dutch orchestras - the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra in 1985. As far as I know, Anton Kersjes never conducted in the U.S.

Forbidden Fruit

Someone told me they loved this painting so I am re-posting it just for them - the actual size is 34 X 54 (inches). When I worked 8 to 5, I promised someone I would take it to the office to hang on her office wall and I never did. It seemed like too much trouble. Sorry.

No videos for now

Until I can figure out how to post a YouTube video, I'll have to settle for a picture. This one to the left will do fine I think.

Fidel

Fidel Castro is celebrating a birthday today - he is 82. Perhaps, if he wanted to, he could help re-establish relations with the U.S., BUT - he won't. We wish him well nonetheless. Maybe he was well-meaning in his establishing Communism in Cuba in the fifties, not knowing that the system does not encourage productivity. People won't work hard if they know they must share everything they work for with the neighbor who chooses not to. On the other hand, capitalism encourages greed - you can never tell a rich person when he's had enough. He always wants more. Happy birthday Mr. Castro.

Boxing

In a perfect illustration of what can happen when one gets careless, one of the United States' olympic contenders for a gold medal in boxing (Mr Warren) lost when he got careless during the last few seconds of his very first match. I have said many times (make a note) that five seconds of carelessness can undo five years of careful planning. It's true. Don't lose your focus - especially not at the big game.

Blogs of note

Blogs of note - I don't know what those are. Anyway, all I have time for is writing. I shall browse later. Right now, violinhunter is just trying furiously to catch up. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Most people like pictures. Good luck to everyone. You can't do anything without luck and hard work, but mostly luck.

Tell No One

Tell No One is a very thrilling movie that nobody believed in except Music Box Films out of Chicago, a small film distributor. The film and the music distributor just put each other on the map. I think it's called symbiosis. I have not seen the movie but if you have, let me know if it's really any good. The reviews are all great!!!

Olympics Rule

Some of you might think I have something against the OLYMPICS though I don't. It's just that people aren't sending as many emails or reading as many blogs as usual. The Timid Reporter has an interview in the pipeline and is afraid nobody but nobody will even notice it. I told him not to worry - we can always re-post it next week - after things get back to normal.
How about Mr Putin? He took advantage of the distraction of the OLYMPICS in order to get back at little Georgia. Georgia should not have tried to take any territory back. You can't just trifle with Russia. Putin means business. By the way, the Timid Reporter did an interview with Putin a while back which was half-way interesting. I think it's here somewhere.

Best Mariachi

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan is the best mariachi band in the world. This is my opinion and only my opinion. Their arrangements are not the best and their playing is often rough, but they have my vote because of tradition and because they are the older of only two bands among the top five that is actually from Mexico. (that is amazing, no?). Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Mariachi Cobre, Mariachi America, and Mariachi Los Camperos can often sound better and their arrangements (especially Sol De Mexico's and America's) are more sophisticated but they lack the heavy-duty tradition. There you have it.

Messiah Strad

Messiah Stradivarius picture - a clear photograph from the Ashmolean Museum in England. It looks brand new because it has never been played, though it was constructed (according to most experts) in 1716.

Tarisio

Luigi Tarisio was an itinerant (and very clever) carpenter who used to go from house to house looking for odd jobs. In the course of his work, he would look for opportunities, among the many households he entered, to buy violins from his employers. He eventually collected many hundreds of instruments. Thanks to his dedication, many violinists today play on some of the finest violins known.

Cozio

Cozio di Salabue plus Tarisio plus Stradivari are three names intertwined forever. Count Cozio di Salabue and Luigi Tarisio, the original violin hunter, collected so many violins by Antonio Stradivari (and others) that it could almost (almost) be said that they preserved for posterity about one hundred million dollars worth of priceless instruments. (Please see my earlier blog - What's Up With The Messiah)

I cannot make this guy famous

Not all by myself. I desperately need your help. He goes by the name of The Timid Reporter. He can talk to any head of state anytime he wants - anyone except the Pope and the Dalai Lama. He is not allowed on the premises. He is too sacrilegious. He was born on July 7, 1777 and is still alive and well.

