Violin

[shank]

<BR>Why did the people back in the 18th and 19th centuries believe that the Violin was the devil's instrument? jacob

[John]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shank:<BR><B><BR>Why did the people back in the 18th and 19th centuries believe that the Violin was the devil's instrument?</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Shank:<P>Here's the answer....<P>The violin has been associated with Satan in Western culture for generations (think of the rock song "The Devil went down to Georgia"), but the "devil as fiddler" motif has evolved in stages over the past two millennia - religions, folk tales, and literature all merge to produce a central myth. <P>The roots of this association trace back to ancient Greek religious cults, where musical instruments were commonly associated with special dieties and ethical attributes. Aristotle pronounced the aulos "not an instrument that expresses moral character; it is too exciting." <P>The modern violin emerged in the 16th century, and was often used as an accompaniment to dancing. Peasant performers in dances were denounced in the afterglow of the Protestant Reformation and Catholic counter-Reformation. Many writers blamed the devil for the very existence of dance. The devil, as agent of death and creator of dance, bcame linked to the violin during the Renaissance period, as depicted by paintings such as Pieter Brueghel's "The Triumph of Death" and Hendrik Goltzius's "Couple Playing, with Death Behind." <P>John<P>P.S. Shamefully obtained from the following web site:<BR> <A HREF="http://music.mpr.org/features/0010_halloween/violin.shtml" TARGET=_blank>http://music.mpr.org/features/0010_halloween/violin.shtml</A>

[shostakovich]

That was a very nice piece of shameful obtaining. I think Mr Scratch, the devil who debated Daniel Webster in Benet's story, played the violin. Death calls the fiddle tune in Danse Macabre. Paganini was thought to have conspired with the devil to achieve his powers. Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata was written after he dreamed the devil played him a tune (which he could not recall for the sonata). I once tried to play a violin. It sounded like Hell.<BR>Shos

[John]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shostakovich:<BR><B>... I once tried to play a violin. It sounded like Hell....</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Shos:<P>You played the violin? Well I'll be damned.<P>John<BR>

[EJA_2]

My experience at playing the violin would indicate that you would need super-natural powers to make it sound good. <P> -- EJA

[~Leslie]

The violin is REALLY hard to play well. The neck is tiny and intonation can be tricky. <BR>Bow control is even harder........~

[Peter]

Perhaps from now on, Les, we should refer to the violin as an "axette"? (Or a little chopper).

[EJA_2]

Hatchet, Peter? <BR>Is that the word you sought? <BR>Ay, that's the word<BR>You would have surely used,<BR>Had you given a second thought.<P>My violin<BR>Beneath my chin<BR>No sooner do my fingers find "in tune"<BR>Then to another note I must move again.<P>How it does wail and howl!<BR>The scritching and scratching<BR>Makes all the cats yowl. <BR>My dumb, clumsy fingers enlessly ply the string,<BR>Yet no brilliant sounds of beauty do my efforts bring.<P>In disgust I set it down; <BR>No time have I to develop such skill<BR>as others do, and have, and will,<BR>My talent is paltry and I know when to quit. . . <P>Which is why I am quitting right here. Where's my hatchet? ? ? <P> -- EJA<BR>

[Peter]

Not bad, Ethan. I couldn't quite make it scan here & there, but a good effort! <P>This is rubbish, but it does scan:<P>I went & bought a violin<BR>made by Stradivarius,<BR>To learn I tried so hard, but in the <BR>End pulled out my hairius.<P>(Sorry)

[EJA_2]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peter:<BR><B>Not bad, Ethan. I couldn't quite make it scan here & there, but a good effort! <P>This is rubbish, but it does scan:<P>I went & bought a violin<BR>made by Stradivarius,<BR>To learn I tried so hard, but in the <BR>End pulled out my hairius.<P>(Sorry)</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>This I find rather hilarious.<P> -- EJA<P>

[~Leslie]

Another writer perpetuating the violin myth is Dave Barry,<BR>paraphrasing here, how he figured the astronomical value of the Stradivarius, was because if a player turned his chin a certain way as he plays, it opens a secret compartment<BR>revealing a kilo of contraban.

[Peter]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by EJA:<BR><B> This I find rather hilarious.<BR> -- EJA<BR></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Poetically precarious?

[Peter]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ~Leslie:<BR><B>Another writer perpetuating the violin myth is Dave Barry,<BR>paraphrasing here, how he figured the astronomical value of the Stradivarius, was because if a player turned his chin a certain way as he plays, it opens a secret compartment<BR>revealing a kilo of contraban. </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>A KILO!! Man, that would be weighty music.

[~Leslie]

ROFLOL!!!Well, I dunno metric, Peter!!! LOL!

[EJA_2]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peter:<BR><B> Poetically precarious?</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Should've tried a Guarnerius<P> -- EJA<P><p>[This message has been edited by EJA (edited 03-26-2001).]

[Joe Lykins]

...and steered clear of Milhaud, Darius.

[Joe Lykins]

And speaking of Satanic violining, has anyone heard the last track, "Nomad", on the "Heroes" CD by Mark O'Connor? He duos with an East Indian fiddler named Shankar, who fiddles so fast, I can barely believe the track is not electronically accelerated somehow. <BR>

[EJA_2]

No, but my Great Grandfather made a violin or two for O'Connor, FWIW. <P> -- EJA