The end of HIP as we know it?

[MickyD]

How's this for a bizarre story? Should we "barrockers" be worried? Or is it just more Daily Mail hysteria?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2066989/Bach-ing-mad-EU-ban-orchestras-using-cow-gut-strings.html

[MrGongGong]

Straight Banana anyone ?

[Bryn]

Quite, MrGG. Over at r3ok.com there is a message which explains how poorly researched the story is. It appears to be the Italian government which is the problem for not doing their job properly. See reply #8 here:

http://www.r3ok.com/index.php/topic,3542.msg119767.html#msg119767

[rauschwerk]

See http://www.thestrad.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=2063 and note the following comment from that page:-

"As a maker of baroque instruments, and I am also involved in the production of gut strings, I am quite interested in this story. It is necessary to remember that the favourite material used in the production of gut strings is sheep gut, and this material is not forbidden at all. On top of this, laws regulating importation into the EU of cattle gut date from at least ten years ago and have not changed ever since. I wonder why this story has come out only now."

It's another excuse for the Daily Wail to keep up its relentless and illogical Euro-bashing.

[John Skelton]

Straight Banana anyone ?

Not quite "straight banana"; the discussion here puts it into context http://www.r3ok.com/index.php/topic,...html#msg119767 (the post from 'perfect wagnerite' suggests it might be a straightish banana. At least as reported).

[MrGongGong]

I always thought it was sheep gut !

The irony of these things is that it is the existence of the EU that is likely to ensure the survival of niche industries such as gut string makers !

[Stillhomewardbound]

Well, it's in the Daily Xenophobe so it must be true.

[John Skelton]

Well, it's in the Daily Xenophobe so it must be true.

It is, at least, partially true. Although: The problem here seems not to be the EU legislation but the fact that the Italian government has not transposed the legislation into domestic law, therefore not providing a mechanism for securing an exemption - it's the Italian government's failure to act that has caused the problem.

http://www.r3ok.com/index.php/topic,3542.msg119769/topicseen.html#msg119769

Nontheless: from the comments at R3OK from a HIPP string player it clearly is a difficulty for producers in Italy and for musicians who rely on the strings they produce.

[mangerton]

This link may have been posted before, but it's probably worth looking at again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

[John Skelton]

This link may have been posted before, but it's probably worth looking at again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

Possibly, but it's not in the Daily Mail it's in the Telegraph. And it isn't completely untrue, though the Telegraph's is an unsurprisingly partial account. See http://www.r3ok.com/index.php/topic,...html#msg119769

[scottycelt]

It's disgusting ... Mad Cow Disease was originally a British disease through and through so what's it got to do with those busybodies in Brussels? Nigel Farage is reported to be 'incandescent with rage'.

Dave had better re-negotiate the swift return of our diseases now, or there'll be 'A Grand Remonstrance' by the Little Englanders, believe me ...

[John Skelton]

It's disgusting ... Mad Cow Disease was originally a British disease through and through so what's it got to do with those busybodies in Brussels? Nigel Farage is reported to be 'incandescent with rage'.

Dave had better re-negotiate the swift return of our diseases now, or there'll be 'A Grand Remonstrance' by the Little Englanders, believe me ...

What has any of this to do with the original post?

Away from the newspaper accounts, here's The Strad http://www.thestrad.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=2063

and here is a link to Aquila Corde Armoniche's announcement http://www.aquilacorde.com/index.php...d=1471&lang=en

[John Skelton]

And here is a link to Dmitry Badiarov, who effectively rediscovered the violoncello da spalla.

http://violoncellodaspalla.blogspot.com/2011/11/severe-early-music-crisis-caused-by-eu.html

Of course, he could be Nigel Farage in disguise.

[ahinton]

It's disgusting ... Mad Cow Disease was originally a British disease through and through so what's it got to do with those busybodies in Brussels? Nigel Farage is reported to be 'incandescent with rage'.

Dave had better re-negotiate the swift return of our diseases now, or there'll be 'A Grand Remonstrance' by the Little Englanders, believe me ...

Whilst John Skelton is quite right to question whether any of this has anything to do with the original post, I suppose that it's arguably quite droll in itself, as far as it goes. The prospect of Mr UKIP-if-you-want-to Farage "incandescent" with or without anything is surely one that might afford a certain amount of relief to some...

But while some of us might for the time being be contemplating the possible outcome of a HIP relacement operation, perhaps you might also care (if you have the guts to do so) to contribute something a little more serious in direct response to the thread topic (or perhaps you might not); in the meantime, why would you be especially exercised over possible "remonstrances" by "Englanders", anyway?

Bring me my Tourte bow of burning gold mount.

Ahem...

[ahinton]

And here is a link to Dmitry Badiarov, who effectively rediscovered the violoncello da spalla.

http://violoncellodaspalla.blogspot.com/2011/11/severe-early-music-crisis-caused-by-eu.html

Of course, he could be Nigel Farage in disguise.

!!! - as in "UHIP if you want to"?...