Vicente Fernandez on NPR

Well, I found out by accident that Vicente Fernandez had been made the subject of a piece on NPR. Why am I always finding things out by accident? It's not a bad thing. Almost all of the important scientific discoveries made in the last six thousand years have been by accident, too. There - I feel better already!!!

Pretty horses

Well, if I have enough pictures handy I can post one with every blog. Why not? I received a forwarded email from my trusted friend this afternoon. She thought it was good. All it showed was a guy riding several horses and doing odd tricks. No thanks. Las Vegas has plenty of those. Washington, D.C., too.

Forget it

You and everyone else knows about the murder at the Olympics. A defenseless man from Minneapolis - Todd Bachman - and his wife were attacked by a deranged lunatic at a tourist site near the Olympic site. It seems like a completely random tragedy. People everywhere are asking why them? Why do innocent, defenseless children suffer every day? Why does the evil so many times gain the upper hand against the good? Surely God knew these people were about to be attacked at least a few seconds before it happened. Most likely He knew days in advance and perhaps even years. Why did He allow it then? That, my friends, is the ultimate question. And the honest answer is: nobody knows. We will have to wait for an answer. All we know is we - the entire human race - are subject to all sorts of bad things. The only thing we can do is try to cope. Remember we are also subject to a lot of good things. On that topic, we seldom ask, why us? Why are we the beneficiaries of so much good? Nobody really knows.

What Juarez violence?

I just read the El Paso Times - no, not all of it, just the parts that interested me. Stories about the violence in Juarez are in there every day. These stories help sell papers of course, but then, the crime is there every day too, so one cannot blame the paper for publishing them. The stories focus on all the criminal activity tied to the drug trade or the drug business. I call it a business because that's what it is, although illegal. The big, big larger-than-life question is: why is it a violent business? I can understand the clandestine part - nobody wants to get caught doing something illegal, whether it's running a red light, selling beer to minors, or smuggling a ton of pot. What I have trouble understanding is why violence must be attached to it. Take Wal-Mart and Radio Shack, for instance. Both of them are legitimate businesses. We don't see their executives shooting each other in the name of competition. If overnight they were declared illegal businesses, would they then become violent? Is it that the enterprising criminals feel like they are the prey about to be caught at any moment and so, feeling like the hunted, arm themselves to the teeth? Do they just become like an army of thugs? Can there ever be such a thing as a peace-loving drug smuggler? Where is Don Corleone when you need him?
Of course, if the politicians wanted to, they could disarm the shooters by declaring martial law, setting up road blocks every half-mile, inspecting every single car that comes and goes, and declaring a curfew. The thugs would then have to kill each other with their bare hands - an impractical proposition for them - or declare a truce.
On the other hand, if things continue as they are, eventually, there won't be enough of them left to keep up the violence. Maybe that's what the authorities want. It's an unpleasant subject but I just feel too animated to write anything else. Sorry. Have a nice day and don't go across unless you have to.

13 is unlucky

I just realized that my last post of today left me at number 13 and I won't stand for that. So... I must write this: Sorry I'm so late with the blogging. People talk about the celebrated six degrees of separation - I will assume you know what that means. It came true today. I was having lunch with a friend this afternoon when all of a sudden the conversation turned to parents - namely his. I inquired about them and was surprised to learn they are in China - as we speak. Yes, they are there for the Olympics. In this case, there are only two degrees of separation but I bet.... If you ask around, I bet you have a friend who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who is at the Olympics. Try it and see. (no picture this time)

I cannot make this guy famous

Not all by myself. You have to help the Timid Reporter get famous. Well, ok - if not famous just a little bit more popular. After all, he can interview just about anyone he wants - except the Pope and the Dalai Lama. That's because they won't let him in the door.

It is 3:59

At 4:00 the lights will be turned off - I hope I make it.

