Violin no Experience

The relationship between violinist and violin—not to mention the bow—is its own kind of union. I was 20 years old when I played my first great Stradivari. It was a confusing experience for me—the sound the instrument made was beyond my ability to control, and I had never imagined such possibilities of colour and texture. In fifteen minutes with the instrument, I learned more about the violin than I had learned in my previous two years of practising! One of the pieces I played on it was the Allemanda from Bach’s B minor Partita, an experience that left a lasting impression on me. It was simultaneously humbling and exhilarating, and I had the distinct impression of being in the presence of two giants of the violin, Bach and Stradivari. I realized then that if I wanted to do them justice, there was still a lot of practising to do! Thinking on it now, it is completely inspiring to me that our artform involves the collaboration of so much genius— great violinists play music composed by great composers, on instruments made by great luthiers, creating a single seamless listening experience.