Mozart's Violin

[kernelbogey]

Christoph Koncz 'brings Mozart's violin to life' (Guardian report)

[kernelbogey]

What intrigued me most about this story is Koncz's description of bringing the violin to life:

Koncz told how he spent years coaxing it back to life. “As it was very rarely played, at first its wood was stiff and it lacked resonance and its sound had fallen asleep. I played it for hours and days at a time and each time I played it its sound opened up and the wood was in harmony again. The time it took to get it into shape each day became shorter the more often I played it.”

I had heard before ideas about a string instrument (for example) having a 'memory' of all the music that had been played on it, but had taken this to be at the level of a spiritual belief. Koncz's comments suggest that there is a physical change in the wood as the instrument is played again.

Koncz (described in this article as 'principal second violinist' of the Vienna Philharmonic) has recorded the Mozart Violin Concertos with this instrument, on which it is believed Mozart would himself have premiered the works.

[Bryn]

What intrigued me most about this story is Koncz's description of bringing the violin to life:

Koncz told how he spent years coaxing it back to life. “As it was very rarely played, at first its wood was stiff and it lacked resonance and its sound had fallen asleep. I played it for hours and days at a time and each time I played it its sound opened up and the wood was in harmony again. The time it took to get it into shape each day became shorter the more often I played it.”

I had heard before ideas about a string instrument (for example) having a 'memory' of all the music that had been played on it, but had taken this to be at the level of a spiritual belief. Koncz's comments suggest that there is a physical change in the wood as the instrument is played again.

Koncz (described in this article as 'principal second violinist' of the Vienna Philharmonic) has recorded the Mozart Violin Concertos with this instrument, on which it is believed Mozart would himself have premiered the works.

While I can readily grasp how playing the instrument would 'reawaken' (loosen up and realign the intra- and interconnections of) the materials the resulting vibrations pass through, the suggestion that the particular music played on it in the past is 'remembered' goes rather more than a step too far, for me.

[kernelbogey]

While I can readily grasp how playing the instrument would 'reawaken' (loosen up and realign the intra- and interconnections of) the materials the resulting vibrations pass through, the suggestion that the particular music played on it in the past is 'remembered' goes rather more than a step too far, for me.

Agreed, Bryn: to be clear, that was not said by anyone in this context - it came to me from elsewhere.

[Bryn]

Agreed, Bryn: to be clear, that was not said by anyone in this context - it came to me from elsewhere.

Fully appreciated, kernel. On a similar tack, are you familiar with this recording:

[kernelbogey]

I was not: thank you!