Whining about oil prices? part 1

Some people have said that U.S. gas prices are low compared to Europe's so we should not complain - we should be grateful. Rex Tillerson is of that opinion. Later - in part two - I shall post an interview with this man so you'll know how very right he is on this issue. I hope this is not too terribly political for you. I did say I would stay clear of political, religious, and sexual issues. The painting to the left depicts a serious oil spill somewhere sometime - not the Exxon Valdez, obviously.

Not a paid political Ad

I will only infrequently post any politically oriented blogs. Politics was invented so that big people could tell little people what to do. It's nice work if you can get it. Have a nice day.

Mariachi bands

Tomorrow, I shall post something here telling you (because I'm sure you don't know) which mariachi band is the best in the world. Mariachi America? Mariachi Vargas? Mariachi Sol de Mexico? Mariachi Cobre? Los Camperos? Los Galleros?

Painting

Since the last one (red apple) worked well, I thought I would try another one. This is a painting I no longer own. It's titled Guarnerius. I was almost able to do it justice!!! Please note that it is an abstract and a realistic painting at the same time - whimsical I think. The actual size is 16 X 20, in case anyone cares. It was done with acrylic over canvas board. An artist friend told me once that he hated canvas board - I told him I hated canvas. We could never agree. It was all his fault, of course.

Why not an apple?

This is just an experiment - please be patient. This is a test. I have no idea how this will look after I'm done with it. So far so good, but then, the final product may look somewhat different. Time to post.... Here we go!!!!

Bait and Switch?

I just received the new brochure from the Spencer Theater in Alto New Mexico. It's a two and a half hour drive from here and it's a nice theatre - seats about six hundred. We have played there twice. The announcement of the upcoming season got me thinking that it didn't start out this way. When the theatre was inaugurated, a few years back, the main items on the menu consisted of top-of-the-line classical concert artists from the U.S. and abroad - the thing is well-funded. Now, looking at the sixteen dates on the calendar, there is not a single classical music show scheduled. It's all about Annie, Oliver, The Pajama Game, Bye Bye Birdie, Footloose, Crystal Gayle, etc.. Why are they like that? Maybe they got tired of so much classical stuff? As the saying goes, he who pays the piper calls the tune. Perhaps we'll never play there again. The last time was when we played for Olga Kern, the piano player. She turned out to be a surly, childish, arrogant, and almost condescending person. Why does the Spencer Theater hate classical music now?

Chess is useless

George Bernard Shaw once said "Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time." I guess the same thing can be said of any game. Shaw is now dead and chess is still alive. Maybe that tells us something. Maybe he wasn't a very good player and was bitter about it. Opinions about the game differ wildly - they swing from one extreme to another. Charles Dickens said that "love that has a game of chess in it can checkmate any man and solve the problem of life." On the other hand, someone named Cassirer said "What chess has in common with science and fine art is its utter uselessness." Nobody knows Cassirer but everyone knows chess. For me, it's a lot better than watching a sit-com. One final quote: "Chess is the gymnasium of the mind." - Anderssen

What's up with the Messiah?

Count Ignacio Alejandro Cozio di Salabue (1755-1840) - one of the greatest violin collectors of all time - is one of my heroes. Luigi Tarisio (1790-1854) too. If you're reading this, you must know both of these famous men - famous and popular among musicians who care and may even be passionate about violins - the mystery of their origin and construction. It has been said that chess, like women, is a great mystery. So too, are violins, especially the great and priceless Stradivarius "Messiah," housed in a British museum, which I believe to be a fake (the violin, not the museum). It's quite possible that Don Antonio constructed a "Messiah" violin - what has been called near-perfect - sometime during his golden period (1700-1720), 1716 to be exact. Nevertheless, that violin and the one on display in the British Ashmolean Museum are probably not one and the same. It was supposedly sold by Paolo Stradivari (Antonio's third son) to Count Cozio (in 1775) who later sold it to Tarisio (in 1827), who never parted with it but whose relatives, after his death, sold it to (French violin maker) J.B. Vuillaume (in 1854). Stewart Pollens, at that time a conservator with the Metropolitan Museum in New York, did a fairly thorough examination of this famous fiddle - at the invitation of the Ashmolean - which led him to conclude that it (the violin on display) could not possibly be the "Messiah." These findings were first published way back in 1998, to the great consternation of the museum directors (and others). Any further research pending and also to be conducted by Mr Pollens was suddenly stopped - probably by interests which had a great deal to lose, had it ever been conclusively proved that the thing inside the glass case was not actually as old as it had to have been in order to bear the Stradivari name. Remember, this priceless gem passed through the hands of the greatest violin copyist in history - Juan Bautista Vuillaume (1798-1875). It is fairly well-known that he made no fewer than ten copies of this famous "Messiah." In any case, to me, the Ashmolean "Messiah" just looks fake, period - I would guess even to the untrained eye. I have a photo of it posted here on a separate page. Just look at it. Never trust an authority or expert who has something to gain by declaring an artifact to be genuine.
It is anomalies in the provenance of an instrument (the history of ownership) that sometimes lead a person to conclude that a fair amount of skepticism is warranted. As far as can be ascertained, the chain of title for the "Messiah" is as follows:
Antonio Stradivari (1716-1737) Paolo Stradivari (acquired it via inheritance and sold it in 1775) - Cozio (1775-1827) - Tarisio (1827-1854) - J.B. Vuillaume (1854-1875) - Delphin Alard (1875-1890) - W.E. Hill (1890-1891) - Robert Crawford (1891-1897) - Ernest Niccolini (1897-1904) - W.E.Hill (1904-1913) Richard Bennett (1913-1928) - unknown (1929-1930) - W.E. Hill (1931-1939) - Ashmolean (1939-present)
In addition, there are certain serious inconsistencies between the Messiah descriptions jotted down by those who saw it and handled it originally and those given by the latest owner/dealers, namely W.E. Hill and Sons, who actually took the violin apart. Furthermore, the construction itself does not bear certain stylistic earmarks of any Strad of the same period. Having said all this, I need to also tell you that an interesting hypothesis has been advanced by Toby Faber, author of Stradivari's Genius (2004). In Chapter Sixteen of his book, Faber speculates that the famous violin may have been constructed (at least partially, if not entirely) by one of Stradivari's sons, namely Giovanni Battista Stradivari. Giovanni died in 1727, a full ten years before the old man - at age twenty four. That would at least explain why Antonio could never part with the violin - too much sentimental value. Here is one (among many) link that articulates (with much greater scholarship and authority than I could ever possess) other misgivings about this celebrated violin: http://www.soundpostonline.com/archive/winter2001/page7.htm

Modern Stradivarius

Strads are not the only violins that have gone mysteriously missing. General John T. Honeycutt constructed over sixty violins, having taken up the luthier’s craft after his retirement from the military. Almost fifty of them are now missing and there are precious few examples of this master craftman’s art, even through photographs. One of the few that I found (#13) is shown in the Gallery, as is a magnificent example of one of his rare violas, now owned by Karl Winkler of Albuquerque. I could not locate a sample of the General’s label. Should you come across one of his instruments, his website directs you how to proceed.

Gitlis

Well, now that I've started this, here's something about one of my favorite fiddle players:

ATribute to Ivry Gitlis

I must confess that until recently, I had never heard of this phenomenal artist – so far removed is he from the present generation of violin players. His playing style – so expressive, charming at times, fierce at others, always vigorous, often freewheeling - is also of another, more individualistic generation, a generation not embarrassed by conscious displays of high-tension emotion – the epitome of singing with the violin. There is an astonishing recording of the Tchaikovsky Vals Sentimentale by Gitlis which, in my estimation, will never be equaled. Simply stated, nobody plays like that anymore. His stupendous technical prowess aside, with Ivry Gitlis, there is no doubt about the utmost dedication, conviction, and wisdom of the man behind the playing. As has been said before, the violin doesn’t play itself.
Ivry Gitlis was born on August 22, 1922, in Haifa, Palestine (now Israel), to Russian parents. He received his first violin at the age of five and gave his first concert five years later, at age ten. When violinist Bronislav Huberman heard him play, he encouraged him to study at the Conservatoire de Paris, where, at age thirteen, he won a first prize. After graduation from the Conservatoire, he studied with Carl Flesch, Georges Enesco and Jacques Thibaud, among others – almost the same teachers under whom Henryk Szeryng studied a few years before him. In 1939, just before the war, he went to England, and when World War II broke out, worked in a British munitions factory and in the entertainment unit of the British army. After the war, he made his European debut at the Royal Albert Hall. In 1951, he made his debut in Paris – which was later to become his main residence - and has since gone on to give concerts all over the world. Ivry Gitlis is considered one of the most gifted musicians of his generation, and many of his recordings are now classics.
During his long career, Gitlis has performed with the most prestigious orchestras in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Leningrad, Tokyo, Paris, Concertgebouw, etc., etc. and the most famous conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, Charles Dutoit, George Szell, Eugene Ormandy, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Being a supporter of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Ivry Gitlis played at the Oslo gala commemorating the first anniversary of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Accords. In 1990, Gitlis was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and, as a consequence, has graciously performed at numerous UNESCO fundraising galas for educational and cultural projects.
In addition to being a violin virtuoso, he writes and composes and is the author of the autobiographical L’âme et la Corde, which was published in 1981 to critical acclaim. His first recording, "Le Concerto à La mémoire d'un ange" (Concerto to the Memory of an Angel), Alban Berg’s violin concerto, won the Grand Prix du Disque (Grand Recording Prize) in France. In 1968 he participated in John Lennon's Dirty Mac project on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus program (on a track called "Whole Lotta Yoko"). In 1971, Bruno Maderna wrote "Piece for Ivry" for him, and in 1972, he premiered "Mikka" by Xenakis. Subsequent recordings, many of which until their recent re-releases had become sought-after collectors’ items, have included the concertos of Paganini, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, Bruch, Sibelius, Wieniawski and the Bartok Concerto and Solo Sonata for which he received the Best Record of the Year award from the New York Herald Tribune. Although less widely known as a chamber player, Ivry Gitlis has made music with a wide range of artists - Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, William Primrose, Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Stephen Isserlis, Gary Hoffman, Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich, with whom he recorded the Franck and Debussy Violin Sonatas.
Gitlis is also a well-known and respected teacher, giving master classes all over Europe and beyond, regularly spending summers at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and in France, where he has created many classical music festivals. A frequent contributor to films as a composer as well as an actor, he has worked with the likes of Truffaut and Schlondorff. In 2001 he was one of the featured commentators (along with Itzhak Perlman and Hilary Hahn) in Bruno Monsaingeon’s film, “The Art of the Violin”. Tony Palmer’s 2004 documentary film on Ivry Gitlis was premiered at the Prague Spring Music Festival where it was praised by the Oscar-winning director Andrea Anderman as "the best artist's profile I have ever seen". Most recently, at the Louvre Museum in Paris, he was honored (in 2004) as part of the Festival devoted to great violinists of the 20th century. Based in Paris since the end of the sixties, Ivry Gitlis still performs throughout the world. His return to the London stage in 1996 after a long absence marked the 50th anniversary of his Wigmore Hall debut and was quite a sensational experience - critics and audience alike agreed on the great impact of his unique personality and extraordinary interpretations, many of which can now be seen or heard on the YouTube website. The depth of his expressive powers can hardly be exaggerated. He plays the "Swan Song" Stradivarius of 1737 (the year of Stradivari’s death).

Violinhunter

Violinhunter has just created a new blog and it's quite a nice feeling. I will talk about Amati and Stradivari and Guarneri and Guadagnini and Maggini and Vuillaume violins and Cozio di Salabue and Luigi Tarisio and a few other things. Not religion and not politics. That's all for now.